KINGSTON — The idea of improving Miller Bay Road has been on the county books for years, but as with most projects, it has been a matter of finances and priorities — or the lack thereof.

But with the possibility of the Arborwood and White Horse developments eventually becoming a part of the Kingston community, county officials and residents hope the improvements to Miller Bay Road will soon become a reality.

The Public Works Department helped emphasize this point Oct. 1, when Assistant Director of Public Works John Brand and Transportation Planning Manager Greg Cioc spoke to the members of the Kingston Citizens Advisory Committee about the proposed Miller Bay Corridor Project. The corridor consists of Miller Bay Road between State Route 104 and Gunderson Road.

The three main intersections along the road — Indianola, Gunderson and West Kingston — are part of the county’s six-year improvement plan to the route. Changes include adding signals and left and right turn lanes at the intersections.

“Those configurations fit with the future plan,” Brand said.

The Indianola/Miller Bay intersection warrants the most attention right now and is scheduled for improvements in 2006, Cioc explained.

The Gunderson intersection is slated for 2007 and the West Kingston intersection upgrade is expected in 2008.

Plans beyond the six-year outlook include widening the road with five-foot bike lanes or eight-foot shoulders or even making the road four lanes.

Another big concern of KCAC and the county is when the state is going to get up to speed with the improvements on the highways in the area, especially with SR 104 and other major traffic arteries.

State Route 307 and SR 104 are under the jurisdiction of the Washington State Department of Transportation, Cioc said, adding that the county can’t do anything about the traffic problems on those roads. And if SR 307 and SR 104 aren’t going to be widened, he added, then something has to be done about Miller Bay Road because it’s the alternate route within the Kingston community.

Brand suggested the group to write letters to elected officials to emphasize the need for state highway improvements.

“Anything to give (County Commissioner Chris Endresen) some direction… would be very, very helpful,” Brand said.

Brand and Cioc also explained more specific projects that are expected to be completed within the next year.

The newest improvement will be at the end of this month with the installation of a school warning sign on West Kingston Road for Kingston Junior High. The sign will have flashing lights regulated by the school and will decrease the speed limit from 40 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour during school hours.

More crosswalks and sidewalks, as well as extended paved shoulders from the intersection to Arness Roadside Park, will be added to the South Kingston/West Kingston intersection. Shoulders were paved on Jefferson Point this year and the county will do an overlay on the road next year as well as on Tarhee Drive.

Brand said he would also be looking into extending the sidewalk on West Kingston Road to SR 104 in downtown Kingston. When West Kingston was rebuilt last year, new sidewalks were constructed but not extended fully to the highway.

“Those are the little things,” Brand said.

“And we appreciate those little things,” replied KCAC co-chair Dave Hildebrand.