In the early 1970s, the loop road connecting East and West Beaver Lake Dr. SE was completed. The primary motivation at that time was to provide emergency service access to residents on the eastern portion of the lake. The road then, as it is now, was designed for a light traffic load at slow speeds. The road follows natural contours without adequate sight lines for higher vehicle speeds and does not have sidewalks, wide shoulders, or street lighting. With the limited access currently available, the traffic load is light enough that Beaver Lake Dr SE has become a very popular recreational corridor where hikers, joggers, cyclists and others may enjoy the scenic and natural beauty of the area.
When controversial high-density developments to the North and East of the Lake, such as Trossachs, were platted more than 25 years ago, there was an explicit understanding that these developments would not have access to Beaver Lake Drive. Connecting roads were roughed in to facilitate the movement of emergency vehicles, and these connectors with barriers in place will allow this to occur as needed. Once the Trossachs buildout was complete, those neighborhoods exerted much pressure to open the barricades and connect to Beaver Lake Drive. Only through the vigilance of the BLCC and other old neighborhood efforts do these barricades continue to prevent a massive change of traffic on our lake roads.
City of Sammamish Resolution 2014-577: Established Evaluation Process for Existing Barricade and Emergency Gates