Terrebonne Community School students and families gathered at a ribbon-cutting celebrating new multi-use paths and a reworked interchange at U.S. 97 and Lower Bridge Way, a project years in the making that local and state officials say will make it safer to walk, bike, and drive through the small Central Oregon town. Students shared artwork inspired by the question “What do safe roads mean to me?” as part of the celebration.
The new interchange eliminates the need for drivers to make left turns across oncoming highway traffic, according to Associated Construction Publications, which reported that the full-access interchange lets drivers enter and exit U.S. 97 without waiting for gaps in traffic. At the center of the redesign sits a dog-bone-style roundabout tucked beneath the interchange, intended to keep local traffic moving even as the highway above carries freight and travelers through the region.
Bill Martin, speaking at the celebration, said the project helps people move safely through their community, whether driving to work, walking to school, or traveling through Central Oregon. He added that state and local partners can work together to address transportation needs, according to the outlet's report. Other remarks at the event came from interim ODOT director Chris Warner, Phil Chang, Patti Adair, and Terrebonne Community School principal Cyndi Ganfield.
New Sidewalks, Bike Lanes and a Softer Entrance to Town
Beyond the interchange itself, the project added new and improved sidewalks, bicycle lanes and shoulders meant to create safer walking and biking connections between the school, nearby neighborhoods and other destinations in Terrebonne. Crews also built a new turnaround on Terrebonne's south end so southbound drivers can safely change direction and head back north on U.S. 97, paired with gentle curves designed to encourage drivers to slow down as they enter town. Upgraded pavement, signs, striping and lighting round out the work, per the same report.
The project includes a full-access diamond interchange with combined dogbone ramp terminals at the US 97/Lower Bridge Way intersection. It is listed under project number 21162.
Project Funding
Officials have pointed to Oregon's 2017 transportation package, House Bill 2017, as a funding source, with Associated Construction Publications reporting that it provided $20 million toward the project. The outlet also reported that Deschutes County contributed $10 million. The Oregon Department of Transportation project page estimates the total cost of the Lower Bridge Way overcrossing and Terrebonne improvements at $39 million.
A Highway With a Deadly Track Record
The new interchange arrives as regional leaders continue pressing for broader safety upgrades along U.S. 97. From 2017 through 2024, the highway recorded 5,855 total crashes in Oregon, causing 159 deaths and 443 serious injuries, according to The Bulletin. Most of those fatalities, 143 in total, occurred in Klamath, Jefferson and Deschutes counties. Commissioner Phil Chang has said the problem stems from funding shortfalls, population growth and heavy tourism traffic, the paper reported.
Regional officials are now pushing the Oregon Department of Transportation to add median barriers, rumble strips and wider shoulders along the corridor, per The Bulletin's reporting. The 2017 transportation package that helped fund the Bend North Corridor project at Highways 20 and 97 notably did not include the stretch of U.S. 97 between Klamath Falls and Madras, leaving a gap that advocates say still needs attention.
A Terrebonne Community School Safe Routes to School plan set goals for students to be able to walk and bike on campus and to homes within a quarter mile of the school, and for vehicles to comply with the school zone, according to Oregon Safe Routes to School.
