BEND, OR -- Bend City crews expect to start the final phase of the $30 million Wilson Avenue Corridor Project in about a month. Senior Project Engineer Sinclair Burr says improvements on the southeast Bend corridor began about a year ago, after officials identified the area as a top priority for the 2020 General Obligation (GO) transportation bond, "Making sure that other projects down the line had the ability to get constructed because this one’s constructed. Namely, Reed Market. This is going to be part of the detour for when we build the railroad overcrossing for Reed Market."

Burr tells KBND News work begins in May between Second and Ninth Streets, "We’re putting in some turn restrictions at Second Street; we’re looking to revamp the signal at Third and Wilson. And then along Wilson, between Second Street and Ninth Street, we’re kind of rebuilding the whole corridor, widening the street for some bike lines and then adding sidewalks to the south side, and a shared use path to the north side." It will take several stages to complete, "There are driveways all along that section of Wilson that we’ve got to keep operational throughout construction. So, we kind of have to break it down into different pieces." The first stage includes the modernization of Fourth Street through Centennial Street. Burr adds, "We’re putting in some utilities into the ground, specifically water line. So, that piece of it does make it a little bit unique, in that it does take longer to construct, when you’ve actually got to put stuff underground, rather than building mostly just surface improvements." He expects it'll be finished by June 2024.

Design consultants, the construction team and other city staff will answer questions about the work at an open house next week. It’s scheduled for Wednesday, April 26, from 5:00 to 6:45 p.m. at the Larkspur Community Center.