Extend Barney White Road? Not any time soon

The in basket: Back in July, Sally Harris of Belfair wrote, “Just wondering if there are any plans to eventually connect the Barney White Road on Highway 3 down to the Barney White Road on the Old Belfair Highway.
“It would save a lot of driving back and around when there is an accident on either one,” she said.

The out basket: I can’t find a Barney White Road spur off Old Belfair Highway, aka West Belfair Valley Road, on my map. But whether it’s there or not, the prospects for extending the segment that intersects Highway 3 are equally grim.

The same goes for a similar proposal made a few years ago to link Silverdale Way with Central Valley Road along a private right of way called Lone Maple just north of Island Lake. As I recall, fire officials find that one desirable to shorten response times.

There has been no discussion among county or city of Bremerton officials (a lot of the Barney White area is part of the city) about either extension, their officials tell me, and money for any kind of new road construction is in very short supply. An infusion of federal money, such as helped get Greaves Way built north of Silverdale, would likely be needed.