Later this year, with the opening of the NE 8^th street overcrossing and Wilburton Station on Sound Transit’s 2-line, the Eastrail will bring trail and transit users directly into the heart of Bellevue. Whether coming from Kirkland on the Eastrail, or Seattle via the Northup Connector, users will be able to travel all the way to NE 4^th Street in Bellevue. Looking south from the end of the trail, users might be asking: How can they connect to the Eastrail’s southern segment, just a few miles away, that will bring them all the way into Renton and onto other South King County trails?

Ongoing Bellevue Projects

Three major trail projects make up the “Bellevue gap” in Eastrail. The first two, the Wilburton Trestle, and the 405 Overcrossing, are fully funded and in various stages of construction. Both are slated to open by the end of 2025, at which point Eastrail users will be able to safely cross over SE 8^th and I-405 to connect to the bike lanes on 118^th near the Mercer Slough.

I-90 Steel Bridge

The final, currently unfunded gap includes about 1.7 miles of trail, a smaller trestle, and a steel bridge crossing I-90. Closing this gap will mean that trail users can walk, bike, or roll on Eastrail all the way from Renton to Woodinville. This will open miles of recreational trail, direct connections to transit, active transportation options for 405 commuters, and access to important job centers in Bellevue, Renton, and beyond.

Eastrail Partners is working closely with our government and corporate partners to pursue several different funding opportunities and finally close the Eastrail gap in Bellevue. In 2024, King County is applying for a Federal grant from the US Department of Transportation to help fund this segment.