Mountains to Sound Greenway Trail

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The Mountains to Sound Greenway is a 100-mile long corridor along Interstate 90, stretching from the Seattle waterfront to Ellensburg in Central Washington. It features hiking and biking trails and a regional trail network used by people walking and rolling for recreation and transportation. The 3.6-mile trail project in Bellevue will close a gap in the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trail between Factoria Boulevard and Lakemont Boulevard. 1.2 miles of trail have already been completed in Bellevue, allowing access from I-405 to 142nd Place SE.

Description

Two segments of the trail in Bellevue have already been completed. The third segment has been funded and is in design. There is not yet funding for the final phases.

Segment 1: Interstate 405 to 132nd Avenue SE

This segment opened on March 30, 2021. It provides a tunnel crossing under I-405 to eastbound I-90 ramps and a 12-foot-wide pedestrian/bicycle bridge over Factoria Boulevard Southeast to ensure bicycle and pedestrian safety. Portions of the trail were relocated to improve capacity for the eastbound I-90 off-ramp to Factoria, helping to avoid long backups onto the highway. (See rendering.)

Segment 2: 132nd Avenue SE to 142nd Place SE

This segment opened in summer 2022. It includes a 12-foot-wide paved pedestrian and bicycle path on the north side of SE 36th Street, walls, traffic signal modifications, new lighting and new pavement. More details are available in the construction alert (Jan. 2021).

Segment 3: 142nd Place SE to the pedestrian overcrossing at 150th Avenue SE

This section is currently under design and is planned to start construction in the second half of 2025. It will include a 12-foot-wide paved pedestrian and bicycle path on the north side of SE 36th Street. It will include walls, a new mid-block crosswalk at 146th Avenue SE, new lighting and new pavement. The Washington State Legislature shifted $6.6 million in funding to the 2023-25 budget for the construction of this segment. $2.37 million in construction funding also came from the Puget Sound Regional Council.

Future phases: Pedestrian crossing at 150th Avenue SE to Lakemont Boulevard SE

Funding for future phases is not yet available. It will include a new 12-foot-wide pedestrian and bicycle trail, along the south side of I-90.

Funding

Construction funding for the I-405 to 132nd Avenue SE segment is $17.7 million. Construction funding for the 132nd Avenue SE to 142nd Place SE segment is $9.4 million. Construction funding for the 142nd Place SE to 150th Avenue SE segment is $8.97 million. Design and construction funding for the segment from 150th Avenue SE to SE Lakemont Boulevard is not yet available.

Completion of first and second segments

On Jan. 7, 2022, federal, state and city officials marked the substantial completion of the first section of completed trail in Bellevue. The 1.2-mile segment in the Factoria neighborhood was the result of productive partnerships, years in the making. This segment of the trail won an American Public Works Association project of the year award.

Image of ribbon-cutting for trail segment opening

A second segment of the trail, between 132nd Avenue Southeast and 142nd Place Southeast, was completed in the summer of 2022.

Background

In 2013, the city began the final design on the Greenway Trail between Factoria Boulevard Southeast and 150th Avenue Southeast. The design follows recommendations made in the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trail Design Study. The alignment was chosen as part of a study of the entire Eastgate/I-90 corridor.

Several ideas were considered as part of the Eastgate/I-90 Land Use and Transportation Project on how to address the “Eastgate Gap.” Community input and feedback indicated that bicyclists preferred the southern alignment because it is the most direct and continuous route. A resident advisory committee endorsed the pathway depicted in the proposed Mountains to Sound Greenway alignment. The city, in partnership with the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, completed a design study of the trail alignment along the south side of Interstate 90.