Major improvements are coming to the north side of Bend. Waiting at the last two stoplights as you head out of Bend toward Redmond will no longer be a major bottleneck when traveling through Central Oregon. These improvements will set the stage for potential future development on the north side of Bend. Over the next few years, a major project to re-route Highway 97 will take place. Below, you can find what ODOT has to say as well as their Final Project Plan or head to their website (ODOT Bend North Corridor Project) for more information.
From ODOT:
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U.S. 97 is the main north-south highway through the central portion of Oregon, connecting Oregon to California and Washington. U.S. 20 is a primary east-west highway in Oregon. In the Bend area, both highways are primary routes that help local residents commute through town and connect to area shopping, dining, businesses, schools and recreation. Central Oregon’s population growth over the last decade has increased traffic congestion and, in turn, reduced safety for motor vehicles, pedestrian and bicyclists.
This project will realign one of the most congested portions of U.S. 97 in the City of Bend and improve a section of U.S. 20. The U.S. 97 Bend North Corridor project includes a realignment of U.S. 97, improved intersections, new ramp connections at critical locations to improve local and highway traffic, and pedestrian and bicycle facilities.
These improvements will do the following:
- Aid with congestion
- Support economic vitality
- Reduce traffic volume and speeds at high conflict locations
- Increase freight mobility
- Improve travel time reliability
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Final US 97 Bend North Corridor: Final_US97BendNorthCorridorINFRA