NE 85th Street Shared-Use Pathway - 6th Street to 405 Improvements

Not with this project due to the elevation of the roadway compared to the CKC. Northeast 87th Street & 114th Avenue Northeast will provide the most direct connection for CKC users to transition to the NE 85^th Street shared-use pathway.

The contractor has scheduled 9 months to complete the new bridge and the trail is closed during the construction for the safety of trail users. Temporary detours are in-place to guide trail users around the construction site while the bridge is under construction. The CKC trail is anticipated to reopen in spring 2026.

There are three running races that utilize the CKC trail that have their distances/routes certified occurring this fall.  Our contractor is required to open the trail and repair the trail surface to allow safe use for these events in October (Lake Washington Half, October 18), November (Turkey Trot, November 16), and December (12k’s of Kirkland, December 14).  The contractor will open the trail from Friday to Monday when these events occur.  

The two eastbound lanes are now part of the construction project work zone as shown in the detail below. One lane will be used as a travel lane for trucks and equipment and the other lane will be partially demolished during excavation for the structural wall.

This is a critical multimodal connection between Downtown Kirkland and regional bus rapid transit (STRIDE). Funding for this connection was voter-approved in 2016 as part of the ST3 System Plan. Moreover, this connection supports Council’s vision for a safe, connected multimodal transportation network as established in the Transportation Strategic Plan, and supports future development of the NE 85^th St Station Area as a thriving, walkable district linked by transit.   

Typically, if feasible, a pedestrian access route running slope should be designed less than 5% grade. The grade of the shared-use path is approximately 6%.  However, the path is ADA compliant because of the exception in PROWAG (Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines)[RW1]  allows the path to match the grade of the adjacent street, even if the grade exceeds 5%.

Preamble D. Chapter 3: Technical Requirements; Grade

Where pedestrian access routes are contained within a street or highway right-of-way, the grade of the pedestrian access route shall not exceed 1:20 (5.0%). An exception permits the grade of the pedestrian access route to not exceed the grade established for the adjacent street or highway, where the grade established for that adjacent street or highway exceeds 1:20 (5.0%) (R302.4.1).

 [RW1]PROWAG (Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines) and the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Standards are related but distinct guidelines for accessibility, particularly in public spaces. PROWAG focuses on accessibility in public rights-of-way like sidewalks, streets, and crosswalks, while the 2010 ADA Standards cover a broader range of facilities and environments, including buildings and transportation. PROWAG provides more detailed technical specifications for elements like curb ramps and pedestrian signals, often clarifying or expanding upon the general accessibility requirements outlined in the ADA Standards.  

Along with not being part of the original scope, seating areas typically require level landings and adjustments to the grading of the path to provide flatter grades (and steeper grades to make up for these flat areas), would make the path non-ADA compliant.

While a detailed traffic study was not a requirement for the project, the CIP and Transportation groups worked through several alternatives before selecting this configuration. This review was based on evaluation criteria such as qualitative impacts to the traveling public, safety of the roadway within the project limits, construction costs, and schedule. In addition, traffic analysis was performed in coordination with our project and WSDOT's I-405/NE 85th Street interchange project. A traffic analysis of the lane reductions was completed by City Transportation, and WSDOT's consultant verified the City's work and conclusions. This analysis looked at potential queuing/delay on NE 85th Street from the City’s project impacting the I-405 off-ramps during their project construction to determine the potential impacts to safety and operations. After all the analysis and coordination with WSDOT was completed, the least impactful design was selected which is currently being utilized.

Staff will monitor the traffic and make adjustments as necessary.

Beginning in 2024, the project team conducted outreach meetings with property owners and management for those directly impacted by the project.  This year, we've increased our efforts and met with numerous community and business groups regarding the project. The reduction of NE 85th St to two lanes was highlighted in each presentation. The Project Update mailer went to all businesses and residents from Forbes Creek to Houghton on the west side of 405, and nearly 10,000 addresses. Notice has gone out in utility billing mailings, and mentioned at multiple WSDOT quarterly project update meeting. While never perfect, our outreach strategy has been working to notify the community at large as well as businesses specifically. Included in all community conversations is mentioning that Central Way will also be paved this summer, mid-August to September.

There will be significant tree removal to build the project. Regarding the tree replacements, Kirkland is following our tree code.  We will plant street trees along Northeast 85th Street and add evergreen trees to the Cross Kirkland Corridor, but there is not space to replant all required tree replacements within the project site.  The project will pay into the City's fee-in-lieu program which plants trees throughout Kirkland to maintain our tree canopy to fulfill the required mitigation ratio.

