Construction to community corridor: Franklin Avenue in midtown Bend reopens with new safety improvements
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Traffic is flowing again along Franklin Avenue in midtown Bend after months of construction -- and it's sporting a new look. The upgrades are part of the City of Bend's Midtown Crossings project, helping improve safety for all who use the busy corridor.
The revamped section provides more accessibility for those using various modes of transportation by separating lanes of travel for cars, bicyclists, and pedestrians. City officials say the improvements are aimed at reducing safety hazards while improving connections between nearby neighborhoods, parks, and trails.
"We took the bike lane off of the roadway and put it behind the curb line, giving the bikes their own dedicated place to be, having a shared use area where bikes and pedestrians can interact, or even have different spots where they can kind of take their own lane,” said Ryan Oster, director of engineering for the City of Bend.
"It just puts the users on different levels, removes that risk of injury to anybody, and allows for a better system overall for everybody," Oster stated.
Crews will return in the spring for final touches, including landscaping and possible pavement resurfacing. The City thanked residents for their patience during construction and said more improvements are still to come.
The next phase of the Midtown Crossings project will extend the upgrades west toward Third Street, eventually connecting across U.S. Highway 97 and nearby railroad tracks, to ultimately provide an even safer route through Bend for all.
