ODOT starts $10 million Hwy. 97 La Pine-area project

(Update: Comments from ODOT spokesman, La Pine city manager)

Crews from Roy Houck Construction Co. of Salem, under contract to the Oregon Department of Transportation, have begun work on a major U.S. Highway 97 improvement project between Sunriver and the intersection with state Highway 31 south of La Pine.

ODOT Region 4 spokesman Peter Murphy said Monday with the increase in traffic on that stretch of road, it was time to make some improvements.

“That particular stretch of highway gets a lot of work,” Murphy said. “It’s the people coming up from La Pine who may commute to Bend, or whatever reason brings them into Bend. It’s a big stretch of highway that needs to be refaced, resurfaced and be a much nicer drive.”

Initially, motorists can expect to see construction along the west side of Highway 97 in central La Pine as workers perform a “streetscape” project there, including curbs, planting strips, sidewalks. That work is already underway.

Work on the streetscape project will take place during daytime hours, and ODOT said motorists should be aware that there will be shoulder closures and slow traffic in central La Pine as the streetscape project continues.

Not only will this help create better access for pedestrians and bikers, Murphy said, but it will create a safer environment in the city setting.

“The objective is to really let people know that they are entering into a really more metropolitan area,” Murphy said. “And the message is ‘slow down,’ because there is a different thing going on here than out in the countryside.

:And we hope that either with the safety improvements that we do make on the highway, or these kinds of improvements, let alone them being aesthetically pleasing, is to send that message of being safer in the community there,” he added.

La Pine City Manager Cory Misley said Monday he sees the project as a beneficial move, not only for current residents but to help the city build for the future.

“We’re really trying to shift the organization of the city, especially downtown towards walkability,” Misley said. “And inviting residents and visitors alike to come and spend some time here and walk around, and feel welcome in that regard.”

On a broader scale, starting overnight on Sunday June 17 into Monday morning the 18 th , workers will begin a repaving project starting at the Highway 97-Sunriver interchange, continuing south through La Pine to the intersection with Highway 31.

The grinding and repaving of Highway 97 will take place during overnight hours, from about 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Work on the paving element will end by Sept. 30, ODOT said.

Together, the projects represent a nearly $10 million investment in the highway and improvements in La Pine.

For more information: https://www.oregon.gov/odot/projects/pages/project-details.aspx?project=18679

Meanwhile, work crews from High Desert Aggregate and Paving are taking their first steps in a $12+ million ODOT “grind and pave” improvement project south of Shaniko.

Workers are kicking off the project by preparing a detour for the culvert replacement element of the project this week. They will have the shoulders closed and the construction site will have flaggers to control trucks entering and leaving the highway.

This is the first part of the project that will solve the cracking, rutting and other deterioration of the highway.

As the project moves forward, crews will grind and pave about 18.5 miles of the highway surface from Shaniko south to the Trout Creek Bridge in Wasco County. During construction, traffic will be limited to a single lane and controlled by flaggers and pilot car. Motorists can expect delays up to 20 minutes.​