SR 3 Is Closing Near Gorst for 16 Days This June — Here's What Military Families Near Naval Base Kitsap Need to Know

If you commute through Gorst, starting June 13 it's going to be significantly worse!

You already know it's the most reliable place in Kitsap County to lose 20 minutes on a normal day. WSDOT is closing a section of SR 3 near Sunnyslope Road Southwest for up to 16 consecutive days — June 13 through June 29 — around the clock, to all through traffic. This is part of the SR 3/SR 16/SR 166 fish barrier removal project, which also involves construction on SR 16 and a new roundabout at the SR 3/SR 16 Spur intersection. The project runs through early winter 2029.

For military families living in Port Orchard, Bremerton, or anywhere south of Gorst who commute to Bangor — this closure directly affects your route.

The official detour for passenger vehicles routes through Sunnyslope Road Southwest and Southwest Lake Flora Road. Commercial vehicles go via SR 302 and SR 16. The closures begin with daytime single-lane alternating traffic June 1–12, with full closure from June 13 onward.

What does this mean in practical terms? If you're currently looking at homes south of Gorst and your daily commute goes through that interchange, the next several years of construction — and the next 16 days of full closure — are worth factoring into where you look.

This isn't a reason to avoid Port Orchard or south Bremerton. Those neighborhoods still offer some of the best value in Kitsap County. But the commute math changes during active construction, and anyone buying right now should understand what the SR 3 corridor looks like between now and 2029.

The long-term outcome is better infrastructure, reduced congestion, and a new roundabout designed to cut collision rates at one of Kitsap's most accident-prone intersections. The short-term reality is disruption that's worth planning around.

If you're PCSing to Naval Base Kitsap this summer and your housing search is focused on the south end of the county, it's worth a conversation before you commit to a commute route that's about to change.

What route are you taking to the base right now?

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