ODOT representatives and their consultant presented the US-97 Baker Road Interchange Area Management Plan (IAMP) to the Deschutes County Board on Dec. 1, describing a preferred, phased solution to growing congestion and safety issues at the interchange on Bend's southern edge.

The consultant said two alternatives rose to the top during evaluation: Alternative 1 (the preferred, lower-cost option) would enhance existing ramp terminals with a signal and a roundabout to resolve turning conflicts and add active-transportation facilities; Alternative 3 would relocate southbound ramps and add a larger roundabout to separate conflict points but would be more costly.

"The purpose of an interchange area management plan ... is to establish an agreement with local governments about transportation solutions or land use and policy actions needed in an interchange area," Kayla Fuskas Lane, the project transportation engineer, said during the presentation. She told commissioners the IAMP had been developed over multiple years with public open houses, technical and community advisory committees, and Bend MPO review, and that components are already incorporated in the county TSP.

Cost and phasing: the consultant provided planning-level estimates (phase 1: realignment and active-transportation improvements estimated around $14,150,000 in the project's escalation assumptions; phase 2: bridge widening and east-side roundabout estimated about $38,000,000). Those estimates date from work conducted in 2021–22 and were escalated to a 2029 expenditure year, so presenters cautioned they likely understate current construction costs.

Active-transportation and access management: the IAMP calls for multi-use paths, buffered bike lanes and sidewalks to improve connectivity and safety, and includes an access management chapter that would provide criteria (spacing of ramp tapers and access points) for future land-use reviews. Presenters stressed any parcel-specific access changes would follow later project-level design and public outreach.

Funding and timing: ODOT staff said large interchange work typically relies on phased federal grants or state appropriations; the phasing approach aims to deliver earlier safety improvements sooner while larger components are pursued if additional funding becomes available.

Commissioners asked detailed questions about bridge-widening options (cantilever additions vs. full replacement), safety data for the southbound ramp (presenters noted documented crash locations and queue spillback risks), and how the plan would preserve evacuation routes and transit service. ODOT's district operations manager also described staffing and maintenance funding pressures and warned that uncertainty around recently enacted legislation could force future service-level trade-offs.

The board received the informational update; ODOT and staff will continue design work, refine costs and pursue funding opportunities.