BAINBRIDGE ISLAND – The State Route 305 Agate Pass Bridge, which links Bainbridge Island to the Kitsap Peninsula, will be reduced to one lane during daytime hours for 21 consecutive days beginning Feb. 9.

Drivers are advised to expect long traffic delays while Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) bridge preservation and maintenance crews hand-clean and low-pressure-wash the bridge’s chords and areas under the deck.

Between Monday, Feb. 9, and Saturday, Feb. 28, drivers will encounter single-lane alternating traffic at the bridge each Monday through Friday between 8:45 a.m. and 3 p.m. On Saturdays and Sundays, the bridge will be reduced to one lane between 7:45 a.m. and 3 p.m.

“We know that daytime closures will cause traffic delays, and we wouldn’t be doing the work this way unless we thought it was absolutely necessary. We want to make sure that nothing, not the crews, the equipment, the driving public or the bridge, are damaged in this process,” said Troy Cowan, assistant region administrator.

“We’re doing everything we can work safely and efficiently, including working seven days a week and having multiple crews working above and below the bridge every day.”

WSDOT anticipates lengthy traffic delays at the bridge while the work is underway. Drivers should plan extra time into their trips, minimize discretionary trips, use the bridge before or after the work hours, or consider adjusting work schedules during this time.