POULSBO — Only two weeks remain for the Iverson Street closure as progress on the $14.9 million State Route 305 widening project marches forward.

Since Sept. 11, motorists have been forced to find their way around the Iverson Street closure, which shutdown the roadway between 8th Avenue and State Route 305.

Even though crews from Stan Palmer Construction of Port Orchard will be working on the culvert installation on the Lincoln Road side of the highway, Iverson Street will remain closed until Oct. 15, said Washington State Department of Transportation communications specialist Jamie Swift.

Crews have installed half of the eight-foot concrete box culvert under the Iverson Street side of the highway as well as an additional galvanized steel culvert near the Iverson Street/8th Avenue intersection.

“The opening will have to wait until both ends of the culvert are installed,” Swift said. “The signal and turn pockets will remain inoperable until the entire culvert is installed and the roadway is restored to it original configuration.”

The culverts must be completed no later than Oct. 15 when the fish window closes. The window is a period of time during which salmon traditionally enter rivers and streams to spawn before returning the waters of the Puget Sound in the spring. Officials close to the project agree it is swimming right along.

State Rep. Bev Woods (R-Kingston) said she is pleased with the progress crews have made despite the later-than-expected start date, which was due to funding issues.

“They should have no problem with the fish window,” Woods said, noting that the fish window was one of the major concerns following the project’s August start date.

Poulsbo City Councilwoman Connie Lord said she had high expectations for the project when it began and is happy to report that those hopes are being realized.

“The citizens have been fantastic in adjusting to it,” Lord said, noting that the state has done an excellent job of informing the public about the ongoing work, which is expected to be completed in the fall of 2007. “If we can get through next summer this well, I’ll be pleased,” Lord said.

Next summer, crews will be installing culverts near the Bond Road/SR 305 intersection and on Little Valley Road as well.