Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Kirkland begins construction on NE 80th multimodal connection; Cross Kirkland Corridor to close through spring for bridge work
Summary
Construction started July 7 on the NE 80th Street shared‑use connection to the I‑405 station. City project managers warned crews will close the Cross Kirkland Corridor trail beginning July 18 for major bridge and wall work; detour routes, tree removals and a long running schedule were outlined.
Kirkland staff updated the council on July 15 that construction of the Northeast 80th Street multimodal connection project is under way and will require a long‑term closure of the Cross Kirkland Corridor (CKC) trail while crews build a new separated pedestrian bridge and related structures.
Project manager Kimberly Carraza said the contractor began work on July 7 and that the project will widen NE 80th Street, build a 10‑ to 12‑foot structural earth block wall, construct a 14‑foot‑wide separated pedestrian bridge over the CKC, and install a stormwater detention vault. “Lanes have been reduced to one lane in each direction and is expected to stay in this long‑term configuration until the end of spring next year,” Carraza said.
Carraza said the CKC will close beginning Friday, July 18, because heavy equipment and overhead materials will be working over the trail; the closure is expected to last through the end of spring next year. The city will post chain‑link fencing at the closure and provide QR‑code signs and a project webpage with detour maps and updates. Staff said they selected a short detour route (about a quarter‑mile) with steeper grades for most users and identified a longer, less steep detour of about three‑quarters of a mile that requires additional crossings.
The project will remove 241 trees; 122 trees were identified for required mitigation and 61 are slated to be replanted on site as street trees or along the CKC, with the remainder mitigated through the city’s tree‑mitigation (Finley) program. Carraza said 65 trees that cannot be replanted on site will be mitigated via Finley funds used by the Parks Department for replanting projects in city natural areas.
Funding and schedule: city staff said the total project budget is roughly $12.1 million, including $1.3 million in local funds; the project is federally and Sound Transit funded as part of station‑area work. Carraza showed the contractor’s schedule and said hazards near the trail will be present for the majority of the construction period and the city will re‑evaluate opening the trail during weekly contractor meetings.
Council questions focused on traffic and mitigation. Councilmember Sweet asked whether the city performed traffic modeling for the capacity changes and detours; staff said the design included coordination with WSDOT and that staff would return with additional information about mitigations and whether supplemental police traffic control or signal timing changes were needed. Councilmember Black and others suggested the long, visible earth wall and bridge abutments present opportunities for public art and encouraged staff to pursue an integrated art plan.
Ending: Carraza said the city recognizes the closure will significantly affect trail users and that staff will provide frequent updates, posted detour maps and outreach to nearby neighborhoods as work proceeds.
