Changes on Bremerton’s Sixth Street

The in basket: The city of Bremerton has changed one of the traffic alignments that has generated regular complaints and questions to the Road Warrior over the years – the limitation of the center eastbound lanes on Sixth Street at Warren Avenue to left turns only.
In the past few weeks, it was made legal to go either straight or turn left from that lane, providing two lanes proceeding into downtown. It was done to accommodate the increased traffic on Sixth after two blocks of Burwell Street were closed to allow for the downtown tunnel project.
I asked if the change is temporary, to be changed back when the tunnel is finished.

The in basket: The city of Bremerton has changed one of the traffic alignments that has generated regular complaints and questions to the Road Warrior over the years – the limitation of the center eastbound lanes on Sixth Street at Warren Avenue to left turns only.
In the past few weeks, it was made legal to go either straight or turn left from that lane, providing two lanes proceeding into downtown. It was done to accommodate the increased traffic on Sixth after two blocks of Burwell Street were closed to allow for the downtown tunnel project.
I asked if the change is temporary, to be changed back when the tunnel is finished.
And speaking of Sixth Street, Eileen McKinney and Karen Gentry both have urged me to tweak the city for referring to “Sixth Ave” as the designated detour around the tunnel project on a big electronic sign positioned at the south end of the Warren Avenue Bridge.
“Isn’t the Bremerton street department aware that numbered streets run east to west, avenues run north and south in Bremerton?” asked Karen. “I’ve lived in Bremerton all my life and have never heard of a Sixth Avenue anywhere near here!  “Or are these signs run by some out-of-town company who hasn’t a clue?”
The out basket: Larry Matel, street engineer for the city, replied about the change on Sixth at Warren, “I would anticipate it to stay that way after the tunnel project is
complete. The internal city request to look at revising the signal to
the way it is now was influenced by the recognition of the
revitalization of the downtown and the need to help Sixth Street do its
job better in moving traffic into the area. The work was also
recognized to help with the tunnel detour.”
As for the error in the detour sign, it’s probably corrected by now. Larry said, “The project is being constructed by an out-of-town contractor and the construction contract is being administered by the Washington Department of Transportation,” which put up the message. He expected them to reprogram the message and eliminate the error, he said on Aug. 1.