POULSBO — Like children waiting for Santa Claus to arrive on Christmas Eve, local officials are hoping Thursday’s State Route 305 widening project bid opening brings good news.

A “lump of coal” could prove disastrous.

The project, which will widen the highway to four lanes from Bond Road to the south city limits, is projected to cost $17.5 million.

“We’ve waited a long time for this and I’m definitely on pins and needles that it comes in on budget,” said Mayor Kathryn Quade.

If the bids come in higher than the projections, Quade said she is confident that area state legislators will still find a way to make the project happen.

“I’m just holding my breath that the bids come in within our expected range,” said State Rep. Beverly Woods (R-Kingston).

Due to the increasing cost of petroleum products including diesel fuel and asphalt, there is concern that the bids might be higher than the state’s estimate, the ranking minority member of the House Transportation Committee said.

“It’s a big deal and we’ve worked a long time to solve the problems on Highway 305,” Woods said.

The road widening and culvert replacements are all parts of the solution that need to be completed, she said.

Even if the bids come in higher than projected, Woods said she is optimistic that the work will still be able move ahead.

“If they are close enough, I would hope it wouldn’t hold up the project, and we would have to make up the difference in the next legislative session,” Woods said.

Fellow state representative Sherry Appleton (D-Poulsbo) agreed that there is some concern over what the bids will actually be.

“The cost of petroleum products is going sky high, and it’s worrisome because we’re just going to have to wait and see,” Appleton said.

While the future of the widening project won’t be known until the bids are opened, a $3.6 million paving project from Hostmark Street to the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal is scheduled to begin sometime in June.

In addition to concerns about the potential costs of the project, Appleton said she has questions about the wisdom of doing both the widening and paving project during the same construction season.

“This is the construction season and it has to be done, but it’s a shame we didn’t wait until one was finished before starting the other,” she said, noting that with two road projects occurring at the same time, drivers will be forced to adjust their routines.

“The question is how do you get around and unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of options,” Appleton said. “It’s going to be a real struggle.”

For Kitsap County Commissioner Chris Endresen the bid opening will be the culmination of more than a decade of effort on many levels to get the widening done.

“I think this project has been funded and unfunded two or three times and I’m excited it’s finally here,” Endresen said.

Having worked on the project as a Poulsbo City Councilwoman, a member of the Puget Sound Regional Coordinating Committee and as county commissioner, Endresen said it is an example of what can happen when the leaders throughout the county work together to get something done.

Even though the project has made it to this critical juncture, Endresen, too, expressed concerns about the bid opening.

“There is a concern about what the bids are going to come in at, but I’m hopeful,” Endresen said.