Bend OKs $2.7 million contract for summer street work

The Bend City Council on Wednesday night authorized a $2.77 million agreement with Knife River Corporation for street preservation work this summer. The projects will improve 23 lane miles with grind-and-inlay and overlay treatments and will include nighttime repaving of Wall and Bond streets downtown.

“Contracting out the large overlay projects is necessary due to the size of the projects and the staffing and equipment that would be necessary to do the job and minimize the disruption to the community,” said Streets and Operations Director David Abbas.

This contract represents a portion of the city’s 2017 road maintenance efforts.

To see the map of summer road projects, click http://www.bendoregon.gov/home/showdocument?id=30169. For more info: www.bendoregon.gov/streets

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

Road conditions help the city determine annual maintenance plans. Arterial and collector streets are highest priority, and street preservation treatments can include chip seal, slurry seal, grind-and-inlay or overlay treatments, depending on the severity of the road degradation.

The worst roads need full reconstruction. Reconstruction is exponentially more expensive than maintenance, not an efficient use of maintenance funds and more likely to be paid for as part of a larger Capital Improvement Program.

The public is invited to learn more about street preservation project timelines and how decisions about street projects are made at an informational, drop-in Open House, between 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 8 , at City Hall, 710 NW Wall Street.

Street funding has been a high-profile topic over the last year. Recent Budget Committee deliberations centered on improving road conditions and building new transportation facilities to help move people and products around Bend efficiently, safely and reliably.

This is reflected with approximately $5.7 million of annual funding for street preservation in the 2017-2019 budget. Through a multi-pronged strategy, additional one-time funding has been reallocated to improve street conditions during the next two-year budget cycle.

“Keeping our streets drivable is on everybody’s minds in Bend these days, especially after last winter,” said Mayor Pro Tem Sally Russell. “Once again council has pulled dollars from one-time funding sources to get close to our annual goal of $6 million for street maintenance funding. Whether you live on the east or west side of Bend, projects are scheduled that will affect you. Be ready for some better roads by this fall.”