Work is underway to fix Eastrail crossing in Kirkland, trail detour in place

Design of the new crossing from Kirkland.

Kirkland is working to fix one of the worst missing crossings along the otherwise fantastic northern section of the Eastrail near Totem Lake. There is a trail detour in place for a few blocks until July 3.

Since opening a few years ago, the trail has had a short gap at 132nd Ave NE/Slater Ave NE. Trail users could see the trail continue across the street, but railroad tracks in the street and a lack of a crosswalk made the crossing unsafe. Instead, riders had to detour down a sidewalk to a busy intersection crosswalk at Slater and NE 124th Street. Once complete, trail users will be able to simply continue straight.

A group at the Slater/132nd dead end.

Until July 3, the trail is detoured east of the intersection, requiring users to use sidewalks and cross multiple streets before connecting back with the trail.

More details from Kirkland:

The Cross Kirkland Corridor trail is currently closed at 128th Lane Northeast. There is a posted trail detour to follow. The image below describes the detour, which is expected to be active to July 3, 2025. Please follow the detourand stay out of the construction zone.

A City of Kirkland project will construct a safe crossing for pedestrians and bicyclists at 132nd Avenue Northeast to connect the north-end section of Kirkland's Cross Kirkland Corridor with King County's Eastrail. The project has received multiple grant awards, and is designed to provide an enhanced pedestrian and bicycle crosswalk signal, pedestrian refuge island, buffered bike lanes, and new right-turn signal for westbound to northbound vehicles at the intersection of Northeast 124th Street to 132nd Avenue Northeast.

This is an example of the type of signalized crosswalk Kirkland will install on 132nd Avenue Northeast, including pedestrian refuge island between northbound and southbound travel lanes.

On a personal note, I caught COVID and have been down and out this week, which is why posting has been slow. But I'm coming out of it. COVID still sucks. Get your vaccine boosters and take care of each other.