Another closure for bicyclists on Green River Trail in Kent

A levee restoration project in Kent, WA, will keep a short section of the Green River Trail closed until June. There are at least two detours around the work that bicyclists can use.

A cyclist passes trees blossoming trees at Neely Soames Homestead

The closed trail section is between Russell Road in the north and Meeker Street in the south. Essentially that’s adjacent to the Riverbend Golf Course on the southern part of the Green River Trail.

This should be nothing like the year-long closure near the north end of the Green River Trail. That work on a 2-plus-mile stretch of levee put the Briscoe Park and Three Friends Park off limits to bicyclists.

Contractors had that part of the trail closed from March 2014 to February 2015.

The current construction is closed down a shorter stretch of trail for a shorter time. Work started in late March and should be complete by June 1, according to a City of Kent press release.

End of the trail at 240th Street

Detour 1

The city says lightly traveled Frager Road, located across the river from the Green River Trail, is the detour. Heading south on the trail, the this detour option is the pedestrian bridge that crosses the Green River at the Puget Power Trail (just north of Russell Woods Park). After crossing the river, turn left onto Frager Road and follow it to the parking lot at West Meeker Street, where it crosses the river on a pedestrian bridge then reconnects to the Green River Trail.

Detour 2

If you want to go further south on the Green River Trail before detouring (see map below), go as far as Neely-Soames Historic Homestead and turn left onto Russell Road at the ‘Y’. Take the next right onto a bike lane on S 237th Place, then right onto Lakeside Boulevard. Follow Lakeside to the right to West James Street (S 240th Street) where you turn left.

Turn right onto 64th Avenue S for .4 miles, then turn right onto West Meeker Street to the Green River where you pick up the trail again. The only street on this 1.8-mile detour without a bike lane is 64th Avenue S.

Back on track

That second detour passes a few diners and fast-food joints if you’re hungry. Returning to the Green River Trail, the way south continues unimpeded to the Interurban Trail. There you can turn south toward the town of Pacific, or head north toward Seattle on this straight rail-trail.

The loop bike ride is described in Chapter 13 of my guidebook, Best Bike Rides – Seattle.