Traffic rules have changed for Birch Bay Drive

By Jami Makan

The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) is reminding the public that traffic rules have changed for Birch Bay Drive in the wake of the destructive December 20 windstorm.

The section of Birch Bay Drive from Harborview Road to Shintaffer Road was evaluated by county officials and determined to be unsafe for two-way traffic due to significant deterioration of the shoulder and, in some places, the asphalt roadway.

An emergency ordinance was established to allow for one lane of northbound-only traffic, with a new 10 m.p.h. speed limit. As a result, southbound traffic from Birch Bay Village and Birch Point must take Shintaffer Road to Anderson Road or Lincoln Road for egress.

Since the southbound lane of Birch Bay Drive is now closed in this area, persons driving south from Shintaffer Road to Harborview Road may be subject to a civil fine of $136 for driving the wrong way on a one-way street. This includes local residents, who are not exempt.

Persons driving north who do not obey the new 10 m.p.h. speed limit may also be fined anywhere from $125 to $166 depending on how many miles they are over the speed limit.

“Please be patient and courteous of other drivers, as they follow the temporary speed reductions and one-way roads,” the WCSO wrote in a Facebook post on January 31. “The sheriff’s office will continue to monitor Birch Bay Drive to ensure people are following the rules of the road with varying enforcement times and locations.”

To allow for the extra traffic being diverted to Anderson Road, the intersection of Harborview and Anderson roads has been switched to a four-way stop. This section of Anderson Road is a residential area with winding roads and is posted as a 25 m.p.h. roadway.

In the Facebook post, the WCSO also advised pedestrians and bicyclists to use extreme caution in this area.

Pedestrians on the roadway should walk against traffic and move clear of the roadway when cars are approaching. Bicyclists must ride with the flow of traffic and have proper lighting and visibility during the hours of darkness.