New Eastrail Segment Opens, Adding 2+ Miles Along Lake Washington

BELLEVUE, WA — Another paved, 2.5-mile stretch of the Eastrail opened Wednesday, providing a 20-foot wide trail running between Bellevue and Renton, connecting pedestrians and cyclists with three parks along the way. The latest addition brings the Eastrail one step closer to its goal of providing 42 miles of uninterrupted trails from Renton to Snohomish County.

Leaders from King County and the Washington State Department of Transportation were on hand Wednesday morning to mark the occasion.

"The newest segment of Eastrail offers scenic, safe, and healthy connections to waterfront parks and major job centers along Lake Washington," said King County Executive Dow Constantine. "Thanks to our partners at WSDOT and funding generated by the voter-approved King County Parks Levy, we are delivering on our promise to expand, maintain, and enhance our regional trails that connect more people to the best opportunities our spectacular region has to offer."

The new trail segment connects with Renton's Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park and Kennydale Beach Park, along with Bellevue's Newcastle Beach Park.

Here's how to access the new trail:

• Cyclists approaching from the north via Interstate 90 can access Eastrail at 118th Avenue Southeast and Coal Creek Parkway Southeast.
• Cyclists and pedestrians coming from the south can access the new trail near the Seattle Seahawks’ training facility in Renton and ride north over the Ripley Trestle.
• Those traveling by car can park at Newcastle Beach Park – which features a playground and restrooms – and walk a short distance to the new trail.

According to the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, the project's full cost came in at $26 million, including the future trail bridge planned over Interstate 405. WSDOT provided $19 million of the funding, and the rest came from the levy approved by voters in 2019.

The parks department is working on future Eastrail expansions, including connections to other regional trail systems. A partnership with Renton will extend trails further south, eventually connecting to the Lake to Sound Trail. The Eastrail will also make more connections to the north, including the Mountains to Sound Greenway and the State Route 520 trail.

In September, Amazon pledged $7.5 million to help King County overhaul the 100-foot tall Wilburton Trestle in Bellevue for use as another Eastrail segment.

Learn more about visiting the newest Eastrail addition via King County Parks.