We held an open house to update the community on our progress on the Sharpes Corner project. Engineers were on hand to discuss how the roundabout will improve safety and reduce congestion at the intersection.
Open house
View all of the displays and pictures from the Sept. 25 open house in Anacortes.
Project update
Since our last open house in February 2008, the design team has been busy poring over new data and refining the roundabout design for the Sharpes Corner intersection. Below are some of the details taht were discussed at the open house.
Current roundabout design
Roundabout design visual - looking east towards Burlington (290kb)
Roundabout design visual - looking west towards Anacortes (290kb)
The latest roundabout design includes a bypass lane for traffic heading west to Anacortes. Traffic heading east out of Anacortes toward Burlington will travel under the roundabout in a tunnel.
The two-lane roundabout will give commuters and truckers heading to and from Whidbey Island plenty of room to maneuver safely. The two lanes will merge back into one as drivers head up the hill towards the Miller/ Gibralter roads intersection.
The Miller/ Gibralter roads intersection
The Miller/ Gibralter roads intersection is outside the project limits set by the Legislature. However, we have heard from residents that this intersection is in need of safety improvements. Many are worried that improvements at Sharpes Corner will make things more difficult for drivers at the Miller/Gibralter roads intersection. We are paying close attention to how the intersection operates with respect to the improvements at Sharpes Corner.
Even though the Miller/Gibralter intersection is outside our project limits, we have another construction project in the area that will make improvements to the intersection in 2009. As part of our Quiet Cove safety improvement project, which is currently under construction, we will improve lighting, sight distance and overall safety at the intersection. Specifically, we will:
- Add a left turn lane into Miller Road for drivers heading north on SR 20.
- Improve sight distance for drivers turning from Miller Road on to SR 20 by cutting back some trees and part of a slope.
- Double the amount of street lights at the intersection.
Bicycle and pedestrian improvements
We are planning to build a bike and pedestrian trail along the golf course to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians heading to and from Whidbey Island.
This trail will require us to buy additional property and will have to be built along a steep slope. An estimate puts the cost of the quarter-mile-long trail at approximately $650,000. Right now, funding is very tight for the entire project. If necessary, the trail portion will be left out until further funding can be made available. WSDOT has applied for a grant which would help pay for the cost of the trail.
In the meantime, we will make improvements for bicyclists between Best/Farm to Market roads and March Point/Christianson roads with money we recently received through a grant. Specifically we will:
- Add bike detection cameras at both the Best/Farm to Market road intersection and March Point/Christianson road intersections. The cameras will detect a bicyclist on the shoulder. They will be able to trigger the signal without a vehicle being present at the stoplight. This will give cyclists additional green time to make it across all four lanes of SR 20.
- Add additional barrier at the Berentson bridges to improve safety for bicyclists.
Unable to attend the open house?
Those who were unable to attend the open house can still be involved by submitting comments via e-mail or with our online comment form, as well as by calling Dave Chesson at 360-757-5970.
We will also give a presentation on Oct. 16 during the City of Oak Harbor’s work session. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the City Hall council chambers. The meeting will be taped for broadcast on the local cable channel 10.