The city unveiled design plans Thursday, June 25 for a section of the hiking and biking trail that will connect the Seattle portion of the Mountains to Sound Greenway to the rest of the state.

Phases one and two of the Bellevue section of the Greenway will run along the south section of I-90, and consist of a multi-use asphalt trail with sections of wooden canopies, seating and transit shelters.

Although it would run alongside I-90 and other busy roads, additional trees, a concrete retaining wall, and other measures would separate the greenway.

Altogether, the 3.6-mile trail being planned would close a gap in the Mountains to Sound Greenway between Factoria and Lakemont Boulevards, also known as the “Eastgate Gap.” The Eastgate/I-90 corridor in particular will address a number of barriers for pedestrians and cyclists in the area, according to city officials.

In all, the Greenway is a 100-mile regional trail system surrounding I-90 from the Seattle Waterfront to Central Washington.

“This will be a playground for the region, from Seattle to Ellensburg,” said Mountains to Greenway Trust spokesperson Margaret Ullman-Hess.

The Trust began planning for the trail more than 25 years ago in response to increasing urbanization across the state.

“We’re definitely pro-growth, because it brings a lot of economic vitality to region, but how it is done needs to be thoughtful so we don’t lose our greenery,” said Ullman-Hess. “Our goal is to have cities be livable.”

Despite Bellevue’s rapid growth over the last decade, city officials say there is adequate space for the greenway.

“Spacing isn’t an issue… If lack of space was an issue, we wouldn’t proposing to install a trail in this area,” said Chris Masek, senior design engineer for the city’s transportation department.

Federal legislation re-introduced on June 25 would designate the Mountains to Sound Greenway as a National Heritage Area, a key part of the Trust’s plan for the future of the development.

“After we reached the 25-year mark, we started thinking about the next 25 years. We realized we needed to make this mission and project official, and we’re really hopeful about this legislation,” said Ullman-Hess.

The city hopes to finish the planning stage by the end of July, with tentative plans to begin construction in March 2016. There is not currently funding for the construction of the Bellevue portion of the Greenway.