— from Shannon Wilbur for San Juan County Public Works —
Two lanes will be open for traffic on Orcas Road and Nordstroms Lane from Friday through Sunday. Please drive cautiously on the gravel roads.
Starting on Monday, Nordstroms Lane will be closed again to all traffic except for EMS and residents. This will last for a few days while the new Nordstroms Lane is completed. The detour north of McNallie Road will be in place again for a few days while the final clearing and brushing takes place. Beginning mid-next week, the crews will move over to the Swan Road intersection to begin work.
On Monday, traffic control lights will once again be operational when only one lane is available for traffic. The current wait time is up to 6 minutes.
Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The speed limit in the construction zone is 25 mph at all times.
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I am personally quite distressed by the size and number of old growth trees that have been sacrificed for our straighter, wider road. Is this really what we want?
This is an absurd project! So people can go faster – how about one long straight road all the way? Funds could have been used for real safety improvements.
I am glad that someone else will address the elephant on our precious island. I for one am getting very nervous about what is happening island wide. Rampant development, destruction of old growth, costly unbridled road “improvement.” What next? I am sure our annual summer tourists and residents will not fail to notice the assault on what makes/made this place so desirable to live.
A person at the Exchange said the trees that were being taken down were diseased – laminated root rot.
I have heard that the trees that were removed in Moran State Park were infected with laminated root rot but never have I heard that the particular trees that they had to be clear cut for our new road were also afflicted. I think this merits investigation rather than going by what someone may have said.
So what,if the trees have root rot,let them live and beautify the island.when their useful life is over they will die BUT in the meantime they absorb all the bad stuff and give off all the good stuff,and we as dwellers on this special place can appreciate their beauty and breath their clean air….then they can become firewood.WHICH IS A FITTING END TO SUCH BEAUTY.
Ironic that we expand roads and traffic which adds pollution and carbon to our environment while at the same time we remove the planet’s survival mechanism (i.e. old growth sequesters carbon.) Let us wake up before it is too late!!
This was a dangerous stretch of road if one was riding a bike south bound. Accidents have occurred at that intersection too. Our sons and daughters will be safer. Trees will grow back.
Yes, in 300 years if we survive.
If the curves were dangerous for bikers why not make a separate safe bike path rather than make a major silly road project. I fail to see how this will make safer driving safer – only faster driving.
This new section of road will make for safe driving, safe cycling and safe truck driving. It brings our main road closer to completion. San Juan Island’s was completed 20 years ago, Lopez Island’s was completed 10 years ago. Our old road was built for horse and buggy, and traffic volume of 100 years ago.
Dan L Christopherson wrote: “This new section of road will…[bring] our main road closer to completion…Our old road was built for horse and buggy, and traffic volume of 100 years ago.”
But isn’t a slow-speed road made for the use of fewer vehicles exactly what a picturesque vacation spot needs? Slow down, folks, and see the trees.
A road built to support more and faster traffic is not necessarily suitable for this small and scenic island. Are we next to have a bridge to the mainland and a freeway?
I agree with Mr. Oaksen that the money could more usefully have been spent upon a dedicated bicycle roadway, better marked than at present, and using a slightly different route.