Date:
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Contact:
Brenden Clarke, WSDOT Project Engineer, (360) 874-3010
Lisa Murdock, WSDOT Communications, (360) 357-2789
SILVERDALE – Drivers passing through the State Route (SR) 3/SR 303 interchange will notice significant changes to the roadways next week, which may result in traffic impacts as motorists adjust accordingly. Beginning Monday, September 17, WSDOT crews will activate a new traffic signal on the Waaga Way overpass as part of an ongoing project to keep traffic moving at the interchange.
The signal activation coincides with WSDOT’s additional plans of opening two new ramps to traffic at the north end of the project area. The stoplight will control traffic to and from the new ramps as well as the flow of traffic across the overpass.
“This interchange will look quite different to motorists come Monday morning,” said Brenden Clarke, project engineer. Clarke expects the changes to create a ‘learning curve’ for commuters. He added, “Not only have we added a signal, but we’ve shifted lanes, closed ramps drivers are used to, and opened new ones.”
Southbound drivers on SR 3 wishing to reach SR 303 will now exit from an off-ramp approaching the interchange. This exit replaces the existing cloverleaf off-ramp, which drivers previously accessed by traveling beneath the overpass.
Drivers in either direction of SR 303 may now access northbound SR 3 from the new on-ramp at the Waaga Way overpass. Previously, access from Waaga Way to SR 3 was available only from northbound SR 303. This improvement will ease congestion by redirecting traffic away from Clear Creek Road/Kitsap Mall Blvd. The northbound on-ramp to SR 3 from Kitsap Mall Blvd. remains open, but will soon close to allow for construction of a direct access ramp to southbound SR 303.
WSDOT urges drivers to pay particular attention to these traffic shifts, which will soon change again. Weather permitting, WSDOT will complete the project’s final configuration with permanent ramps in the next three weeks.
Construction on the $16.7 million project started in April 2006 and is slated for completion this fall. Once finished, drivers will have a direct-access route between SR 3 and SR 303. The widening of Clear Creek Road /Kitsap Mall Blvd. and Waaga Way will move more vehicles through the interchange and lessen backups on adjacent local roads.
Drivers can call 5-1-1 or visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic for road and traffic updates. For project-specific information, please visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/SR3/WaagaWay/.
< Back to News Home