King County Council approves rail removal on the Eastside Rail Corridor!

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King County Council approves rail removal on the Eastside Rail Corridor

ERC Trail_South of Cross Kirkland Corridor
Eastside Rail Corridor - South of Cross Kirkland Corridor


Last week, the King County Council unanimously approved King County Executive Dow Constantine's proposal for phased removal of obsolete railroad tracks on the Eastside Rail Corridor (ERC).


The first phase of removal of the rails and ties will be completed as early as 2017 from Renton to Kirkland. This will open the way for development of an initial phase of interim trail from the southern end of the Cross Kirkland Corridor at 108th Ave NE, continuing southward to connect to the City of Bellevue’s Northup Way Improvements Project, which completes a missing link in the 520 Trail System. This is the first step in connecting the ERC Trail to the 520 Trail and realizing the potential for the ERC as a new regional trail that serves as a north-south spine on the Eastside that will connect communities to each other and the regional trail system like never before.


The approximately 1.3 mile interim trail, which will be built by late 2017, will add finer crushed gravel to smooth the existing surface of the rail bed and include other minor improvements for public safety. In the remainder of the corridor where rails and ties are removed, the coarse ballast rock along the rail bed will be smoothed out and covered over with finer gravel. This will open the corridor for enjoyment by the public.


This decision improves the corridor for public use in the near-term, while also allowing the ERC Regional Trail Master Planning process to continue for the County’s long-term trail vision.


King County Parks echos the County Council’s excitement and looks forward to creating new connections and opportunities for neighbors, communities, and businesses on the Eastside and beyond.


You can view the County Council’s full press release here.

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