Safety improvement project on East Sims Way/SR 20 in Port Townsend begins Sept. 12

PORT TOWNSEND – The intersection of East Sims Way/State Route 20 and Kearney Street in Port Townsend will have a different look after the completion of a safety improvement project. Work begins Tuesday, Sept. 12, and is expected to be finished late this fall.

Contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will convert the existing intersection into a single-lane roundabout. Jefferson Street between Kearney Street and Decatur Street will also become a shared-use path for people who walk or roll.

Detour information

For those heading toward downtown Port Townsend and the ferry terminal, traffic will detour via Benedict Street and Washington Street and then turn right to continue on SR 20/East Sims Way. Travelers heading to the Port Townsend/Coupeville ferry may want to build some extra time into their trips.

For anyone heading away from downtown Port Townsend, traffic will turn right onto Kearney Street and left onto Jefferson Street and then continue onto SR 20. Travelers will eventually keep left through the intersection using the south side of the roundabout.

Travelers can sign up for email alerts for construction in Jefferson and Clallam Counties. Find the latest information about highway closures on the WSDOT app and the WSDOT statewide travel map.

Slow down – lives are on the line. 

In 2023, speeding continued to be a top reason for work zone crashes.

Even one life lost is too many.

Fatal work zone crashes doubled in 2023 - Washington had 10 fatal work zone crashes on state roads.

It's in EVERYONE’S best interest.

95% of people hurt in work zones are drivers, their passengers or passing pedestrians, not just our road crews.