Port Orchard has awarded a contract to repair and replace fencing around a section of the Bay Street Pedestrian Pathway that was damaged in a July bus accident.

The City Council approved the contract totaling almost $18,500 with All Around Fence Co. Inc. at its Dec. 20 meeting. The fence will be repaired behind the Port Orchard Ford dealership on Bay Street.

“I’m just finally thankful we’re going to get this doggone thing repaired,” Port Orchard Mayor Rob Putaansuu said. “It’s been a journey.”

The fencing has been damaged since July 6, when a Kitsap Transit bus driver suffered a medical emergency behind the wheel, causing the bus to veer off course. The bus smashed through numerous vehicles in the dealership parking lot before breaking through the innermost fencing along the pathway. Officials said the fencing likely stopped the bus from going into Sinclair Inlet.

No one besides the driver was on board, and the driver was treated and released from the hospital.

The costs will be paid by the city and later reimbursed through insurance due to Kitsap Transit’s involvement.

Public Works officials say the fencing will likely be completed by mid-March of 2023, with construction expected to begin in January.