Redmond Central Connector Trail Redmond, Washington

Providing multimodal access to the city’s growing downtown, the Redmond Central Connector unifies multiple business districts as well as a natural area in the Sammamish Valley across two segments, providing a valuable linkage to the regional trail network. In designing the combined 2.9 miles of trail, Otak also managed construction–finding costs savings to retain project elements–for the phase that included a major connection and vantage point in the historic Sammamish River Trestle.

A Natural Trail Setting Adding Multimodal Connectivity to an Urban Environment

The Redmond Central Connector creates a multiuse pathway that guides users through the downtown urban center to a natural area with views of the beautiful Sammamish Valley. An initial 1.3-mile segment of trail that also retrofitted the Sammamish River Trestle and a bridge over 154th Avenue NE while a following 1.6-mile segment completes a connection between the Cross Kirkland Trail and Eastrail. Together, the trails adapt to and complement different settings, with specific landscape design, lighting, and outdoor art elements implemented throughout. In addressing and treating stormwater runoff, a vegetated collection and flow control facility was added along one portion of the trail. A focus on safety and accessibility includes new ADA-compliant curb ramps to pedestrian and bicycle-friendly retrofits to two bridges. The Sammamish River Trestle was a signature element unifying these urban areas with the river’s natural surroundings and representing a major focus for permitting, shoreline restoration, and critical project timelines during documentation. Set within an existing cathedral of trees in the Willows Run Forest, the trail setting provides a unique getaway from the surrounding urban center to support cyclists and pedestrians, enveloping users into the natural setting that once dominated the valley.