Waterpark Expansion & More!

You may have noticed the lane closure at SR 166/Bay Street just past Harrison a few blocks to Rockwell Ave if you are traveling away from downtown going west toward Annapolis.  Road closures can be a bother, but in this case, I am not thinking about the now, but rather the later and what the project completion will bring.

The Waterfront Park Expansion Project is well underway and I’m getting excited! The City of Port Orchard is in the process of constructing a multi-purpose path/trail beginning at the Waterfront Park and ending at the Annapolis Ferry Dock. 

Taken from the Foot Ferry Dock, this picture shows the
construction area right below the Golden Grill restaurant
shown in the background. Notice the beach on the left side-
caution was taken to keep debris out of the water.

When I first heard about the expansion, I thought, ‘what a great idea’. I mean, who doesn’t like a nice walk along the coast, right?! The more I learn about the project the more excited I become, because it’s not just our area that is getting a new pathway. Imagine being able to ride your bike to other towns along the water? Imagine heading out with the kids for an adventure with a picnic lunch. All these ideas and more are going to be possible when the full scope of this project is realized.

The project is considered a portion of the ‘Mosquito Fleet Trail’ and is named after the commuter ferries that linked our community with those nearby in the early days of Sidney (now of course, called Port Orchard). The project is adopted from the Kitsap County Greenways Plan completed in 1996.  Read more about it here and check out the map of the projected plan.

You can also read more about the current Bay Street Pedestrian Path and check out a map here.

Another picture of construction area taken on the existing boardwalk behind Peninsula Feed.