 Last Thursday King County Parks broke ground on the new NE 8th trail bridge that will connect Eastrail to Sound Transit’s Wilburton Station, providing safe access to Link light rail across one of the busiest streets in Bellevue.
“Bridging the gap between trails and rail is no longer a metaphor – it's a deliverable,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine, who is also a member of the Sound Transit Board of Directors. “The bridge we’re building with community partners will offer safe, healthy connections to high-capacity transit while honoring the legacy of the Japanese American farming community.”
The community-led Bellevue Japanese American Legacy Project will install art on the NE 8th Street Eastrail Bridge, honoring the history of the Japanese American farming community in Bellevue.
Walkers, runners, and cyclists will be able to go from the new trail bridge north to Woodinville where Eastrail connects to the Sammamish River Trail and the Burke-Gilman Trail. Starting in 2024, users will be able to head south across the transformed Wilburton Trestle and a new bridge crossing Interstate 405 to reach the Mercer Slough Environmental Educational Center.
The $16 million construction contract is funded with $13 million from the King County Parks Levy, which voters approved in 2019, and $3 million from Sound Transit’s System Access Fund.
Have any Eastrail questions? Please reach out to us at Eastrail@kingcounty.gov.
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