BEND, OR -- A ribbon cutting Tuesday marked the completion of a major road project on Bend’s south side. City officials and those who helped make the project happen were on hand to open the final stretch of Wilson, between 3rd and 5th street. City Engineer Ryan Oster says safety for all transportation modes is a priority, “We've got widened sidewalks now, instead of a standard 6 foot sidewalk, it's somewhere between 8 to 10 9 (feet), so it's very comfortable for families to be on.” The work included upgraded infrastructure, two roundabouts, modernizing the 3rd Street signal, and adding bike lanes and sidewalks, “To get this done all the way from 15th to 2nd is a pretty dramatic improvement, not only for cars but for bikes and people walking, as well,” Oster says.
Work on the Wilson Avenue Corridor Modernization Project began in March 2022, with a budget of more than $15.5-million from the city’s Transportation GO Bond.
Bend’s COO Russell Grayson tells KBND News it's part of the effort to improve east – west travel, “There was some change in the scope which increased the budget, but it was all done as we got into the design that it was determined that this was a major corridor that we wanted to invest some more money in…just because we wanted to upgrade all the facilities.”
Mayor Melanie Kebler says this is the first major update to Wilson since she was a teenage driver in Bend, “…Definitely almost got in an accident at Wilson and 15 when it was the T intersection; that wouldn't happen now with that roundabout. So, just the safety improvements are so key here.”
City engineers are now planning a bridge over the railroad tracks on Reed Market Road.
