Bend to expand Franklin Avenue with new lanes and sidewalks

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The City of Bend is finalizing plans to expand Franklin Avenue, a project scheduled to begin this May. The construction will add new vehicle lanes, bike lanes and expanded sidewalks to the thoroughfare.

The expansion is part of the city's five-year capital projects plan. Franklin serves as a busy corridor for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians and the project aims to improve safety and infrastructure along the route.

To accommodate the expansion, the city is using eminent domain to acquire necessary land. This legal process allows the government to seize private property for public use in exchange for market value. One specific location included in this acquisition is the Les Schwab Tire site on Franklin.

The first phase of the construction will focus on replacing a water pipe that dates back to the 1930s. City officials stated the land acquisition is necessary to provide enough space for the additional vehicle lanes, bike lanes and expanded sidewalks planned for the corridor.

Garrett Sabourin, primary engineer for the City of Bend, said the project will be divided into stages to manage the flow of traffic on the busy thruway.

"So looking at some stage closures along the portion of the road and then the main foreclosures at the crossing, spreading those out into two separate phases to try to limit some of the impacts to the downtown area," Sabourin said.

While the project aims to improve multi-modal transportation, some local residents have expressed concern regarding the impact on daily travel. One resident noted that Franklin serves as a primary route for many people in the city and raised questions about how the work will affect east-west crossings during the construction period.

A town hall meeting regarding the project is scheduled for April 7 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Newberry Hotel.

Sabourin said the city is currently working with contractors to finalize the construction schedule.

"Our next steps now are to, to start kind of putting a little bit more detail to that schedule with our contractor and come to an agreement with them for an amendment that will come back to council in June," Sabourin said.

The amendment will include a set schedule and completion date for the project.