The state Department of Transportation declared two roundabout projects on Bainbridge Island completed Nov. 27, ending construction that snarled travel for months.

Traffic now flows freely at the intersections of state route 305 and Ada’s Will Lane and W. Port Madison Road, thanks to two multi-legged roundabouts. The infrastructure replaces a quartet of stop signs at the intersections, and aims to eliminate T-bone collisions and promote slower speeds, which will reduce the severity of crashes when they occur.

“WSDOT regularly reviews its roadways for intersections at the highest risk for severe crashes. Think of it like a health screening for the road system: once those intersections are identified, [we] develop a plan to reduce the crash potential,” agency officials wrote in the announcement.

In addition to car-related infrastructure, the roundabouts have crosswalks, additional signage and about 4,000 plants for landscaping. A new bus shelter and public restroom, accessible to pedestrians from the main road, is adjacent to SR 305 at the west side of the W. Port Madison Rd roundabout.

All told, the project cost about $17 million and took about 13 months to complete, which is about average for a WSDOT roundabout project at that scale. However, it’s on the pricier end of WSDOT’s completed projects throughout Kitsap County — beat only by the walkway replacement at the Bainbridge Ferry Terminal, which cost $33 million.

More updates may be coming to the island’s highway. In October, BI city manager Blair King shared that WSDOT had approached the city with a proposal to add a roundabout at the intersection of High School Rd and SR 305. The plans are not yet finalized, but public information sessions will begin in early 2025.

Rogan Alton, a Scarsella Brothers employee, performs some roadside landscaping maintenance.