Feds award city of Bend $32.3 million for long-sought fix to backups at Reed Market Road railroad crossing

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) -- Members of Oregon's congressional delegation and the City of Bend announced Friday that the city has been awarded $32.3 million in federal funding for the long-awaited Reed Market Road Railroad Crossing Project.

"This is the largest amount of grant funding that has ever been awarded to the city and will eliminate the need to stop and wait for the train on Reed Market Road," the city announced said, though the project is in planning stages and not expected to be complete for another three years.

The Reed Market Road Railroad Crossing Project was identified in the voter-approved 2020 Transportation General Obligation (GO) Bond, the city said, noting that "Reed Market Road is a vital east-west arterial in southeast Bend."

"By utilizing local GO Bond funds as a match for this grant, the City of Bend is maximizing the impact of the GO Bond by leveraging additional federal funds to ensure our transportation system grows and improves alongside our community’s growth," the announcement said.

The city said the Reed Market Road Railroad crossing elimination will help travel flow and increase travel time reliability during train crossing events, reduce greenhouse gas emissions from idling vehicles, enhance safety, improve emergency service access and allow for cyclist and pedestrian route enhancements.

“The City of Bend is thrilled to receive this large sum of money to make these upgrades to the Reed Market Road Railroad crossing. By updating the crossing, we will see safety improvements for all users, a reduction in emissions from idling cars and eliminate the need to stop and wait for the train to clear the roadway,” said Mayor Melanie Kebler.

“These much-needed upgrades to this vital east-west connection will greatly improve our transportation system, and we are grateful for the hard work and dedication that went into securing these additional funds.”

Train crossings at this location are frequent, unpredictable and can stop traffic in excess of 20 minutes. The crossing elimination project will support safety, operational and quality of life goals for the City.

The project is currently in the design phase, with construction scheduled to begin in 2027 through 2028. Find more information on the Reed Market Railroad Crossing Project at bendoregon.gov/reedmarket-rrcrossing.

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The Reed Market Road project funding is one of two for Oregon announced by lawmakers Friday:

Oregon Delegation Announces $36 Million to Tackle Railroad Crossing Challenges

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, alongside U.S. Representatives Val Hoyle and Janelle Bynum, announced today that the U.S. Department of Transportation is sending a combined $36,314,523 for two Oregon communities to eliminate railroad crossings, improve congestion, and boost safety and accessibility.

Of this federal funding, the City of Bend is being awarded $32,321,299 to construct and complete its top-priority Reed Market Road Grade Separation Project, which Merkley and Wyden have long championed, to address the disruptions that rail traffic causes for emergency services and those walking, biking, riding public transit, and driving on this major east-west corridor of the city.

Additionally, the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay secured $3,993,224 for its Reedsport Grade Separation Project, which includes the design and engineering of an overpass. These safety upgrades will be vital to strengthening the region’s infrastructure and community livability as plans move forward to realize the Port’s transformative ship-to-rail container facility project on Oregon’s South Coast.

“We’ve all had the frustrating experience of being stuck at a railroad crossing or worrying about going over dangerous train tracks on a bike, but these major federal investments will go a long way toward improving safety and preventing traffic disruptions for many Oregonians,” Merkley said. “At the same time, businesses and communities rely on the success of freight and passenger trains. I am thrilled these projects in Bend and Reedsport will both keep our local economies moving and keep community members safe while traveling.”

“These federal investments add up to safer and smarter rail crossings that protect drivers and passengers as well as reduce traffic snarls in central and southwestern Oregon,” Wyden said. “The new overpass bridge in Bend marks a huge win for pedestrians and cyclists as well as motorists. And the new overpass in Reedsport also marks one more significant piece of the equation to advance the Port of Coos Bay’s landmark ship-to-rail project slated to generate thousands of jobs on the South Coast.” 

“Accidents at unprotected railroad grade crossing are still far too frequently risking peoples’ lives,” Hoyle said. "This grant will reduce the possibility of vehicle-train collisions by separating rail and car traffic in Reedsport. The rail infrastructure improvements also support the Port of Coos Bay’s goal of being the first ship-to-rail port on the West Coast, bringing thousands of family wage jobs and strengthen our nation’s supply chain.”

"This is the work I came to Congress to do – make life better for Oregonians," said Bynum. "This funding will help us spend less time in our cars and more time with our families, help ambulances get to where they’re needed faster, and make Bend a more friendly town to take a walk and ride a bike. I'll continue working in Congress to bring federal funding home to make life a little bit easier for all of us.”

Today’s federal investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law come through the Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) Grant Program, which funds highway-rail or pathway-rail grade crossing improvement projects that focus on improving the safety and mobility of people and goods.

Further Information on the awards coming to Oregon are as follows:

• City of Bend: $32,321,299 to eliminate one crossing on Reed Market Road by building an overpass bridge for cars, bicycles, and pedestrians. This project is critical, as current BNSF Railroad track switching activities frequently and unpredictably disrupt travel through Bend. An overcrossing at Reed Market will improve safety for those walking, biking, and rolling which will reduce risks of vehicular-rail incidents. Additionally, it will mitigate congestion, reduce unpredictable road closures, and help cut exhaust emissions from idling vehicles.
• Port of Coos Bay: $3,993,224 to design and engineer an overpass over Oregon Highway 38 and make other safety upgrades at an adjacent crossing in Reedsport. This is a vital step for the Port to eventually eliminate the at-grade crossing and construct the overpass, which would drastically reduce the possibility of vehicle-train collisions, and completely remove the risk of accidents between trains and road users. This will be essential as the city expects to receive increased train traffic when the Port’s container ship terminal comes online.

“Investment in our growing City’s transportation infrastructure is not just about more efficient movement, it also facilitates economic activity, increases connectivity, improves safety, decreases emergency response times, and enhances quality of life for our community. Thank you to the Oregon delegation for supporting and championing the Reed Market Grade Separation Project to improve our community today and into the future,” said Mayor Melanie Kebler, City of Bend.

“We appreciate the Oregon delegation’s tireless efforts to ensure that our community can have economic development opportunities that also protect the safety and values of the community.  Safety is at the heart of everything we do at the Port of Coos Bay, and this project will create a critical improvement for the Reedsport area. The City of Reedsport has been a critical partner in identifying and addressing potential key crossings conflicts in Reedsport, paving the way for increased rail traffic while protecting our communities. It’s a vital step in building the foundation for a modern, multimodal transportation hub on the South Coast,” said Lanelle Comstock, CEO, Port of Coos Bay