Project-Details

​The west leg of Cooley Road remains closed at U.S. 20. 

Construction has begun with minimal traffic impact. More significant traffic impacts along U.S. 20 will begin as early as February of 2023, while impacts along U.S. 97 will not begin until later in 2023 and continue throughout the life of the project. All work is scheduled to be fully complete by December 2024.

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U.S. 97 is the main north-south highway through central 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 people get 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 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 project improvements will provide the following:

• Improve travel time reliability

• Support economic vitality

• Reduce traffic volume and speeds at high conflict locations

• Increase freight mobility

• Aid with congestion

The purpose of the U.S. 97/U.S. 20 Bend North Corridor project is to implement a long-term solution to maintain a safe, efficient U.S. 97 and U.S. 20 in the north end of Bend. ODOT completed an Environmental Impact Statement in 2014 to help identify the best solution for balancing transportation needs. The original project identified in the original 2014 study was significantly more than any identified funding.

 

ODOT and Federal Highway Administration worked with local agency partners to explore opportunities to scale down and modify the alternatives to reduce impacts, address public comments, and reduce the overall cost of the project.This effort led to an initial funding source via Oregon House Bill 2017 (Keep Oregon Moving), and was then complimented with a federal INFRA Grant for $60.4 million in 2019. At which time, ODOT Region 4 determined to proceed with the project and identified additional funding via local and 

private sources. 

For more history about the original environmental documentation of the 2014 FEIS, please contact Teresa Brasfield (teresa.l.brasfield@ODOT.oregon.gov).​