TERREBONNE, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Transportation joined local leaders, community members and Terrebonne Community School students Monday to celebrate safety improvements on U.S. Highway 97 through Terrebonne.

The project brings significant changes to how people travel through Terrebonne, including a new interchange at Lower Bridge Way, improved pedestrian and bicycle connections, and safety features designed to make it easier for people to navigate the busy U.S. 97 corridor, ODOT said in a news release Tuesday that continues in full below:

Students and families from Terrebonne Community School joined the ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the new multi-use paths. Students shared artwork inspired by the question, "What do safe roads mean to me?"

The new connections make it safer and easier for children, families and other community members to walk, bike or roll between the school, surrounding neighborhoods and other destinations in Terrebonne.

For drivers, the project addresses another longstanding challenge: getting on and off U.S. 97 safely.

As traffic volumes have grown in central Oregon, accessing the highway from local roads and crossing highway traffic have become increasingly difficult. The new interchange eliminates the need for drivers to make left turns across highway traffic at Lower Bridge Way, providing a safer and more efficient way to enter and exit U.S. 97 without waiting for gaps in traffic.

"This project is about more than a new interchange. It's about helping people move safely through their community, whether they're driving to work, walking to school or traveling through Central Oregon," said ODOT Construction and Project Manager Bill Martin. "It's also an example of what we can accomplish when state and local partners work together to address transportation needs."

Improvements for the whole community

The project includes:

• A new full-access interchange at U.S. 97 and Lower Bridge Way that allows drivers to enter and exit the highway without crossing oncoming highway traffic.

• A dog bone-style roundabout configuration beneath the interchange to help keep local traffic moving.

• A series of gentle curves on the south end of Terrebonne designed to encourage drivers to slow down as they enter town.

• A new turnaround on the south end of Terrebonne that allows southbound drivers to safely change direction and head north on U.S. 97.

• New and improved sidewalks, bicycle lanes, and shoulders that provide safer connections for people walking and biking throughout the community.

• Improved pedestrian crossings and connections between Terrebonne Community School, nearby neighborhoods and other community destinations.

• Upgraded pavement, signs, striping and lighting.

The improvements benefit local residents, businesses and travelers using U.S. 97, an important freight and travel corridor connecting communities throughout Central Oregon.

A partnership to improve U.S. 97

Funding for the $39 million project included $20 million through Oregon's 2017 transportation package, House Bill 2017, and a $10 million contribution from Deschutes County.

Monday's celebration included remarks from interim ODOT Director Chris Warner, ODOT Construction Manager Bill Martin, Oregon Transportation Commissioner and Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Chang, Deschutes County Commissioner Patti Adair and Terrebonne Community School Principal Cyndi Ganfield.

Learn more

For more information about the U.S. 97 Lower Bridge Way to NW 10th Street project, visit the project website.