Granite Wins $12.3M Burke-Gilman Trail Project in Seattle
Granite, a major infrastructure construction company, has been awarded a progressive design-build contract by the University of Washington (UW) to improve safety, accessibility, and transportation connections along a section of Seattle’s Burke-Gilman Trail. The project carries an estimated total construction value of approximately $12.3 million and was included in Granite’s second-quarter 2026 Capital Allocation Plan.
The Burke-Gilman Trail is one of Seattle’s most widely used multi-use transportation and recreational corridors. Stretching approximately 20 miles through the city, the trail serves pedestrians, cyclists, commuters, recreational users, and other forms of non-motorized transportation. As usage continues to increase, improvements to infrastructure, accessibility, and safety are becoming increasingly important.
Granite’s new project, known as the Burke-Gilman Trail Transit Access, Safety Efficiency Improvements Project, will focus on approximately one mile of the trail located on the University of Washington campus. The improvements will extend from Rainier Vista to NE 47th Street and are intended to accommodate growing trail usage while creating a safer and more efficient environment for people traveling through the area.
The project will involve widening sections of the existing trail footprint to provide additional space for users. Increasing the available trail area is expected to help address congestion in heavily traveled locations and improve the separation between different modes of travel.
A central component of the work will be improvements to the trail’s pavement. New paving will provide a more consistent and durable surface for users while helping improve the overall condition of the corridor. Upgraded surfaces can also support accessibility and make travel more comfortable for pedestrians, cyclists, and people using mobility devices.
Lighting improvements will represent another important element of the project. Enhanced lighting is intended to improve visibility along the trail, particularly in areas where users may currently experience limited sight lines. Better illumination can contribute to both safety and user comfort while supporting the trail’s function as a transportation connection across the university campus.
The project will also address sight lines in high-use areas. Improved visibility is expected to help trail users better identify approaching pedestrians, cyclists, and other travelers. Creating clearer visual separation between different forms of movement will be particularly important as traffic volumes continue to increase.
Accessibility is another major focus of the planned improvements. Granite and UW will work to enhance compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements and improve connectivity throughout the project area. Accessibility improvements are expected to make the trail easier to navigate for people with different mobility needs and provide more inclusive access to the campus and surrounding transportation network.
Drainage infrastructure will also be upgraded as part of the project. Improvements to drainage systems can help reduce the effects of water accumulation, protect pavement and other infrastructure, and improve the long-term performance of the trail. Better stormwater management can also contribute to reduced maintenance requirements over the life of the facility.
The combination of paving, lighting, improved sight lines, accessibility upgrades, drainage improvements, and trail widening is expected to deliver benefits beyond immediate safety enhancements. By addressing several infrastructure components at the same time, the project aims to create a more durable and efficient trail corridor while reducing future maintenance demands.
Granite will deliver the project using a progressive design-build approach. Unlike traditional delivery models in which design and construction are often completed through separate contracts, progressive design-build emphasizes early collaboration between the owner, designer, and contractor. This approach allows project partners to work together during the design phase to identify potential challenges, refine solutions, and develop construction strategies before major construction activities begin.
Mike Stein, Granite Regional Vice President, highlighted the company’s experience with collaborative project delivery methods and expressed confidence in the approach being used for the Burke-Gilman Trail improvements.
“Our teams bring extensive experience in collaborative delivery methods like progressive design build,” Stein said. He added that Granite looks forward to working closely with the University of Washington to improve safety, accessibility, and the overall experience for thousands of people who use the trail.
The project began in June 2026 and is currently in the design phase. Granite and UW will continue working through design development and project planning before construction begins. Construction is anticipated to start in spring 2027 and is currently scheduled for completion during the first quarter of 2029.
Because the Burke-Gilman Trail is an active and heavily used corridor, project execution will require careful planning to balance construction activities with ongoing trail access and campus operations. Maintaining safety for trail users, students, faculty, staff, and construction personnel will be an important consideration as work moves into the construction phase.
The project also reflects the University of Washington’s continued investment in transportation infrastructure and pedestrian and bicycle connectivity across its campus. As Seattle’s population and transportation demands evolve, infrastructure supporting non-motorized travel has become an increasingly important component of the region’s mobility network.
The Burke-Gilman Trail serves as both a recreational resource and a transportation corridor, connecting communities and providing an alternative to automobile travel. Improvements to the section crossing the UW campus are therefore expected to benefit a broad range of users, including students, employees, local residents, commuters, and recreational visitors.
For Granite, the $12.3 million project adds to its portfolio of infrastructure work in the Pacific Northwest and demonstrates the company’s capabilities in complex urban transportation projects. The use of progressive design-build also highlights Granite’s focus on collaborative delivery methods for projects where coordination and stakeholder engagement are essential.
Once completed, the improved one-mile section between Rainier Vista and NE 47th Street is expected to provide a safer, more accessible, and more efficient trail experience. New pavement, lighting, drainage systems, improved sight lines, and expanded trail space will collectively help address current infrastructure needs while preparing the corridor for continued growth in usage.
With design work underway and construction planned for spring 2027, Granite and the University of Washington are moving forward with a project designed to strengthen one of Seattle’s key multi-use transportation corridors. Completion in the first quarter of 2029 will mark an important step in improving safety, accessibility, connectivity, and long-term infrastructure performance along the Burke-Gilman Trail.
Source Link:https://www.graniteconstruction.com/
