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Deschutes County updates Sunriver corridor plan; Phase 2 concepts, utility constraints and $10.3M budget outlined
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Summary
Road staff reported progress on South Century Drive improvements in Sunriver, describing Phase 1 roundabout construction and preferred Phase 2 concepts (barbell and single‑lane alternatives). Staff estimated a $10.3 million total program budget and identified utilities, right‑of‑way and multimodal access as key constraints.
Deschutes County road engineers updated the Board of Commissioners on March 18 about the South Century Drive Sunriver corridor project, describing completed work, public outreach results and next steps for two remaining intersections.
Cody Smith and Blaine Ruck briefed the board: Phase 1 at South Century Drive and Huntington Road is under construction and expected to be open to traffic by May with construction wrapping up in June. Staff said Phase 1 cost came in at about $1.7 million, below earlier engineer estimates.
Phase 2 will cover two adjacent pairs of intersections — South Century Drive at Spring River Road and at Venture Lane (including Venture Loop) — and staff are advancing the preferred concepts from public feedback into preliminary design and 30% plans. Ruck said two concepts advanced most strongly through outreach: a "barbell" arrangement with two roundabouts providing redundancy and access to the business park, and a single‑lane roundabout with a left‑turn lane. "When we put these out in... open house number 2, 74% of respondents preferred the barbell alternative," Ruck said.
Staff told the board utility conflicts (including Mid‑State Electric transmission lines and Lumen fiber routes), property impacts and staging constraints shaped design refinements; the team added a berm and other shielding where feasible to reduce noise and headlight impacts on nearby homes. Staff said a grade‑separated bike/ped tunnel at one intersection is not feasible because of high groundwater and maintenance costs, and instead proposed improving an underused existing grade‑separated path under the Burlington Northern railroad bridge with lighting and wayfinding.
Project programming: staff said the project was programmed in the CIP with a $10.3 million budget; Phase 1 realized roughly $1.7 million in costs and Phase 2 is currently projected at about $8.6 million. Staff expect to release 30% plans in April and target advertisement for construction bidding in late 2026 or early 2027, contingent on utility coordination and right‑of‑way work.
Commissioners praised the engagement effort and urged staff to keep refining multimodal elements and to move quickly to implementation to reduce safety risks on the high‑volume corridor, which staff said carries more than 10,000 vehicles per day on the highest segment. Staff emphasized that some improvements will be pursued as lower‑cost, systemic treatments during routine pavement preservation work while larger intersection projects are advanced through the CIP and targeted grants.
Next steps: finalize 30% plans, coordinate utilities and right‑of‑way acquisitions, and prepare bid documents for Phase 2 in the late 2026/early 2027 timeframe.
