BEND, Ore. – Drivers and business owners in downtown Bend are calling it a “perfect storm” as construction on Greenwood Avenue, combined with a heavy snowstorm, has led to severe traffic congestion in the area. It has been a week since the intersection of Olney Avenue and Wall Street was shut down for construction, and commuters are still feeling the impact, with some drivers reporting waits of up to 30 minutes to travel through the downtown area.
Local businesses are also seeing the effects, though not all have reported a significant drop in customer traffic. Matthew Carlson, who works at The Cigar Chapel on Greenwood Avenue, described the situation as a daily struggle. “From open to close, it’s brake lights and tail lights all day, going both ways,” Carlson said. While he hasn’t seen a decrease in customers so far, Carlson is concerned that the ongoing delays will soon take a toll. “People just decide to stay. They’ll hunker down and stay an extra half-hour,” he added.
The City of Bend is acknowledging the frustration, attributing the issue to a combination of bad timing with winter weather and ongoing construction. City Council member Ariel Méndez referred to the situation as a “perfect storm,” pointing out that it was “incredibly bad timing” that the construction coincided with the snowstorm. The city has been working with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to adjust traffic signals on Greenwood Avenue, giving vehicles more green light time to help alleviate the delays. In addition, a map of alternate detour routes has been provided to help drivers navigate around the congested area.
The construction work, which involves replacing aging water mains installed in the 1950s and 1970s, has presented significant challenges. These water mains run directly through the middle of the intersection, making it difficult for crews to close off one side of the intersection without causing further disruption. “It’s not like we could just close one side or the other. It’s just really unfortunate,” Méndez said.
Despite the city’s efforts to ease the situation, some business owners and residents feel that the root of the problem lies with recent changes to Greenwood Avenue. John Heylin, the owner of Unofficial Logging Company, located down the street from The Cigar Chapel, believes that the lane reductions along three blocks of Greenwood Avenue are exacerbating the problem. “Three blocks of two lanes getting reduced to one lane, it’s not going to make a difference,” Heylin said. He added that the increased strain on alternate routes and systems was inevitable, especially given the limited scope of the changes.
As the traffic delays continue, both business owners and commuters are left waiting for relief. The city’s efforts to adjust traffic signals and improve detour routes may provide some temporary relief, but with the ongoing construction and outdated infrastructure issues, it remains to be seen how much of an impact these solutions will have on easing the flow of traffic in downtown Bend.
For now, drivers and business owners will have to endure the congestion and hope for better conditions in the days ahead.
