POULSBO — The city is moving ahead with the 6th Avenue improvement project, finalizing designs for rain gardens to absorb polluted runoff and adding more speed limit signs.

Andrzej Kasiniak, assistant public works director, said the additional speed limit signs were a helpful suggestion from the public at Monday’s [April 30] public hearing. The city has received a $250,000 grant from the Department of Ecology to build rain gardens for the treatment of urban waste.

The project will add “curb extensions” at Harrison, Ryen, Sommerseth, Matson and Fjord intersections. A curb extension is a form of a stormwater treatment unit which will allow for landscaping at each corner of an intersection and provide traffic direction for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. Parking will remain on both sides of the street.

The project will also redesign the five-way intersection of Hostmark, Fjord, 4th and Lincoln roads, without reducing the lane widths, to better direct drivers and sidewalk users.

Kasiniak said after construction is completed, the city will survey the street to determine if more traffic calming measures, such as speed tables, are needed.

Construction is set to begin the August for about six weeks, and will not include any street or driveway closures, and no nighttime work.

Poulsbo’s 4th Avenue, between Iverson and Hostmark Streets, is also getting a facelift. To combat the traffic issues that plague the street, popular with foot traffic, the city is replacing some of the sidewalk, connecting the Moe Street Trail to 4th Avenue, and installing a crosswalk at the 3-way intersection at 4th Avenue and Viewmont Street.

Mayor Becky Erickson said at Wednesday’s council meeting that street has many issues with drivers not always complying with the stop sign at Viewmont, compromising the safety of pedestrians.

The project, which begins Monday and will finish by May 15, forms three parts: replacing 40 feet of sidewalk at the 4th/Viewmont intersection on both sides of 4th Avenue and creating handicapped accessibility from the sidewalk; striping a crosswalk across 4th Avenue and installing a 40 foot concrete path connecting the Moe Street Trail to 4th Avenue; and installing a ‘stop bar,’ the line on the street to indicate where cars stop at an intersection.

The project will cost $6,500, from the public works fund.

“Its a low cost solution to address a lot of problems,” Erickson said.

Kasiniak said they are also beginning to apply for grants for the Lincoln Road roundabout project, which is estimated to cost approximately $3 million.