Church shuts off unofficial shortcut at roundabout because of danger

Ed Friedrich / Kitsap Sun Traffic continues to flow on Newberry Hill Road and Silverdale Way despite skinnier lanes and construction of a roundabout.

Ed Friedrich / Kitsap Sun Christ the King Lutheran Church has blocked traffic from detouring through its parking lot by placing landscape boulders and orange barrels.

SILVERDALE There'll be no more cutting through the parking lot.

Christ the King Lutheran Church became an unofficial detour after Chico Way was closed at Newberry Hill Road and Silverdale Way last month for roundabout construction, but a few hot rods ruined a good thing.

"Sadly, we are going to have to close off the parking lot to through traffic as a select few and oft-seen drivers have felt fine speeding through with little to no regard for children or members who are playing or trying to get to their cars after midweek church events," Pastor Andy Schwartz said.

Stan Palmer Construction of Port Orchard began work on the $2.1 million roundabout May 14. Vehicle access was maintained on Silverdale Way and Newberry Hill, but blocked to Chico Way. Kitsap County set up a detour over Highway 3 via Eldorado Boulevard to Provost Road. It will remain in place until the job is completed at the end of the year.

The church, with entrances on both Newberry Hill and Chico Way, was a handy get-around for many, the congregation realized, and it tried to accommodate them. Christ the King, which has a school, blocked traffic with big orange barrels only while classes were in session. After they let out for the summer, access was closed only during church events. That didn't stop drivers from getting out of their cars to move the barrels and open the gate.

The last straw came when somebody opened the swinging steel-tube gate at Newberry Hill and didn't close it after going through. A woman pulling into the parking lot from Newberry Hill rammed it through her windshield like a jousting pole. The driver wasn't hurt, but the gate was damaged.

Drivers also were making illegal left turns from the parking lot onto Newberry Hill and from Newberry Hill into the parking lot. Church officials called the sheriff's office, but don't expect to divert deputies from more important tasks.

"Last Sunday, we got together as a congregation and said for the safety of the good drivers and members and construction site employees, who've had a couple close calls as well, we have to close the parking lot to through traffic," Schwartz said.

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Church shuts off unofficial shortcut at roundabout because of danger