‘Transitional period is pretty rough,’ but Bend businesses optimistic about Hwy. 97 southbound lanes opening
(Update: adding video, comment from ODOT and business owners)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- On Friday evening, southbound traffic on U.S. Highway 97 on the north side of Bend will be permanently shifted to the newly built southbound Bend Parkway lanes, and the southbound U.S. 97 onramp at Robal Lane will open, ODOT says.
One of the final phases of the North Highway 97 Corridor project will open to traffic at 10 p.m. Friday.
Project Manager Zach Davis said Thursday, "There was also some follow-up public outreach that we performed to try to mitigate some of that, the initial confusion. But we believe that the southbound travel lane opening will be a much simpler alignment for commuters to navigate."
Southbound traffic on Highway 97 will be shifted to the newly built southbound Bend Parkway lanes. The old Highway 97 will be the new exit for drivers looking to reach the Cascade Village and Robal Lane shopping centers on either side of what is becoming a northern extension of Third Street, Business 97.
"If you missed your exit at 134, do not perform a U-turn on U.S. 97 - that is a dangerous turning movement," Davis said. "It's very hard to judge the speed of an oncoming vehicle."
Davis also says the shift in highway lanes will allow for immediate traffic improvement, as it avoids two lights. For those leaving the Robal Lane Shopping Center and traveling south into Bend, they're going to have to take the new Robal Lane on-ramp that connects to the new southbound Highway 97 lanes.
"The transitional period right now is pretty rough," said Nick Stanistas, the owner of Kefi, located at the Robal Lane Shopping Center. "Especially like the fact that people from Empire can't access this any more. You have to kind of do a really roundabout way to get here. We have a lot of customers who say they were trying to get here and they got lost."
Travelers from Empire Avenue will no longer be able to take Highway 97 to access Robal Lane and Cascade Village. The Empire on-ramp will be limited to just the new northbound Highway 97 lanes. Motorists instead will have to cross over the highway and take Highway 20 to the Robal Lane roundabouts
"I would attribute, the dip in business to the road construction, as well as the economy," Stanitsas said.
The owners of Kefi had complained of a dip in business during construction but believe changes to 97 will have long term benefits. In a statement to NewsChannel 21, the owner of Miko Miko said the opening of the new Costco will help the clothing store recover.
Stanitsas said, "Hundreds of employees over there and, just people from all over Central Oregon are going to be going over there now. And so with that increase in volume, and then in the coming months, this bypass is going to help reduce the amount of traffic significantly."
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Here's ODOT's recent announcement on this Friday's changes, including three maps:
For access to shopping from U.S. 97 southbound, take motorists should take Exit 134/ U.S. 97 Business at Grandview Avenue. There is no access to the shopping areas once you have passed Exit 134.
"If you miss the exit, please continue to Exit 136/Butler Market to turn around. Please do not perform dangerous U-turns on U.S. 97," ODOT said.
For access to shopping from Empire Avenue, travelers will cross over U.S. 97, turn right at the stoplight to U.S. 20 and access the shopping center from the Robal Lane Roundabout. This will continue until the new Business U.S. 97 access road is built at Third Street, which is scheduled to open mid-August.
Travelers wanting to access shopping from northbound U.S. 97 will do so by taking Exit 135A and continue to Business U.S. 97. There is no access to the shopping areas once you have passed 135A. If you miss the exit, continue to Deschutes Market Road to turn around.
Again, they said, "Please do not perform dangerous U-turns on U.S. 97."
Travelers wanting to access U.S. 20 from northbound U.S. 97 will do so by taking exit 135A to the Sisters Loop Ramp.
