Even though road closures related to installation of the Bayview Road traffic light don’t begin until Monday, there are already problems.

After taking the winter off, the Oak Harbor contractor was back on the job this week. The project will bring traffic lights, right-turn lanes, and new asphalt and guardrail to the intersection of Highway 525 and Bayview Road.

Long waits on the highway began this week as SRV Construction resumed activity. Signs went up advising drivers that portions of Bayview Road will be closed from Monday through next Saturday, April 6.

Those signs were the first word of the closure for Island Transit. That gave the transit company about 48 hours to plan adjustments in three routes that roll through that intersection dozens of times a day.

It also will force some changes for commuters who use the Park and Ride lot at the intersection because that lot will be unavailable for all of next week. The portion of Bayview Road that goes to the Park and Ride lot will be closed at Howard Road, behind Casey’s Red Apple Market. Across the highway, Bayview Road will be closed at the Bayview Cash Store.

News that Bayview Road would be closed caught Island Transit by surprise, said its director, Martha Rose.

“Nobody bothered to let us know,” she said. “We were pretty ticked at DOT.”

She said she learned of the closures in an e-mail from a commuter.

Frank VandeWorfhorst of Island Transit learned of the closure when he saw the signs.

“I found out yesterday only because I was down there with the trainees,” he said Thursday.

Traffic problems at the construction site this week caused some buses to miss ferry connections at Clinton, VandeWorfhorst said, especially the bus that goes through the construction site, makes a loop at Freeland and returns through that site.

Also surprised with this week’s work was the state’s Department of Transportation, which designed and is paying for the project. DOT engineer Marlin Lenssen, said he had no idea SRV had already erected three of the four signal poles to be placed at the intersection.

“We didn’t think it was a good idea to put up the poles until the paving was done,” he said.

Brian Seaforth, a DOT project inspector, said the project should be completely done by mid-April, weather permitting.

“The contractor is following a fairly aggressive schedule,” he said.

Seaforth said his agency did inform Island Transit of the possible traffic problems this week and next.

Island Transit plans to have Route 7 turn around at Bayview shopping center when it comes up Howard Road from the south, then head back south, skipping Freeland. He said other buses will come through Freeland about 10 minutes later, so it shouldn’t cause too much of a problem for riders.

Island Transit’s VanderWerfhorst said 20 to 30 more cars could park at the Trinity Lutheran Church Park and Ride next week. He said the Clinton Park and Ride lot is a poor option, since it is full most of the time.

VanderWerfhorst said the contractor told him Island Transit buses will receive priority treatment during construction.