PORT ANGELES — Traffic will be disrupted Thursday when crews pour the concrete approach slab on the east end of the $4.5 million span on Lauridsen Boulevard that is under construction now.
The work will prompt detours beginning at 7 a.m.
Southbound traffic on Race Street will be detoured east on Ninth Street, then south on Washington Street to Park Avenue, then west to return to Race Street.
Northbound traffic on Race Street will be detoured east on Park Avenue to Washington Street, then north to Ninth Street and west to Race Street.
The detour will be in place until the end of the working day.
The span across Peabody Creek was poured by Port Angeles-based Angeles Concrete in February.
It was one of the final major steps in the bridge replacement project begun in August and expected to be wrapped up in mid-April.
The contractor is Kent-based Scarsella Bros.
A federal grant is funding 80 percent of the project, with the city providing the remaining 20 percent of the cost.
Once completed, the new Lauridsen bridge will include two 12-foot-wide vehicle lanes, an eastbound center turn lane and two 5-foot-wide bicycle lanes.
State ferries director to resign
SEATTLE — Washington State Ferries Director David Moseley has announced his resignation, effective April 15.
Moseley made the announcement Tuesday in a weekly report on ferry activities.
He said when he took the position in 2008, the agency was in crisis in part because it had recently lost the motor vehicle excise tax as its main source of funding.
He said improvements to the ferry system during his tenure included adding new ferries, doing better maintenance and preservation of existing ferries, building a stronger financial base and communicating better with customers.
Moseley said in the statement he’s pleased with the progress made but that it’s time for the next person to build on the successes, correct mistakes and continue to move the system forward.
Free day at parks
OLYMPIA — Washington State Parks turns 101 years old today, and visitors are invited to help celebrate by getting out to enjoy a state park for free that day.
Today is the third of 12 state parks “free days” this year when visitors are not required to display the Discover Pass to visit a park.
State parks on the North Olympic Peninsula are Fort Worden and Fort Townsend in Port Townsend, Anderson Lake near Chimacum, Fort Flagler on Marrowstone Island, Sequim Bay near Sequim and Bogachiel near Forks.
For information about the Discover Pass, visit www.DiscoverPass.wa.gov.
The next state park “free day” is Saturday, April 19.
Board semifinalists
PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles School Board will interview superintendent semifinalists during a closed session today.
The special meeting will be from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the North Olympic Skills Center, 905 W. Ninth St.
The board is considering a replacement for Superintendent Jane Pryne, who is retiring in June.
Semifinalist’ names will not be announced to the public. No action will be taken in executive session.
Interviews with finalists will follow a full-day process that will include formal meetings, two public meeting opportunities and the School Board interview.
Dates, times and location of public meetings will be announced once scheduled, the district said.
For district information, find “Superintendent Search” on www.portangelesschools.org.
3 Crabs project talk
SEQUIM — The North Olympic Salmon Coalition will give an overview talk about its restoration project at the former 3 Crabs restaurant site at Dungeness at the Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society’s regular meeting at 7 p.m. today at the Dungeness River Audubon Center, 2151 W. Hendrickson Road.
Jamie Michel, the salmon coalition’s project manager, will lead a 40-minute presentation on the $3.8 million project to restore habitat and create a public beach on the Dungeness Bay shore.
Bob Boekelhide and Ken Wiersema of the Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society will provide input on what this project means for the birds that use the 3 Crabs area.
City Hall new hours
PORT ANGELES — City Hall is now open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, with the customer service counter available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The City Council approved the extended hours for City Hall at 321 E. Fifth St. in February, with the provision that Friday expanded hours wait until the customer service counter for paying utility bills was remodeled.
The remodeling, which added partitions for greater customer privacy and a wheelchair-accessible counter, has been finished, and the new hours are in effect all week.
The change was in response to public complaints since the hours were cut in 2009 to from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Fridays to save on staff costs, City Manager Dan McKeen said.
Pop, soul music
PORT ANGELES — Classic pop and soul music from the 1950s and ’60s will fill Bella Italia, 118 E. First St., as Rachael Jorgensen, Mickey Burnett, and Barry Burnett arrive for the next episode of Third Thursday Live.
A few country songs will be in the mix, too, as Rachael, Mike and Barry play from 8:30 p.m. until 10 p.m.
There’s no cover charge at Bella, while dinner reservations and information are at 360-457-5442 and www.bellaitaliaPA.com.
Visitor center roof
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — Work to reroof the Olympic National Park Visitor Center and an adjacent building is scheduled to begin Monday.
The $151,600 project to remove and replace the center’s two buildings’ 30-year-old cedar shake roofs is expected to be completed by early May, weather permitting.
The visitor center at 3002 Mount Angeles Road will remain open throughout the work period, but outside areas may be cordoned off to protect visitor safety.
Visitors should expect increased activity and noise levels.
Work will typically occur weekdays between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.; weekend work may be scheduled.
Dark Horse Enterprises LLC, a veteran-owned small business based in Bremerton, is the contractor. It has subcontracted with Triple A Roofing, based in Port Angeles.
Cancer support
PORT TOWNSEND — Jefferson Healthcare hospital will begin a free cancer support group March 25.
The group will meet every second and fourth Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. on the second floor of the 1929 Building at 834 Sheridan St.
Registration is required prior to joining the group and can be arranged by phoning Carla Conklin at 360-385-2200, ext 2040.
The group will talk about feelings regarding diagnosis and treatment, whether new to a diagnosis or not.
For more information, visit www.jeffersonhealthcare.org.
Highlights of Elwha
TACOMA — Filmmakers Jessica Plumb of Port Townsend and John Gussman of Sequim will attend a screening of highlights of their film “Return of the River” in Tacoma at 7:45 p.m. Friday.
The free program will be part of an open house held by the Tacoma Mountaineers at The Mountaineers Tacoma Program Center, 2302 N. 30th St., Tacoma.
The pair will show about 30 minutes of highlights from the film in advance of its premiere scheduled for this spring.
The documentary tells the story of the largest dam removal in history on the Elwha and the community effort that made it happen.
Removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams began in 2011. The last vestiges of the two dams — a portion of Glines Canyon — is expected to be demolished by September, opening 70 miles of river habitat to all five species of Pacific salmon and steelhead.
Already, spawning fish have been seen above the former Elwha Dam site.
