Project Overview
The City of Woodinville recently received approval to preserve railroad corridors for future uses. This preservation, called railbanking, allows the City to transform the existing rail corridor into a new trail and liner park. Not only will the City increase its connectivity with the communities on the eastern-side of Lake Washington by completing a section of Eastrail, a 42-mile uninterrupted trail for non-motorized recreation and transportation, but the railbanking also allows the City to move forward on replacing the rail trestle and widen the portion of State Route 202 within City’s downtown corridor.
To transform the rail corridor, the initial work would include removal, or salvage, of rail, ties and other track materials within the corridor. The section of rail corridor affected is approximately 2 miles long. Once the materials have been removed, the corridor will be rough graded in a condition acceptable for maintenance access. The corridor will be closed off to prevent access to motorized vehicles. Necessary signage and measures will be placed to deter active public access through the corridor.
In addition to the corridor, there are rail, tie and track materials at seven road crossings throughout the City – four public and three private. Removal of these materials will be required to make the corridor useable and avoid future maintenance and safety concerns with inactive structures.
The project started in August, 2023 and is anticipated to be completed in December, 2023.
