Got an email from the County yesterday saying that by the end of 2021 the ERC would be open and paved across the Wilburton Tressle and from Coal Creek Parkway to the Seahawlks training facility.
It would be better news if they indicated that they planned to connect it to the I-90 trail – they don’t. “Until the completion of a future trail bridge over I-90 the route follows Lake Washington BLVD and 118th Ave SE for a mile between Coal Creek Parkway and Southeast 32nd Street in Bellevue. ” It isn’t clear how you’ll get up to the railroad grade at Coal Creek but unless they model it after the Reinig Bridge, they’ll be a ramp.
When Constantine first announced the 2019 press level he said part of the funds would go to regional trails and called out the ERC specifically (he gave that speech at Wilburton.) The ERC was mentioned in the fundraising emails I got from various King County Council members – Dembrowski, in particular, said “This levy will greatly expand our regional trail network with significant investments to build out the Eastside Rail Corridor, including $4.6 million for a connection to the Sammamish River Trail in Woodinville.”
(Off topic but of interest, Dembrowski continued: “In addition to other projects, I was pleased to secure funding to: (1) build a new trail connection in Bothell, extending the Tolt River Trail to meet the Burke-Gilman and Sammamish River trails at the former Wayne Golf Course site ($2 million), (2) expand regional trail connections between the Interurban Trail and Burke-Gilman Trail in Lake Forest Park and Shoreline ($7.5 million), and (3) support acquisitions for the proposed Green Loop Trail in Kirkland ($2.5 million).”)
Now the county says that WSDOT is paying for the pavement and the new 405 bridge and that they’re looking for funding for the I=90 bridge. Not exactly a surprise since it was obvious that the widening of 405 was going to take out the existing trail, but I wonder what they’ll use the levy money for instead?