An initiative to increase connectivity and create safer parkway crossings for bikers and pedestrians is coming along as the Bend City Council moves forward with a design concept for the overcrossing on Hawthorne Avenue.
On Aug. 9, the majority of Bend City councilors voiced their preference for a “single tower cable stay” bridge design. This design, which City Councilors chose out of four different options, was favored due to reasons including aesthetics, cost and land-use compatibility.
Constructing a pedestrian and bicycle overcrossing along Hawthorne Avenue is part of the City’s larger Midtown Crossings Project, which aims to make travel safer for all users on four key corridors in the City, including Greenwood, Franklin and Hawthorne Avenues and Second Street.
While certain design choices had slightly lower price ranges, many councilors felt the chosen design was a better fit. “I think there is some value in having it be a little more iconic,” said Kebler, noting that a more signature bridge would be more appealing to both residents and visitors.
The majority of the funding for this project, $32 million, came through state programmed funds. City Councilors hope the cost of construction will stay around $31 to $32 million. The projected cost for the single-tower design was $29 to $36 million. The steel truss design, the cheapest option of the four, had an estimated cost of $27 to $33 million. Councilors Barb Campbell and Mike Riley, the two councilors who favored a different design, preferred the “steel truss” design for the cost savings. Riley wanted the City to reserve as much money as possible in constructing the bridge to put toward improving connectivity in the corridor.
“I think that’s fundamental to the purpose of this whole project, which is to connect downtown to the central district,” he added.
Campbell agreed with Riley’s comments and felt the lower project cost could allow for more necessary connections down the line. “We have a lot of places where it’s not safe to get over the parkway and this is a design we can use into the future,” said Campbell at the Aug. 9 meeting.
As part of the project, the City will partner with the Oregon Department of Transportation to close the parkway exit at Hawthorne Avenue to increase safety once the bridge is complete.
At the next check-in, City staff members will provide concepts for the chosen bridge design, as well as more concrete cost estimates. The design work will continue through 2025. Construction on the bridge is expected to begin in 2026 and conclude in 2027.
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This article appears in Source Weekly August 8, 2024.
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can someone explain what is meant by “The majority of the funding for this project, $32 million, came through state programmed funds.”…..what exactly are state programmed funds, and how does the state get those funds?
Bend, making one dumb choice after another.
I don’t live inside Bend, so officially, not my issue. But this seems a poor choice.
There are enough “iconic” views in the region and Bend without a man-made spike in the middle of town competing for attention. Pedestrian/bike bridge logos?
Council “hopes” the $29 – 36 million cost will be at the low end. Low end never happens. No project comes in under budget without major cutting of things for long-term durability or aesthetic appeal. (Iconic?) Cool design. Any choice would catch flack. But Council needs to start looking for a few million more $$ right away.
Paul200417 – A story we reported last summer kinda goes over the funding the City received. https://www.bendsource.com/news/pedestrian…
A lot of the funding the City got last July came from a U.S. Department of Transportation grant. https://www.transportation.gov/RAISEgrants
thanks julianna.
……..and how much did councilors pocket with this development?
…that looks awful. It has no relationship to anything that makes Central Oregon special. It looks more like an homage to the Bay Bridge in San Francisco.