Bend’s South Third Street sidewalk improvements to begin

Starting next week, the city of Bend will begin work on South Third Street between Wilson Avenue and Powers Road to enhance accessibility for everyone and improve Bend’s overall transportation system.

The project will pause over the winter and will resume in March. Construction will happen from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. The City anticipates project completion next July.

Construction activity will be limited to one side of the road at a time, with a single lane closure during construction hours only. Expect congestion and delays. Access to businesses will remain open during construction. Be aware of pedestrians and cyclists.

The South Third Street Pedestrian Improvement Project will provide a continuous pedestrian corridor along South Third Street. It will:

Bring curb ramps, sidewalks and bus stops into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Enhance safety and walkability Improve bike lanes Replace substandard infrastructure

This section of Third Street was prioritized by the City of Bend’s Accessibility Advisory Committee due to the lack of existing sidewalk and curb ramps. The project will rebuild pedestrian facilities where curb ramps are currently not compliant with the ADA standards.

Additionally, during the project, the city will replace storm water catch basins in the bike lane with curb-inlet catch basins, an example of how city departments have coordinated a variety of needed infrastructure improvements to minimize cost and disturbances to the public, officials said Tuesday.

For project and schedule updates and more information: www.bendoregon.gov/thirdstreetsidewalks.