Lindvig Bridge. As Viking Fest approaches, it is becoming quite the buzz word in downtown circles and beyond. As the project gets underway, traffic that is already snared on Finn Hill will worsen significantly.

Complaints are already in the wind and questions concerning timing are already being asked. With work starting today and Poulsbo’s largest annual event just two days away, the start date for this 14-week project doesn’t make a heck of a lot of sense. Why the city didn’t just start the project on May 19 doesn’t either.

Sure two days is two days and when you have $1.7 million in grant funding hanging in the balance, being expedient is certainly important. But so is traffic flow.

There won’t be any construction taking place this Friday, Saturday and Sunday but motorists will still face turning restrictions at the intersection of Lindvig and Bond Road.Will these really hinder flow though?

If motorists attempt to run the westbound Lindvig gauntlet, they can’t turn onto Bond. If they’re on Bond they cannot turn onto Lindvig.

While that may not seem like a big deal in terms of getting to Viking Fest. It will definitely effect flows out of town during the event. If you have a bike or don’t mind walking, Saturday is the day to get some exercise.

As for impacts on the downtown core for two days, they should really be negligible. Delivery trucks can still get to the district relatively easy. Either way, business owners hate such projects until they see the finished product.

Don’t get us wrong here, this project is great in terms of fish passage to Dogfish Creek and is up against a pretty short time frame. But even so, one must wonder how many of the 40,000 Vikings will return to Poulsbo in 2004 if they spend a few hours stuck in traffic at this year’s event.