New roundabout has opened near Bend Airport, at Powell Butte Highway and Butler Market Road

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Efficiency and a smooth traffic flow - that was the aim for the Deschutes County Road Department in undertaking a new roundabout near the Bend Airport east of Bend, which opened for use two weeks ago.

After five years of planning and four months of construction, the roundabout at the Powell Butte Highway and Butler Market Road replaces a three-way stop that officials say was insufficient in handling growing traffic concerns.

The addition of a turn lane into the airport was part of the project. Drivers should expect to see crews on site working on landscaping over the next few days.

The $2 million project was funded by the county from state gas tax revenues.