ODOT drops Cooley Road RR overpass from Hwy. 97 project amid budget squeeze

'We had to bring some of the cost down,' spokesman says

BEND, Ore (KTVZ) -- The Oregon Department of Transportation's recent move to tighten its budget for the Highway 97 project on Bend's north end, dropping a railroad overpass on Cooley Road, has some residents frustrated.

The proposal would have ended traffic backups that can occur on Cooley Road when the trains roll through, along with the train's horn that bothers some neighbors.

ODOT Region 4 spokesman Peter Murphy told NewsChannel 21 on Tuesday the agency had several reasons for the move, primarily a tight budget.

“We don’t have the money to achieve what we wanted at the onset," Murphy said.

"So this originated with a big, 'If you had a buffet, what would you take,'" Murphy said. "Now we're dealing with, 'Okay this is dinner. It’s not a buffet --you're going to get served what you can,' so we had to bring some of the cost down accordingly."

The original project was estimated to cost over $280 million, but the available budget at this point is about $133 million for a realignment of Highway 97 and extending Third Street northward to serve the growing shopping area as a local street. 

Removing the overpass does have some benefits for some immediate neighbors, Murphy noted, in terms of shelving the related land acquisition for such a project. “What were doing away with was acquiring some homes -- that’s a pretty big deal, pretty much anywhere.”

Murphy said the new highway corridor will still save time for commuters passing and other travelers though the north side of Bend.

ODOT also said it will be pursuing a “silent” crossing with BNSF Railway to try to eliminate the need for trains to blow their horns at the crossing. 

Neighbors in the area, however, still hope the overpass can happen.

One resident said in an email to NewsChannel 21, "The project will benefit the masses that travel though the north side of Bend. it will reduce congestion that many people are frustrated with."

But the resident added, "I'm hoping they can still obtain the funding needed to complete the project as planned, to make this area of Bend better connected long term and eliminate the need to wait at the train crossing."

To learn more about ODOT's plans for the area, visit: https://www.oregon.gov/odot/projects/pages/project-details.aspx?project=21229