The Kirkland Turn takes a spin on the north leg of the wye at Woodinville as it crosses the Sammamish River Slough and positions itself to switch the De Young feed mill located within the wye. This is former Northern Pacific branch line territory that split here and went three different directions. One way went through Kenmore, Lake Forest Park and the University District and connected to the rest of the NP network at Interbay in Seattle. The second way went due south from Woodinville through Kirkland, Bellevue, Renton and rejoined the NP network at Black River Jct. And the third way ran through Redmond, Issaquah and used to run all the way to North Bend and connected with the Milwaukee Road at Cedar Falls. Today, traffic is handled by a shortline operator account clearance improvements elsewhere and the expansion of Interstate 405 between Bellevue and Renton causing its use as a through route to be permanently severed.
