A roughly mile-and-a-half stretch of Sunnyslope Road SW in South Kitsap will remain closed well into 2024 after the culvert underneath the roadway experienced a significant failure.

Kitsap County released news of the closure Dec. 6 with traffic blocked off between SW Lake Flora Road and Cynthia Lane SW. Officials say heavy rainfall contributed to the failure of the 36-inch diameter corrugated metal culvert, which was responsible for carrying Coulter Creek beneath Sunnyslope.

“The creek is now flowing outside of the culvert,” the county said in a public statement, “washing out the roadbed and creating a complete closure of the roadway.

County engineering staff is consulting other agencies including the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife to explore its options for replacing the culvert.

“It is likely that the replacement structure will need to be constructed during the mid-to-late summer of 2024 due to fishing window restrictions,” the county said.

The road closure is expected to last until the replacement culvert is in place. Drivers are asked to plan detours accordingly.