241 impacted trees are marked for removal. 122 trees have been identified for required mitigation and the remainder are mainly small diameter and non-viable trees which are not regulated by Kirkland’s tree code (KCZ Chapter 95).

61 trees will be replanted on site, some as street trees adjacent to the shared-use path and douglas fir trees will be planted by the CKC. The trees selected for planting on site are of generally higher quality than the ones being removed. In addition to Douglas Fir, the other replanted tree species include Greenspire Little Leaf Linden, Karpick Maple, Frontier Elm, Green Mountain Sugar Maple, Black Tupelo, and Eddies White Wonder Dogwood. 65 trees which are unable to be replanted on site will be mitigated through the fee-in-lieu program as required by Kirkland’s tree code. 

After completion of the project, the engineer will track and report to the Planning Department, the actual number of required mitigation trees which were unable to be replanted on site. The number of trees reported will be used to calculate the fee-in-lieu final amount which the project will be required to pay. At the time of this project update, the code reflects a unit cost of $450.00 per mitigation tree. The funds collected from fee-in-lieu mitigation helps fund and support the City’s Forestry Account. The Parks Department utilizes the Forestry Account for tree canopy restoration planting projects in various natural areas throughout the City.  

The route also connects to the South Rose Hill/Bridle Trails Neighborhood via the Northeast 80th Street Pedestrian bridge over I-405 and the North Rose Hill Neighborhood via the Northeast 100th Street Pedestrian Bridge over I-405. WSDOT is building improvements across I-405 and this project connects into those improvements.   

(July 17, 2025) -- The CKC trail closure from NE 85-87th Streets begins tomorrow. Guardrail removal on NE 85th Street is underway, and tree felling is expected soon.  Project Manager Kimberly Coraza, P.E., presented an update to City Council at it's July 15 meeting.

(July 9, 2025)  -- The CKC trail will be closed as early as July 18 for an extended, months-long closure.  Detour map is posted to this webpage, and will be on site from July 18. Traffic control on NE 85th Street was installed smoothly, and next noticeable steps besides the trail closure are potholing and tree felling.

(July 3, 2025) -- Work begins Monday on this transformative pathway project. Expect traffic impacts and delays. Nearby streets will see increased traffic.  

(June 13, 2025) -- Work is now expected to begin on this project on Monday, July 7.  Traffic control will be set that week reducing NE 85th Street to one-lane in each direction for the duration of the project.  Tree removal will follow traffic control measures.

(June 12, 2025) -- Work is now expected to begin on this project on Monday, June 23.  Traffic control will be set that week reducing NE 85th Street to one-lane in each direction for the duration of the project.  Tree removal is expected by mid-July.

(June 5, 2025)-- Staff are preparing for the pre-construction meeting, and expect construction to begin in early summer. One of the first (and most noticeable) tasks will be the tree removal to create the space for the shared-use pathway on the south side of NE 85th Street. The lane reduction of NE 85th Street is expected to begin after the Fourth of July weekend.

(May 29, 2025)-- City staff expect construction to begin as early as June 16. One of the first (and most noticeable) tasks will be the tree removal to create the space for the shared-use pathway on the south side of NE 85th Street.

(May 22, 2025)-- City staff expect construction to begin by summer on this one-year pedestrian and bicycle improvement project. Information on this project was presented to the Kirkland Kiwanis Club at it's May 14 meeting.

(May 15, 2025)--Check out the project video for NE 85th Street Shared-use pathway from 6th Street to I-405.

(Apr. 17, 2025)--Check out the project video for NE 85th Street Shared-use pathway from 6th Street to I-405.

(Apr. 10, 2025)-- Outreach staff are working on a social media push for public notification of this project. Project video coming soon...

(Apr. 3, 2025)--This project was presented to the Downtown Merchant's meeting of the Kirkland Downtown Association on Tuesday, April 1. Outreach staff are working on a social media push for public notification of this project.

(Mar. 20, 2025) --The construction contract was awarded by City Council on Tuesday, March 18. City staff will begin the contracting and administrative pre-construction process.

(Mar. 6, 2025) --This project bid is headed to City Council on Tuesday, March 18. If council approves the contract award memo, City staff will begin the contracting and administrative pre-construction process.

(Feb. 27, 2025) -- This project was presented to the Transportation Commission at it's 2/26/25 meeting and the Kirkland Rotary at it's 2/24/25 meeting.

(Feb. 2025) -- The construction contract is headed to City Council for award. Construction is expected to begin this spring.

(Nov. 7, 2024)  -- This project is expected to go "out to bid" in January for 2025-2026 construction.

(Feb. 27, 2024) -- The timeline for the Northeast 85th Street multi-modal path is undetermined, at this point, pending funding.