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Eastrail
NE 8th Bridge
Join King County Parks on June 23, 2024 as we open the new NE 8th bridge in Bellevue and unveil the community-led Japanese American heritage art installations. This event is located where the trail meets the Sound Transit Wilburton Station on the newly opened 2 Line.
When: June 23, 2024. Noon.
Where: NE 8th in Bellevue (map)
NE 8th Overview
The Eastrail NE 8th St. bridge in central Bellevue provides a critical pedestrian and bicycle crossing over NE 8th Street, one of the busiest streets on the Eastside. The north side of the bridge connects directly at ground level with the Wilburton Link Light Rail Station. With the upcoming redevelopment of Bellevue’s Wilburton neighborhood just to the south, the bridge will provide an essential safe crossing for trail users and the thousands of new commuters in the Wilburton area.
The trail bridge features distinctive metal cladding on both sides and large art and poetry installations that honor the Japanese-American history of the location created by a community-led organization, Isan Bellevue .
Construction Cost: $32 Million
Bridge Specifications
- Approximately 500' long, 16’ trail width
- Overhead lighting
- Composed of pre-fabricated steel trusses
- Provides direct connection to Sound Transit and Rapid Ride, at ground level, on the north side of NE 8th.
Eastrail Connection to Wilburton Sound Transit Station
The connection between the Sound Transit Light Wilburton Link Station and the Eastrail will be located on the north side of NE 8th and will occur at ground level. To reach Sound Transit Station from the Eastrail trail users can either take a set of stairs down from the trail bridge to the Sound Transit plaza or continue north down the trail bridge ramp to reach the Sound Transit plaza.
Wilburton Trestle
Project Schedule: Construction started May 2024. Anticipated opening summer 2026.
Cost: $37 Million.
Overview
King County will transform the historic Wilburton Trestle in Bellevue into a stunning elevated trail that can be enjoyed by commuters, cyclists, runners and pedestrians. The century-old trestle – the largest of its kind in the Pacific Northwest – is expected to be one of the most popular segments of the Eastrail.
The new 18 feet wide trail across the Trestle will include the addition of several viewing platforms to take in the sights and view Kelsey Creek which runs under the structure.
The 1,000 feet long wooden trestle, built in 1904 by Northern Pacific Railway, contributed to the economic growth of the region, first used by trains to haul locally logged timber to mills and ports and later serving, among other uses, as a transportation corridor for airplane fuselages to Boeing’s Renton facility.
Project Funders
- King County Parks Levy - $20.5 million
- Amazon - $5 million + $2.5 million for nearby Wilburton Trail Segment
- Washington State - $9 million. Includes $6 million from Climate Commitment Act*
- City of Bellevue - $2 million
- Kaiser Permanente - $500,000
*The Wilburton Trestle Eastrail transformation is supported with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act. The CCA supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the CCA is available at www.climate.wa.gov.