Published March 22 2024
The state Legislature has allocated $6.6 million in its 2023-25 supplemental transportation budget for construction of another key segment of the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trail in Bellevue, between 142nd Place Southeast and 150th Avenue Southeast.
“We are gratified to have strong partnerships with our legislators and the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust that make this next phase of the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trail a reality,” said Bellevue Mayor Lynne Robinson. “This funding gets us one step closer to a beautiful trail that provides continuous, safe and convenient access for people walking and rolling from the Cascade Mountains all the way to Puget Sound.”
The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trail will provide a non-motorized connection from Seattle to Snoqualmie, linking Mercer Island, Bellevue, Issaquah and Preston in between. The trail is part of the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area, which was designated by Congress in 2019.
Bellevue has been working to close a 3.6-mile gap in the trail between Interstate 405 and Lakemont Boulevard. Two sections of the trail through that area are already open in the city. A segment from I-405 to 132nd Avenue Southeast opened in 2021, and a second from 132nd Avenue Southeast to 142nd Place Southeast opened in 2022.
The Puget Sound Regional Council covered the design costs for the most recently funded trail section through the federal Transportation Alternatives Program. The city also received $2.37 million in federal Surface Transportation Program funds through the Puget Sound Regional Council to cover a portion of the construction costs. The state Legislature moved the funding up to the current biennium, which will allow construction to begin in the second half of 2025.