Bend-area road projects kicking into gear

Several Bend-area road projects are kicking into high gear in coming days, from a new northeast Bend roundabout to projects on Century Drive and Skyliner Road.

The intersection of 18th St. and Empire Ave. will be closed to traffic starting in the morning on Wednesday, July 11 and continuing through October. The closure is required for the construction of a new roundabout.

Work will be performed by local contractor Knife River Corp. NW. A signed detour route will be in place; through traffic will use NE Purcell Blvd., Butler Market Rd., Brinson Blvd., Boyd Acres Rd., and Morningstar Dr. to avoid the construction zone.

The 18th St. /Empire Ave. roundabout is one of the three roundabout projects being constructed this summer. Funding is provided by the 2011 transportation General Obligation (G.O.) Bond program.

The G.O. Bond program is a voter-approved package of street and intersection improvements located throughout the city. The bond measure authorized $30 million for eight separate projects which were selected based on known safety and congestion issues, geographic location, and the opportunity to provide local construction jobs.

For more information, visit www.bendoregon.gov/GOBond.

Also, Skyliners Road will be closed with flaggers between Flagline and Mt. Washington Drive from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. next Monday and Tuesday for widening to create a turn lane for a new street tie-in.

Also, nighttime paving begins Sunday around 3 p.m. on Century Drive, as the contractor, Knife River, first grinds out the old pavement for a paving project on the entire 17.5-mile stretch of roadway.

The paving plans are five days a week, Sunday afternoon to Friday morning, from 3 p.m. to 7 a.m., to minimize impacts on the traveling public. Lane closures will occur, with delays up to 20 minutes, starting at the Bend city limits (Entrada Lodge) and progressing toward Mt. Bachelor.

In general, the paving is planned for two days in the westbound lane, two days in the eastbound lane and a day to pave road approaches and wide areas, so there is no abrupt edge in the middle of the road by the end of each week. A second layer of asphalt will be placed later through the length of the project.