2 years of construction wraps up with new sidewalks through Old Town Silverdale
SILVERDALE — Two years of orange signs, hard hats and construction is coming to a close in Old Town Silverdale.
A $26 million project installed new water lines, a sewer system and stormwater pipes under the ground before construction crews built back roads and new sidewalks along Bayshore Drive and Washington Avenue NW. The project took its toll on area businesses as the work progressed, but aside from a few finishing touches, is just about complete.
"It's been an adventure," said Monica Downen, owner of Monica's Waterfront Bakery & Café. "We're glad to see it's over, but are happy with the result."
Read more: Developers plan new village in Silverdale's Old Town
Downen said the new sidewalks, built with decorative street lights, could help jumpstart a revival of boutique retailers in the area. The Port of Silverdale also has plans for a waterfront redevelopment in the future and the Central Kitsap School District recently sold the Jenne-Wright Administration Center and Linder Field for $6 million to make way for a mixed-use development and restoration of Strawberry Creek.
Begun in fall of 2020, the project included drilling a 1,000-foot-long underground tunnel through cobble, sand and gravel to replace a 45-year-old sewer line. Other sewer pipes were upgraded as well, along with new water lines and a stormwater system that can filter out oils, metals and sediment before they go into Puget Sound.
The project links to the wider sidewalks and previous reconstruction of Silverdale Way NW, and Kitsap County Commissioner Ed Wolfe hopes it will mark the dawn of a new era for Old Town Silverdale.
"It's going to support the growth and development of the businesses and the residential properties in Old Town," Wolfe said.
Old Town Silverdale was developed in the early 20th century as a hub for cooperative chicken farmers. Because the area had been logged, chickens were among the few crops that could succeed on lands riddled with stumps. Sometimes called "the egg capital of the world," ferries shipped the product from Dyes Inlet to Seattle and points as far east as Chicago, according to local historians.
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Construction finishes new sidewalks in Old Town Silverdale