City of Bend summer paving plans: Mt. Washington, Putnam drives, Shevlin Park Road

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The city of Bend’s 2022 season street preservation work is scheduled to begin in late March, officials said Thursday after city council approval of the plans.

Crews have been preparing for the upcoming street preservation season by trimming vegetation, pre-sweeping roads, sealing cracks, removing striping, repairing asphalt displaced by tree roots and building ramps complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The City of Bend is preparing to do about $2.6 million worth of street preservation contract work this summer that will improve around 51 lane miles in Bend. The street preservation contracts this year include grind/inlay and slurry seal treatments.

Street preservation treatments this year include:

• Grind/inlays – Old asphalt is ground out and replaced on the existing roadway. The process can take a couple of days.
• Slurry – A treatment for low-volume residential streets. One-day closures typically expected.

“Every year, our staff and contractors work hard to improve our existing road conditions with the available funding and street preservation treatments,” said Transportation and Mobility Department Director David Abbas. “These efforts extend the life of one our community’s more valuable and necessary assets for all users, 882 lane miles of roads. Thank you for your patience and safety for all in the work zones this construction season.”

This year’s grind/inlay work will happen on Mount Washington Drive from the east end of Summit Drive to the Shevlin Park Road and Mount Washington Drive roundabout, Putnam Drive, and Shevlin Park Road from the Shevlin Park Road and Mount Washington Drive roundabout west to the Urban Growth Boundary. Visit www.bendoregon.gov/streetpreservation to see an interactive map about this summer’s plans.

The City’s “Keep Good Roads Good” philosophy means we maintain and preserve streets with the most cost-effective treatment for the road condition — the right treatment at the right time.

A road’s condition helps the City determine maintenance plans. The worst roads need full reconstruction. Reconstruction is exponentially more expensive than maintenance, which is not an efficient use of maintenance funds and more likely to be paid for as part of a larger Capital Improvement Program.

To learn more about Bend’s street preservation practices, visit www.bendoregon.gov/streetpreservation.