Bellevue Beat | Wilburton Trestle to be a major attraction along Eastside Rail Corridor
Bellevue.com
| Tweet |
|
Bellevue and several Eastside cities together with King County are planning for the future of the Eastside Rail Corridor (ERC), a part of a 42-mile rail line once owned by Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF). When BNSF decided to sell, King County joined with other partners to preserve this valuable corridor and plan for its future as a multi-use corridor connecting the Eastside like never before and provide the cities of Renton, Bellevue, Kirkland, Woodinville and Redmond with new opportunities for non-motorized recreation and transportation.
|
More on Bellevue.com
|
Once the transformation is complete in the fall of 2026, the public will be able to walk, bike, or roll from the Mercer Slough Nature Park, over a new bridge crossing Interstate 405, onto the Bellevue trestle and into the Wilburton neighborhood. You can also access the trestle directly from the nearby light rail Wilburton Station.
The 100-foot-tall trail bridge will be 18 feet wide with two viewing platforms facing east and another platform facing west.
Built in 1904, the trestle is nearly 1,000 feet long and over 100 feet high its highest point. It's the largest trestle in the Pacific Northwest and has been recommended as eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
According to the ERC Trail Master Plan, the trestle would likely be one of the most popular destinations along the corridor. The trestle is likely to be a destination that trail users and visitors seek out as a destination in itself, as a place to enjoy sunset views, as a showcase for visitors to Bellevue and for users to simply linger to enjoy being outdoors and excitement of the elevated structure with nothing but timbers and air beneath.
Extra space will be added toward the edges of the structure so that users can continue on their way over the bridge in the center, while others wishing to stop and enjoy the views can stand at the edges of the trestle without impeding trail traffic. Railings will complement the trestle structure and support comfortable viewing at the edge.
The $37 million project is funded by the voter-approved King County Parks levy, the State of Washington, Amazon, the City of Bellevue and Kaiser Permanente.
|
|
|
For more information and details, visit Eastside Rail Corridor.
Published: March 2, 2016. Updated June 11, 2024
Rendering and image courtesy of King County Parks
|
|
