City conducts second phase of construction on Redmond Central Connector

Construction for the second phase of the City of Redmond's Central Connector (RCC II) is now underway.

By Samantha Pak • August 19, 2016 6:36 pm
A member of the construction crew works on the trestle bridge as part of the Redmond Central Connector Phase II project. Courtesy of City of Redmond
A member of the construction crew works on the trestle bridge as part of the Redmond Central Connector Phase II project. Courtesy of City of Redmond

Construction for the second phase of the City of Redmond’s Central Connector (RCC II) is now underway.

Mike Haley, project manager for the city’s public works department, said work began on this portion of the trail in May and they expect it to be complete by the end of this year. The trail will then be open to both pedestrians and cyclists.

RCC II will connect with the existing trail at the junction of the Sammamish River Trail, run across the Sammamish River and along Willows Road to Overlake Christian Church.

Haley said work all along the second portion of the trail is going on simultaneously and there have been a few issues with traffic control at northeast 90th and 95th streets, where they have had single-lane closures. He added that they will hopefully limit these closures to between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The biggest inconvenience, Haley said, will be for pedestrians, who will have to take detours while construction is underway in the area.

According to a City of Redmond press release, RCC II has several sustainably designed features and elements that celebrate Redmond’s rich natural history.

Sustainable development strategies are being implemented that are in line with the city’s commitment to being clean and green as stated in the city’s Budgeting by Priorities (BP) process.

An old culvert on Willows Creek will be replaced with a fish-passable crossing. The new crossing will be one step toward improving the health of the creek.

The old railroad trestle over the Sammamish River will also be retrofitted. The press release states that several wood timbers are being replaced to extend the life of the existing structure, then the trail and railings will be integrated into the trestle. Some work in and over these waterways is required to make repairs to the trestle and many best management practices are in place to prevent impacts to water quality, the release states.

Haley said this is the portion of the RCC II project that he is looking forward to the most.

The trestle work is being conducted during the “fish-window” regulated by Washington state, a period when impacts to aquatic life are significantly reduced.

Nearly half a mile of the trail will use a low-impact development technique, permeable asphalt paving, which allows rain to infiltrate into the ground instead of running off.

The project will include 250 new trees and 1,000 new shrubs and plants that are native or acclimated to the region and will not require significant maintenance to survive. These new plants will improve habitat, air quality and aesthetics along the corridor.

In addition to the green practices, the city will incorporate art throughout RCC II — just as the first phase of the project has.

Carolyn Hope, park planning and cultural arts manager for the city, said they are working with Sidecar Collective on a project called “Mixed Messages.” In collaboration with the city’s poet laureate, she said the project will feature stories depicted in graphics. Sidecar will be using “rain paint” to create designs that will appear when the concrete is wet. Hope said the designs will tell two different but related stories.

There will also be artwork on the railroad trestle, she said, which will tell the stories of the rail corridor, the river and Redmond’s history. Hope said they have been working with community members for stories as well as fact checking.

In addition, she said there will be a few areas along the trail where people can step off to sit on movable furniture that will be unique to the area. There will also be one area with permanent furniture for users to stop and sit.

For Hope, she said what she is looking forward to is the opportunity to provide an alternative north-south path to the Sammamish River Trail. She said RCC II will provide a safe route for pedestrians and cyclists — including students at the DigiPen Institute of Technology across the street. Hope said there have been a number of accidents involving vehicles and students walking to and from school.

For questions and more information, visit the project website at www.redmond.gov/rcc or contact David Shaw, senior park planner for the city, at dashaw@redmond.gov or (425) 556-2378.