Pair of CK road snarls end

The project may have been finished six weeks ahead of schedule, but drivers had to wait 45 extra minutes to be the first to cross the new bridge on Anderson Hill Road Thursday.

The bridge was opened to traffic at about 3:45 p.m. after crews removed the barricades that have kept traffic off the road since May. Drivers debated whether to make the well-familiar, 30 minute trip around the not-yet opened bridge or to wait.

The $1.1 million project replaced a 60-inch diameter culvert that was identified as a fish passage barrier. The 135-foot span bridge was funded locally.

Callene Abernathy, public information specialist for the Kitsap County roads department said many factors contributed to the project finishing early. The biggest, she said, was the road was closed during construction.

While the Anderson Hill bridge will make getting to the Seabeck more efficient, the additional lanes at Kitsap Mall Boulevard and Randall Way are expected to ease traffic in Silverdale.

A second left turn lane has been added to turn east on Randall Way from Kitsap Mall Boulevard. A second lane has been added to east-bound Randall Way that flows into the first Mall entrance. The $1.9 million project is expected to come in on budget. The project is also ahead of schedule KC public works officials said.

John Brand, assistant director for public works credits the contractor, Harlow Construction and TBH, who built the retaining walls, with “saving a significant amount of time and money,” on the project.

He said they expected to have the retaining walls done and move out of the Mall’s parking lot by Nov. 1 to make way for holiday shoppers. Permanent road signals at the intersection are expected to be installed after the holidays.

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