The in basket: In March of 2005, John Jurgens wrote to suggest a
solution to one of the irritations of leaving Bremerton during the
shipyard rush.
There are a lot of vehicles turning right at the light at
Charleston Beach Road and
coming down to merge right at the old Jensen’s market,” he said
then. I notice they’re still doing it.
“They are just doing that to jump ahead of the traffic and all it
does is slow down everybody,” John wrote.
The in basket: In March of 2005, John Jurgens wrote to suggest a
solution to one of the irritations of leaving Bremerton during the
shipyard rush.
There are a lot of vehicles turning right at the light at
Charleston Beach Road and
coming down to merge right at the old Jensen’s market,” he said
then. I notice they’re still doing it.
“They are just doing that to jump ahead of the traffic and all it
does is slow down everybody,” John wrote.
“I understand that when Cliff’s (Cycle Center) moves that the road
will be realigned and run parallel to Highway 304,” he said. “Also
there will be no direct access to 304 from Charleston Beach Road
anywhere but at the Missouri light.” For newcomers, that’s the
first light coming into Bremerton from Gorst, so named because it’s
where the USS Missouri was berthed in the mothball fleet for many
years.
He said he asked the city engineers office “if there was
any way the city could close it off right now,” he said then.
“There are no businesses that need to use that portion of road and
it will eventually be closed off when
the project is finished.” But the city said no, he said.
The out basket: Well, John may finally get his wish. Kitsap County,
which has authority to close off that road because it lies just
outside the city, may barricade it just short of where the ‘cycle
business is now, spokesman Doug Bear says.
If they do, and it’s not sure they will, anyone turning onto
Charleston Beach Road at the light would have to double back and
get back into highway traffic.
The plan is to leave the access at Cliff’s open to the highway, as
well as the one farther down near the coffee joint that is always
advertising reduced price drinks to military folks, whether the
county decides to erect the barricade or not.
The city’s ultimate plan (it’s the lead agency on the four-phase
Gateway project so has a say over the road in that context), is to
fence all highway traffic off from the businesses along the
highway, eliminating the need for the left-turn lane, and adding an
HOV lane outbound. The only way to reach those business would be by
turning at the Missouri light and using Charleston Beach Road. That
could happen next year.
The road closest to where 304 splits to the north and south on ramps can be
used for legitimate uses as well. I use it quite often from Kitsap way (via
National) since that close to the on ramps on 304 there are more gaps to
pull in to and drivers are usually more considerate than the traffic on 3
from Kitsap Way or Autocenter Way.
I also know people that will cut up 1st street from 304/Callow (whatever it
is there by Burwell) and then connect to National from there by the school
and get down just because after 4p.m. that’s quicker than going through the shipyard
bus traffic at the Missouri gate.