This morning I had the pleasure of participating in the ribbon cutting ceremony for the long-sought Burley Olalla Road Interchange with Highway 16 and couldn’t be happier about it.

It marks a great day for the people of South Kitsap. It means no more crossing four lanes of high speed traffic to get across the highway. It’ll save lives and give motorists peace of mind when travelling this once dangerous stretch of road.

What’s more, this project represents everything that’s right with our state’s highway construction program in that it was finished under budget and a full nine months ahead of schedule. Its successful opening is a testament to the contractors who did the work and it’s a testament to a community that pressed so hard for this very day.