ODOT kicked off a $17 million highway construction project that will deliver significant transportation and safety improvements along 3rd Street (U.S. 20) from Mervin Sampels south to Greenwood Avenue.
The project, which has been in development for several years, includes repaving the roadway, installing ADA compliant curb ramps at intersections, bike/pedestrian improvements, a new signal at U.S. 20 & Mervin Sampels, signal upgrades throughout the corridor and storm drainage installation.
When complete, this project will provide significant benefits to the overall operation of 3rd Street.
The contract for this project has been awarded to K&E Excavating. The contractor will be installing concrete barrier from Mervin Sampels to River Mall Road. The barrier will close the fast lane in the north/south direction, including the middle turn lanes, so that drainage work can be completed in the center of the roadway. These lane closures will be in place on 3rd Street (U.S .20) until March 1, 2022.
ODOT will continue to update the public when other construction stages are implemented. Construction on the entire project is estimated to be complete in early 2023.
Project Schedule
- Project development: 2016 to 2021;
- Construction: work starting in fall 2021 to summer 2022.
Project Background
This section of U.S. 20 between Mervin Sampels south to Greenwood Avenue is part of a primary arterial running through the city of Bend. The pavement along this corridor is showing severe rutting and wear, causing safety and operational issues. Several of the existing traffic signals within the corridor are beyond their functional design life. Furthermore, the corridor has incomplete or insufficient sidewalk and bike lanes in many locations for pedestrians and bicyclists.
The current scope of the project includes the following elements:
- Pavement preservation on U.S. 20 (3rd Street) from Mervin Sampels south to Greenwood Avenue;
- Rehab and infill sidewalks, bike lanes, and/or bicycle-pedestrian paths along U.S. 20 from Mervin Sampels to Greenwood Avenue, build new ADA curb ramps where they do not exist;
- Rebuild/replace existing ADA curb ramps to current ODOT requirements;
- Replace and upgrade existing traffic signals (these upgrades include adding optimized detection, illumination devices, improved geometric roadway design, storm water management and new ADA curb ramps and pedestrian equipment that meet current ODOT requirements);
- Upgrade and improve transit pedestrian infrastructure including bus stop locations with ADA compliant loading/unloading zones and connecting sidewalks;
- Upgrade signs in the corridor to current ODOT requirements;
- Construct new marked crosswalks with pedestrian refuge medians at Seward Ave. and pedestrian refuge medians with Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) at U.S. 20/3rd Street at Vail and U.S. 20/Greenwood at 6th Street;
- Construct Bend ITS central signal system and Bend communication backbone fiber upgrades connecting signals along the corridor;
- Implement first phases of the U.S. 97 Bend North Corridor Project by constructing a new traffic signal at U.S. 20 at Mervin Samples Road.
Project Benefits
This project will accomplish the following key objectives:
- Preserve the asphalt pavement on 3rd Street;
- Remove barriers to make the corridor easier and safer to use for bicyclists, pedestrians, and people with disabilities;
- Upgrade all ADA curb ramps and pedestrian activated signals to current ODOT requirements;
- Construct new ADA curb ramps where missing;
- Replace aging traffic control signals including mast arms, poles, lights, controllers and detection devices;
- Construct a new traffic signal and city street to provide local connectivity;
- Improve storm water management;
- Construct Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) infrastructure to improve traffic efficiency and safety.
Today's top stories
