Discovery Road Bikeway, Roadway and Sidewalk Project

Project Contact:

Laura Parsons, P.E.

Project Type:

Capital Project

Project Status:

Construction

Location:

Discovery Road between

Rainier and Sheridan Streets

Join us Saturday, June 15 for the Discovery Road Ribbon Cutting Celebration! Bring the whole family to celebrate with food, drinks, music, and more. The event, presented in partnership with The Production Alliance, will take place at 2 p.m. at the San Juan Baptist Church lawn, 1704 Discovery Road. Come to the party using all your modes of movement!

Read the latest issue of the Discovery Road Project Newsletter.

Project Update May 2024

A series of paving days are scheduled for Wednesday, May 29, Thursday, May 30, and Friday, May 31. The project is dynamic and all paving dates are subject to change.

Paving Work:
Roadway shoulder installed between McClellan and Sherman Street.
Raised crosswalk installed over Discovery Road at Sherman Street.
Paving on intersecting streets approximately 20-60 feet back from Discovery Road, depending on location.
Bikeway paving from 14th to Rainier Street. The bikeway asphalt will be 2-inches thick.
Roadway paving from 14th to McClellan Street. This second/final layer of roadway asphalt will be 2-inches thick. Upon completion, the roadway asphalt will be 4-inches thick.
Roadway paving from 14th to Rainier Street. Two 2-inch layers of roadway asphalt will be placed. Upon completion, the roadway asphalt will be 4-inches thick.

Delays may be up to an hour while paving occurs and asphalt cures. Flaggers will be present to guide traffic.

Project Update April 2024

The City of Port Townsend will begin a series of paving days for the Discovery Road Bikeway, Roadway, and Sidewalk Project. The first dates for paving are scheduled for Tuesday, April 9 and Wednesday, April 10. The project is dynamic and all paving dates are subject to change.

Tuesday, April 9 Paving:
Bikeway paving will be from 14th to McClellan Streets. The bikeway asphalt will be 2-inches thick. Delays may be up to an hour as heavy equipment moves in and out of the area. Flaggers will be present to guide traffic.

Wednesday, April 10 Paving:
Roadway paving will be from 14th to McClellan Streets. This first layer of roadway asphalt will be 2 inches. Delays may be up to an hour while paving happens and then the roadway cures. Flaggers will be present to guide traffic. The final 2-inch layer of asphalt will be placed in mid- to late May. Upon completion, the roadway asphalt will be 4-inches thick.

Future paving dates:

•   The second layer of asphalt between 14th and McClellan Streets will be placed mid- to late May.
•   The raised crosswalk at Sherman Street (by the school) will be installed mid- to late May.
•   Both 2-inch layers of asphalt between Rainier and 14th Streets will be placed mid- to late May.

If you have questions about the project, please contact the City’s Discovery Road Project Manager, Laura Parsons, P.E. at lparsons@cityofpt.us or 360-774-3017.

Read The April Discovery Road Newsletter.

Project Update December 2023

The City of Port Townsend is entering its most visible phase of construction for the Discovery Road Bikeway, Roadway, and Sidewalk Project. The Discovery Road Project will be constructed between the Rainier Street roundabout and Salish Coast Elementary School. Its length is approximately three quarters of a mile. Construction on the project started on October 30 and is progressing on schedule. In order to safely complete work on the south side of Discovery Road, the eastbound lane will be closed between 14th Street and McClellan Street from December 13, 2023 to March 21, 2024. The project is dynamic and these dates for the lane closure are subject to change.

People traveling through the area should expect 20-minute delays and we ask that everyone walking, biking, and otherwise moving through the area use extra caution. There is big construction equipment, downed tree limbs, piles of dirt, and other things where you may usually walk or bike. Move mindfully and follow the path of travel indicated by cones and flaggers. Drivers, please travel slowly through the area.

Project Location

The Discovery Road Bikeway and Sidewalk Project will be constructed between the Rainier Street roundabout and Salish Coast Elementary School. Its length is approximately three quarters of a mile. See below for the Project’s vicinity map.

This project will provide:

A new bikeway and new sidewalks
Enhanced pedestrian crossings
New connections with existing bike and pedestrian routes
East end of project will tie into the existing sidewalk and bikeway by Salish Coast Elementary School
West end of project will tie into the existing sidewalk and bikeway by the Rainier Street roundabout
Low-maintenance landscaping
Street lighting
Water/Sewer upgrades
Stormwater Management - the project will use drainage swales and other low-impact development strategies to manage stormwater.
Enhancements to the wetland on the north side of Discovery Road (across from Howard & Eddy Streets.)

Fiscal Information:

In order to do large construction projects, like the Discovery Road Bikeway and Sidewalk Project, the City must rely on receiving grants from various agencies. The Discovery Road Project is made possible through three generous grants received by the City in 2018, 2019 and 2020. The City received state Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety Program funding for $1,442,082 and federal Regional Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds for $621,515. The City also received a grant from the state Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) for $2,493,288. The City match, including utility funding, brings the current total project budget to $5.5 million. With $5.5 million, the City can afford to install bikeway, pedestrian facilities as well as reconstruct the roadway.