How will new Silverdale highway interchange work?

The in basket: JH Schroer e-mailed in May about the revised interchange under construction in Silverdale where highways 3 and 303 meet and asked “Do you have or know of any information on how this new intersection will work?”
And John Gardner says he hopes last week’s change in the on-ramp from Highway 303 to northbound Highway 3 is temporary.

The in basket: JH Schroer e-mailed in May about the revised interchange under construction in Silverdale where highways 3 and 303 meet and asked “Do you have or know of any information on how this new intersection will work?”
And John Gardner says he hopes last week’s change in the on-ramp from Highway 303 to northbound Highway 3 is temporary. “Why did the new interchange remove the lane that could be traveled safely at 40 mph and put in a right turn that requires you to slow to 10 mph, turn right and then speed up to get back up to highway speed,” he asked. “In an era of trying to save gas, this is sure going to require more.”
The out basket: That ramp alteration was just one of the changes as the project begins to take its final form. They also opened the new route for Highway 303, and now require Clear Creek Road traffic to stop at a stop sign where the two intersect.
Sadly, from John’s point of view, the new northbound on-ramp is the permanent
configuration.
Project Engineer Brenden Clarke tells me it will be controlled by a stop light when the work is done, and both right turners and left turners wanting to go north on 3 will pass through that signal. If the old ramp from Highway 303 were left in place, he said, those who had just turned left onto the ramp would be lucky to be up to 30 mph and merging with right turners who often would be doing 50 mph or more, a speed conflict that can lead to accidents.
That traffic signal is the “point” in what is called a single point urban interchange. The signal will control Highway 303 through-traffic in both directions, those wanting to turn onto the new northbound ramp and those coming off Highway 3 on a new off-ramp.
Highway 3 will continue to pass unimpeded beneath Highway 303.
An aerial depiction of the finished project in color can be found online at the state’s Web site at www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR3/WaagaWay/Proposed.htm. Parts of the old alignment that will have been eliminated are shown in pink, the new lanes and ramps are in blue and new retaining walls are in black.
A second new signal will take the place of the stop sign where Clear Creek Road intersects Highway 303 today.
Traffic to and from Silverdale on Highway 303 will have a more direct route when the work is finished in October, albeit with two new traffic signals rather than one stop sign to get through. Those coming out of Silverdale wanting to go either north or south on Highway 3 will have to drive further, going past where they now get on to the single-point stoplight, where new on-ramps will get them on the freeway.