Cyclists, others, must walk through short construction zone during four-day job

A 300-foot-long section of King County’s Burke Gilman Trail in Kenmore that is riddled with root heaves and cracked pavement is scheduled to get a fresh layer of blacktop later this month.

Starting Feb. 28, crews from King County Parks and Roads Services will replace the worn-down pavement with new blacktop along the stretch of Burke Gilman Trail just west of 91st Avenue Northeast in Kenmore.

The project, which will greatly improve trail-user safety, particularly of cyclists, skaters and runners by restoring a smooth and consistent surface, is funded by the 2008-2013, voter-approved Proposition 2 Parks Expansion Levy.

Because there is no reasonable detour around the impacted stretch of trail, all trail users — including bicyclists — will have to walk through the construction zone, as directed by flaggers. Short delays of up to 10 minutes could occur while crews perform work or move equipment that won’t allow safe passage for trail users.

This isn’t the only work that King County has planned for the Burke Gilman Trail in 2011. Beginning in April, a two-mile-long segment of the Burke-Gilman Trail through Lake Forest Park from Northeast 145th Street to Logboom Park in Kenmore will be completely rebuilt, greatly improving user safety along the oldest stretch of the popular trail.

King County is working with trail-user groups, local jurisdictions and transportation agencies to develop transportation alternatives and solutions for Burke Gilman Trail users during the upcoming long-term closure, which could last up to six months.