Dealing with RDM’s 3-week closure: What you need to know

Central Oregon air travelers who want to take to the skies over the next month or so had better get busy, or get alternatives arranged: Redmond Airport is closing for three weeks, starting Tuesday.

It’s a long-planned closure for a major repaving project where the airport’s two runways cross.

But the shutdown from next Monday to May 22 also begs the question: How else to get into or out of the High Desert, for travelers or residents?

Security Manager Nicole Jurgensen said Tuesday that during construction, the terminal will remain open to rent a car or wait for your shuttle.

All of the rental companies at the airport will be open, with reduced hours.

Enterprise, Alamo and National will run seven days a week from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Budget and Avis will also run seven days a week from 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Hertz will run Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

If you’d rather grab a seat on a shuttle to Eugene or Portland, there’s several options that leave from the Hawthorne Station on Northeast Third Street in Bend.

A Greyhound ticket from Bend to Eugene can start at $26, Pacific Crest Bus Lines run from Bend to Eugene starting at $33 a ticket. And Central Oregon Breeze has daily bus service to Portland starting at $52 one way and $92 round trip.

Paul Ludington works for Bend Towncars, a car service that runs out of Bend. He said they’ll add private rides or, you can grab a seat on their 15 seat van.

“We’re willing to be there and help them out,” Ludington said. “prices will be slightly reduced to help them get over the hill,”

Bend Towncar is one of the businesses figuring out how to keep business flowing and get you where you need to go.

“We’ve got to help them continue, and we also need to continue and bring in revenue too, so we can be in business,” Ludington said.

For more about the project and your travel options, visit: http://www.flyrdm.com/?Runway-Project-2016