In a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday, June 15, members of the city government and Port Townsend citizens danced in the streets to commemorate Discovery Road's reopening.
The project …
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In a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday, June 15, members of the city government and Port Townsend citizens danced in the streets to commemorate Discovery Road's reopening.
The project area covered a three-quarter-mile section of roadway between the Rainier Street roundabout and Salish Coast Elementary, a project whose planning, engineering and construction, took five years. The project includes the addition of new sidewalks, a wide two-lane bikeway, improved pedestrian crossings, new lighting, and improved connections to other walkways and bike paths.
City Manager John Mauro reassured the community that the road improvements were meticulously engineered to ensure safety and accessibility.
"It is such a key arterial into our community,” Mauro said. “We're not redoing it, we're improving it. We're saying, with this project, that we care about transportation and mobility, no matter how people are moving around. If people are driving, our duty is to make sure that the roadway is safe."
He added, "If people are biking, same thing ... walking, scooting, whatever it might be. I think, until this point, until today, that was not an accessible street for everybody. The biggest accomplishment, for me, is to create a street where everybody belongs, and everybody can be safe.”
To commemorate the event, citizens gathered that Saturday on the lawn of San Juan Baptist Church, enjoying snacks, drinks, music and games before the official reopening.
The police department shut down local traffic around 2 p.m., and guests were encouraged to make their way to the edge of the newly paved street. At a distance, the familiar beat of "Celebration" by Kool & The Gang echoed from the windows of a Jefferson County bus as it approached the crowd.
The doors hissed open, releasing an impromptu flash-mob-style dance party that spilled onto the asphalt of Discovery Road, including Mayor David Faber, who came prepared for the occasion.
Sporting a top hat with a suit and tie, and showcasing an entertainingly large set of red ribbon-cutting shears, the mayor cut the ribbon, officially opening Discovery Road.
