With so many collisions and serious injuries occurring on the heavily used connector road between Poulsbo and Kingston, also the primary route through the Kitsap Peninsula to the Kingston ferry, the Washington State Department of Transportation is planning safety improvements along State Routes 307 and 104 next spring. Public comment is sought now.

Improvements will include guardrail installation, slope flattening, better sight distance and the re-alignment of the intersection of Port Gamble Road and SR 307. The majority of construction work will de done at night to minimize impacts to traffic.

Preliminary engineering is nearly complete and the project went out to bid Nov. 17.

WSDOT will complete a detailed analysis of the project’s environmental impacts and, if necessary, develop and document an appropriate plan for mitigation as part of the environmental documentation and permitting process.

Dogfish Creek is adjacent to the SR 307 roadway from approximately milepost .50 to milepost 1.58. A guardrail will be installed with techniques to minimize impacts to the creek. Realignment of the Port Gamble intersection (milepost 4.53 on SR307) will also help protect nearby wetlands.

The project will be funded with $5 million from the 2005 gas tax.

For more information, contact Brenden Clarke, WSDOT Project Engineer at the Port Orchard Project Engineer Office, 8293 Spring Creek Road SE, Port Orchard, WA 98367, (360) 874-3000.