Alert 4/16-18 and 22-24: WSDOT is fixing that horribly bumpy section of the 520 Trail in Redmond

I made this map using the details from WSDOT (interactive version). Thick lines are the closed sections, thin lines are the official detour routes. I marked possible problem sections with (!). There are likely better unofficial detour options through Microsoft campus, especially for the southernmost segments.

WSDOT will fix an extremely bumpy section of the 520 Trail in Redmond just in time for the light rail openings in May, so be prepared for detours April 16-18 and 22-24.

Caused by tree roots and years of neglect, some of these sections are so bumpy they are almost comical. But especially for a new rider who is not aware of them, such as someone who has changed their travel patterns due to the new light rail stations, they pose a serious crash risk.

After a bit of online map exploring, most the detours don't look too bad at least at first glance. Some sections might require a little sidewalk riding, and some sections of road have those ACME disappearing-reappearing bike lanes that are sadly common throughout the region. The worst looks like the April 17 and 23 detour along 148th Ave NE and NE 36th Street. I especially can't recommend sending trail users on 148th, which is busy and fast and has no bike lane or shoulder. Knowing the secrets of navigating through Microsoft campus on a bike could be very helpful. If anyone asks, just say you're troubleshooting a workaround for a team that is optimizing an old piece of important system infrastructure that has been neglected since Windows 95.

More details from WSDOT:

People using the State Route 520 bike trail should plan for daily closures between West Lake Sammamish Parkway Northeast in Redmond and 148th Avenue Northeast in Redmond from April 16-18 and April 22-24.

During the closure, WSDOT maintenance crews will resurface damaged sections of the bike trail and remove protruding tree roots that caused uneven surfaces. Root guards, which can be installed without closing the trail, will be placed at a later date to mitigate further disruption and pavement bulging from wayward tree roots.

The SR 520 trail closure details (8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day):

• Wednesday, April 16 and Tuesday, April 22: West Lake Sammamish Parkway Northeast to Northeast 51st Street.
• Thursday, April 17 and Wednesday, April 23: Northeast 51st Street to Northeast 40th Street.
• Friday, April 18 and Thursday, April 24: Northeast 40th Street to 148th Avenue Northeast.

The following are detours during the respective closures:

• Wednesday, April 16 and Tuesday, April 22: From SR 520, southbound West Lake Sammamish Parkway Northeast to westbound Tosh Road, which becomes Northeast 51st Street.
• Thursday, April 17 and Wednesday, April 23: From SR 520, westbound Northeast 51st Street to southbound 150th Avenue Northeast to eastbound Northeast 40th Street.
• Thursday, April 17 and Wednesday, April 23: From SR 520, westbound Northeast 40th Street to southbound 150th Avenue Northeast to westbound Northeast 36th Street to southbound 148th Avenue Northeast.

WSDOT will continue to work with its local partners and adjacent businesses to prevent further tree root intrusion to prevent further damage to the trail.