The City of Bend was awarded roughly $25 million in state and federal dollars for the landmark Hawthorne Avenue Pedestrian and Bicyclist Overcrossing project.
Close to $20 million in funding comes through the federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program. Additionally, through House Bill 5030, in which money is allocated to local priorities across Oregon, the state legislature allocated $5 million for the Hawthorne Overcrossing.
This project is supported by the Bend Chamber of Commerce, Central Oregon LandWatch, the Bend Central District Business Association and many other local, state and federal agencies and organizations.
“The Midtown Crossings are vital to catalyzing redevelopment of Bend’s Central District and Core Area. These key areas of our City will accommodate more of Bend’s rapid growth in ways that deliver complete communities – places with more affordable housing options close to essential services, with nature nearby and convenient, safe ways to get around that don’t always require a car,” said Corie Harlan, Cities & Towns Program Manager of Central Oregon LandWatch. “This funding for the critical and transformative Hawthorne Overcrossing project will help ensure Bend is a more equitable, healthy, and climate-resilient place for all.”
“The Hawthorne Overcrossing is so much more than a transportation project,” said Katy Brooks, CEO of the Bend Chamber of Commerce. “It is a significant step forward for economic development in the Central District and Downtown and joins two sides of the parkway that invites people to regularly travel between east and west whether that’s by walking, riding, or rolling. It will be a centerpiece in Bend.”
The Hawthorne Overcrossing will be a pedestrian and bicycle only crossing that will provide a much-needed connection over Highway 97 and the railroad for east-west travel. The overcrossing will connect Downtown and the Bend Central District by providing safe and comfortable walking and biking opportunities.
“We are committed to sustainably and equitably reconnecting our city—east and west. The Hawthorne Bridge is the key link in this effort,” said Bend City Councilor Anthony Broadman. “This investment is the single biggest step in building a city and connected transportation system that works for all of us.”
The Hawthorne Overcrossing is part of the larger Midtown Pedestrian and Bicycle Crossing project, which seeks to improve east-west connectivity through safer walking and biking connections across the railroad and the parkway at Hawthorne, Franklin and Greenwood Avenues.
More information on the Midtown Pedestrian and Bicycle Crossings can be found at bendoregon.gov/midtowncrossings.
