April 30, 2026

Kraemer picked for Grand Connection Crossing over I-405

Images via city of Bellevue [enlarge]

By foot, the city estimates a walking time of nearly eight minutes to cross the span.

Kraemer North America has been selected as the GC/CM for the city of Bellevue's Grand Connection Crossing (which the DJC recently dubbed the GCX).

A notice of selection has been issued by the city of Belleuve, according to the DJC award notice.

The major infrastructure project will build an elevated crossing over portions of Interstate 405 for non-motorized users, linking downtown Bellevue to the Wilburton neighborhood and the Eastrail regional trail.

The crossing will start at Bellevue's City Hall Plaza, which is to be expanded as part of the project, before traversing I-405 and local streets at 112th Avenue Northeast and 116th Avenue Northeast. Two public access points will be created at those local streets with elevators and stairways providing access to the elevated crossing.

Eastrail will serve as the eastern terminus or gateway to the GCX.

According to DJC records, Kraemer was one of three firms shortlisted for the contract. The others were Skanska USA and a joint venture of Atkinson and Stacy & Witbeck. The dollar amount of Kraemer's contract has not been publicly shared, but the city estimates construction to cost $140 million.

The CGX is expected to cost between $175 million and $230 million in total, which the city says will be funded via a multi-tiered strategy (more on that later).

CROSSING DESIGN

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The crossing will have separate paths for cyclists and pedestrians.

The crossing is currently in design. The goal is to have 60% design completed by the end of the year.

WSP is the lead designer and engineer and is working with LMN Architects on architecture and design elements of the elevated bridge.

Other firms working on the project thus far include Concord Engineering Group, traffic engineering and design; Fehr & Peers, multimodal planning; Furtado & Associates, surveyor; OJB Landscape Architecture; Ott-Sakai & Associates, construction consultant; Toole Design Group, trail integration and HNTB, consultant to the city.

The city intends to partner with private developers to deliver the segment east of I-405 from 116th Avenue Northeast to the tie-in with Eastrail.

What we know so far is that the GCX will be just over one-third mile long and will be a minimum of 30 feet wide at all points and widen up to 40 feet to cross over I-405.

The crossing will be for people who walk, bike and roll and will have separate paths for pedestrians and cyclists to improve safety for all users.

Central to the design are a series of so-called “rooms,” or overlooks, where people will be able to sit and gather. One of those will be at City Hall Plaza. There will also be public art, wayfinding signage and landscaping along the crossing.

The design will allow for future developments along the alignment to connect with the crossing, the city says.

The city currently estimates the GCX to open in 2030.

FUNDING STRATEGY

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To date, secured funding includes $2.5 million from the Friends of the Grand Connection for preliminary design work and $46.7 million committed from the city's 2025–2030 Capital Investment Program to advance design.

The city is currently evaluating the creation of a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district to further support the project. According the project website, establishing a TIF district would allow Bellevue to capture future increases in property value from sites expected to redevelop as a result of the crossing. Additional funding strategies under exploration include potential activation of the Transportation Benefit District approved by the city council in 2023, as well as available grant and philanthropic opportunities.

Amazon funded early work to develop a concept for a future I-405 crossing in Bellevue and donated the outcomes of that work to the city. That effort started in 2021.

The GCX is the centerpiece of the city's Grand Connection program that envisions transformed public spaces along the corridor between Meydenbauer Bay and Eastrail to create 1.5 miles of what it calls “interconnected pedestrian experiences.”

Completed Grand Connection projects include the Downtown Park Northeast Gateway and raised intersections at the Bellevue Transit Center.

Kraemer is also the general contractor for King County Parks' Wilburton Trestle renovation that is converting a historic railroad crossing in Bellevue into a new elevated trail for pedestrians and cyclists. Once completed, the Wilburton Trestle will form part of Eastrail. It is currently expected to open in mid-2027.

Eastrail, which has many segments being delivered by a host of entities, will eventually span 42 continuous miles and will connect communities from South and East King County to Snohomish County, with a spur to Redmond.