Traffic changes coming to busy NE Bend intersection

(Update: More details on changes, city comments, residents’ reaction)

Changes are coming to a busy intersection on Bend’s east side.

On Wednesday starting at 7 p.m., the city of Bend will be adding left turn lanes and adjusting traffic signal heads on the north and south legs of the Northeast Purcell Boulevard and Butler Market Road intersection.

The intersection adjustments will require the intersection to be controlled by flaggers for about six hours on Wednesday night. Expect delays if you are traveling at that time.

In addition to the work to the north and south legs of the intersection, flashing yellow arrow signals will be added to the left turn lanes on the east and west legs of the intersection. The added signals will decrease delays for traffic turning left off of Butler Market Road and onto Purcell Boulevard.

Project engineers with the city’s Engineering and Infrastructure Planning Department told NewsChannel 21 the intersection adjustments are intended to improve traffic flow, which has been affected by detours associated with the Empire Corridor Improvements Project.

“This is going to add some capacity both to people coming off of Butler going north and south, turning left,” Sinclair Burr said Tuesday. “But it’ll also add capacity for when we reopen Empire, when we get people going from the Empire, Purcell, Butler movement.”

Purcell Boulevard is not wide enough to put in three lanes, so officials are taking out the bike lane on the southern half of the intersection.

People in the neighborhood had mixed reactions about that change. Some said they thought it was a good idea to make space for the hundreds of cars that pass through the area daily.

Others said they were not on board with the idea whatsoever, saying removing the bike lane was bad for safety. But city officials said that’s not the case.

“Currently, people are using the normal lane but also utilizing the bike lane as a right turn lane, which is an unsafe condition for bikes,” Burr said. “We’re adding some ‘Bikes on roadway’ signs, and we’re thinking the safety concern isn’t very high right here.”

NewsChannel 21 learned of more changes coming to that intersection in the future, as well. These changes might make some skeptical bikers happy.

“We’ll be doing some additional improvements to that intersection, including new ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) ramps, further modifications to the signal, because it’s an old signal, more interactive elements for (the Oregon Department of Transportation) to maintain our signal and widening out (the road) so we can get those bike lanes back in there,” Burr said.

The added third, left turn lane and the flashing left turn arrow signal are permanent changes.

Read up on the Empire Corridor Project here.