The proposed Burke-Gilman Trail Missing Link through Ballard has reached another milestone, with SDOT releasing updated design plans that include raised crossings, roadway paving on Market Street, and a redesigned Leary Avenue and 17th Avenue NW intersection.
SDOT has shared its 60% design for the proposed route and is seeking public feedback on the latest design through Monday, June 29.
The route would connect two existing sections of the Burke-Gilman Trail in Ballard along 1.4 miles of Salmon Bay east of the Ballard Locks.
According to SDOT, changes from the 30% to 60% design include more separation between the sidewalk and trail where possible, wider trail segments in some constrained areas, brick-red asphalt to distinguish the trail from sidewalk space, and raised crossings at all intersections.
The updated design also includes additional loading zones and curb-space changes to address business needs.
The project scope now includes curb-to-curb roadway paving on NW Market Street from 24th Avenue NW to Leary Avenue NW, along with select water main replacements and upgrades on NW Market Street between 24th Avenue NW and Leary Avenue NW.
At Leary Avenue NW and 17th Avenue NW, SDOT has redesigned the proposal to include a full traffic signal and a bike crossing connection to the existing 17th Avenue neighborhood greenway.
The updated design would close southbound traffic on 17th Avenue NW at the approach to Leary Avenue NW, allowing vehicles to travel only northbound onto 17th Avenue NW from Leary Avenue NW.
Other changes include adjustments to center turn lanes for larger vehicles, relocating the southbound bus stop on Leary Avenue NW near 20th Avenue NW, and continued refinement of the Ballard Landmark Senior Home drop-off zone.
SDOT says it is still evaluating two design options for the Ballard Landmark Senior Home area.
The agency says parking totals remain about the same overall, with curbside parking removed along the eastern side of Leary Avenue NW and replaced with back-in angle parking on 22nd Avenue NW and NW 48th Street.
Tree impacts are also similar to the 30% design, with about 30 trees expected to be removed and about 90 trees expected to be replanted.
The Market-Leary-17th alignment follows several years of work on an alternative route for completing the Missing Link. My Ballard first covered SDOT’s early design for the Leary and Market route in November 2023, when SDOT proposed a 10-foot-wide, roughly 0.6-mile trail along the south side of Market, the west side of Leary, and the west side of 17th Avenue NW.
In August 2024, My Ballard reported that SDOT had reached the 30% design stage, with proposed elements including wider trail sections in some places along Leary, loading-zone changes near Ballard Landmark, ADA-compliant bus stops and crossings, curb and crossing modifications for freight movements, and a full traffic signal and marked crossing at 17th Avenue NW and Leary Avenue NW.
SDOT’s current project page says the 30% design outreach included another community survey with more than 200 respondents.
The Missing Link has long been delayed by disputes over the Shilshole Avenue NW alignment. SDOT says it has a 100% design for the Shilshole route, but construction has been paused due to litigation for more than 25 years.
In March 2025, My Ballard reported that the Washington State Senate was considering HB 1814, a bill that would exempt the Burke-Gilman Missing Link project from the State Environmental Policy Act. The bill died early last year when the Senate chose not to vote on the bill.
SDOT says the next step after 60% design is continuing toward 90% design. You can offer feedback on the design via SDOT’s online form.
Read more
State Senate to consider bill to exempt Ballard Missing Link from environmental reviews
Burke-Gilman Trail Missing Link completion inching closer to reality
Burke-Gilman Trail Missing Link: First look at SDOT’s design for Leary Ave NW and NW Market St
All images courtesy SDOT