Centennial Trail South
Description
The 2016 acquisition of Centennial Trail South will extend the current Centennial Trail from the City of Snohomish south to Woodinville in King County. This 12-mile trail corridor will complete the Centennial Trail through Snohomish County, from the Skagit County line to the King County line, and will eventually connect to the King County trail system further south. This project is part of the Eastrail, a 42-mile uninterrupted trail corridor that will connect the eastern Puget Sound communities and provide new opportunities for non-motorized recreation and transportation.
When developed, Centennial Trail South will accommodate both pedestrian and bicycle usage. The proposed alignment traverses areas with steep cross slopes, bridges, trestles, sloughs, and other natural features which offer a beautiful trail experience but complicated construction. As a result of these complexities and due to the projected funding needs, trail construction is anticipated to take place in phases.
Updated 6/16/23
Design on this trail is pending the resolution of some property rights issues. Please watch this page for updates on the design resuming.
- Planning & Conceptual Design: TBD
- Technical Design & Permitting: TBD
- Construction: TBD
This schedule is conceptual and will evolve through the design process. The process of developing trail projects takes several years. Many factors must be considered, including the location of homes; public right-of-way; stormwater runoff, drainage, and water quality; wetlands and buffers; hilly terrain; sight distance; soils; traffic volumes; accident history; vehicle and pedestrian access; location of utilities; and information that residents provide about the area.
The Eastside Rail System was built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In 2009, Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (BNSF Railway) was the property owner and, sold the eastside railroad right-of-way and assets extending from the Snohomish River south to Renton, including the Redmond spur, to the Port of Seattle. In a separate transaction, BNSF Railway sold the freight rail operating rights extending from the Woodinville wye north to the BNSF Railway main line near Snohomish to a third party. Subsequent to these sales, various jurisdictions in King County with interest in the right-of-way purchased portions from the Port of Seattle.
In March 2016, the Snohomish County Council approved a purchase and sale agreement to acquire the railroad right-of-way and improvements south of Snohomish to the King County line from the Port of Seattle. The county acquisition was completed in 2016.
The right-of-way south of the Woodinville wye has been railbanked (a voluntary agreement between a railroad company and a trail agency to use an out-of-service rail corridor as a trail until rail service in the corridor is reinstated).
Please watch this page for future opportunities to participate in the public process.
More coming soon.
PROJECT FUNDING
Funds have been secured to conduct engineering studies and complete a preliminary design for the entire corridor. Additional funding will be needed to complete the technical design and for the construction of the corridor. Due to the projected amount of funding needed to build the corridor, trail construction is anticipated to be completed in phases.
PROJECT CONTACT
Emily Griffith, Senior Park Planner
Email: emily.griffith@snoco.org
Phone: (425) 388-6620