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Washington State Route 303 and Washington State Route 308

Initially I was going to create two posts for Washington State Routes 303 and 308 but decided to combine them given how closely related the history of both are.  Below I'll document WA 303 first followed by WA 308.



Washington State Route 303 is an approximately 9.3 mile state highway entirely located in Kitsap County.  WA 303 runs from WA 3 in Silverdale southeast to to WA 304 in Bremerton.  From WA 3 in Silverdale the alignment of WA 303 is on a short freeway known as Waaga Way which becomes an at-grade expressway at Bucklin Hill Road.









WA 303 has a significant junction with Brownsville Highway which was once part of the route.  Prior to the completion of the Waaga Way Freeway in 1991 WA 303 ran north to Keyport and what is now WA 308.  WA 303 was created out of WA PSH 21B when the state highways were renumbered in 1964.  I'm to understand that WA 308 was created out of WA 303 in 1971 from Keyport west to WA 3.


As WA 303 turns southward it becomes Warren Avenue and enters the city of Bremerton.  Traffic is greeted by this odd sign  announcing the city boundary of Bremerton.


WA 303 once had a junction with WA 306 at Sylvan Way.  WA 306 was a short state highway that continued east to Illahee State Park.  WA 306 was created out of a spur of WA PSH 21B in 1964 and was deleted possibly in 1993.

WA 303 crosses the Port Washington Narrows on the Warren Avenue Bridge into downtown Bremerton. 




The Warren Avenue Bridge was completed in 1958 which was a routing replacement of the 1930  Manette Bridge.  The Warren Avenue Bridge made for a much more direct route into downtown Bremerton than the 1930 Manette Bridge.  The 1930 Manette Bridge routing required using Wheaton Way to traverse further south on the Port Washington Narrows. On a clear day the 2011 Manette Bridge, Mount Rainier and the Olympic Range can be seen from the Warren Avenue Bridge.





In downtown Bremerton there are various signs on WA 303/Warren Avenue directing traffic to the ferry terminal.  WA 303 ends at WA 304 which is on Burwell Street, ferry traffic must turn east on WA 304 to reach the Bremerton-Seattle Ferry.








WA 308 is approximately 3.4 miles and begins at a dead-end gate at the Naval Base Kitsap Keyport.





WA 308 westbound traverses through Keyport before emerging over a lagoon.  WA 308 has a minor junction with Brownsville Highway which as mentioned above was part of WA 303.







There isn't a ton of signage on WA 308 but it does exist west of Brownsville Highway.





WA 308 junctions Silverdale Way/Viking Way which was the original alignment of WA 3.






WA 308 continues west until it reaches a junction with WA 3 where it terminates.






For reference the 1956 Washington State Highway Map shows the alignment of WA PSH 21B before the 1964 state highway renumbering.

1956 State Highway Map


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