Bend’s 27th Street sewer detours set to change

The city of Bend has announced some detour changes beginning next week as work continues on the 27th Street sewer project.

The northbound lane on 27th Street between Reed Market Road and Bear Creek Road will be closed, officials said. This is the beginning of an extended lane closure to accommodate a sewer line construction project.

Northbound travelers on 27th Street will be detoured west on Reed Market Road to 15th Street, north on 15th Street to Highway 20, and then east on Hwy 20 back to 27th Street.

Expect increased congestion at the 15th Street / Reed Market roundabout.

Southbound traffic on 27th Street will remain open, with open accesses to all businesses.

Some intersections will be restricted from cross traffic and left turns. However, drivers will always be able to reach destinations from alternate routes.

The intersection of Bear Creek Road and 27th Street will be reopened to cross traffic and left turns.

A second crew continues work between Forum Drive and Mary Rose Place. The “crossover” traffic routing will continue for a few more weeks.

The city of Bend protects drinking water sources, public health and the environment by conveying and treating wastewater from throughout the city.

The 27th Street Sewer Line is part of the Southeast Interceptor (SEI), an infrastructure addition to the city’s sewer collection system. It will provide relief to sewer capacity issues in southwest, southeast, northeast and central areas of Bend.

This project was noted by the citizen advisory group – the Sewer Infrastructure Advisory Group — as “the linchpin for solving Bend’s sewer problems” and has been approved by the city council. There are several segments of design and construction necessary to complete this sewer infrastructure improvement project.

SEI provides much needed enhancements to the city’s sewer collection system. Once completed, the Southeast Interceptor will:

–Increase existing collection system capacity by routing flow away from the downtown core area.

–Provide the opportunity to decommission several sewer pump stations, an energy-conserving measure.

–Provide the availability of gravity sewer service to hundreds of homes that are currently on septic systems.

For more information about the sewer project, visit: http://www.bendoregon.gov/city-projects/city-infrastructure-projects/se-interceptor-project