Tag Archives: depression

Temporary Highway 3 repair said to have made things worse

The in basket: Lee Hanson and John Pearson both say the temporary repair of the depression in the outside lane of southbound Highway 3 just north of the Kitsap Way interchange made it worse, not better.

Duke Stryker, head of state highway maintenance crews here, said in October that a culvert under the highway there was damaged in last November’s heavy rainstorm and that permanent repair would have to wait until next year. But they’d due a temporary repair in the meantime, he said.

The out basket: I didn’t drive over the depression before the temporary work was done, but have now. I can’t say it’s much of a disruption, at least not in my 2013 Malibu.

Claudia Bingham-Baker of the Olympic Region state highway information office, says, “Our maintenance crews are keeping an eye on SR 3 at the location your readers mentioned. We will re-patch the area when we see more settling.”

Motorcyclist finds dip in Highway 304 HOV lane

The in basket: Motorcyclist Charles Ryers called to say there’s a depression in the HOV lane on Highway 304 coming out of Bremerton that is unnoticed by motorists, whose tires straddle it when they pass, but “if you are riding a motorcycle, it’ll knock you teeth out.” He had back surgery in June, which magnified the jolt for him, he said.

The out basket: Lisa Copeland, spokesman for the Olympic Region of the state transportation department, thanked Charles for bringing it to their attention. “Our crews have gone out a couple of times to fix and monitor a sink hole,” she said. “I”m told it was the result of ‘shallow settlement’ and so we placed cold mix and will continue to keep an eye on it.”

Charles says it doesn’t look like a very long-lived repair and still leaves a dip, but a much less difficult one. And at least an approaching motorcyclist can see it coming now, as it’s a different color than the rest of the pavement.