For those of us who regularly drive U.S. Highway 97 as a commute to and from work — and according to local stats that’s about 90 % of the drivers on the road between Bend and Redmond — one realizes it seems like playing Russian roulette.
Nearly every on-off ramp through the city of Bend has its foibles. For example, locals know that the on-off ramp at Colorado Avenue heading north is a quick merge that takes some finesse. Most drivers on 97 coming up on the on-ramp are aware enough to allow for cars to merge. But if one is unfamiliar with the way it works, look out. The same is true in the northbound lane as drivers quickly dart onto Hawthorne or Truman exits (90-degree turns) hoping they aren’t rear-ended in the process.
Today’s in-depth piece by Bulletin reporter Kyle Spurr is a stark reminder of how dangerous Highway 97 has become. Seventeen fatal crashes last year, killing 20 people, about double the previous two years combined. That doesn’t include adjacent roads, such as the one just outside of Madras where two people died in a three-vehicle head-on wreck just last weekend.
Much of the blame for the wrecks are speed-related, distraction and intoxication, according to officials. But there’s also just plain impatience.
Take any given Friday afternoon from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Highway 97 heading south. People are in a hurry to get to the best camping sites at Paulina, East or the numerous Cascades lakes to the west. The roads are congested with campers towing off-road 4-wheelers. Much of the Friday afternoon scanner traffic is about road-rage incidents on 97. It’s a recipe for disaster.
The two-lane stretch just south of the Sunriver exit is a prime spot for trouble as weekend campers merge from four lanes down to two. Fortunately, that stretch of road is now under construction to become a four-lane road.
COVID-19 gets some blame as people feel the need to get out of the home for some fresh air and believe that the roads are less congested and, therefore, can speed a bit. But the roads are not less congested. They may have been earlier in the pandemic, but not now, and not on weekends.
Add to that the numerous homeless camps that have sprouted alongside the shoulders of the on-ramps. That’s increased pedestrian traffic trying to cross 97 at some of the most dangerous intersections.
Our thoughts? Not to sound like your mom, but just slow down. The speed limit in town on Highway 97 is 45 mph, not 65. It can seem slow, but no one’s life is worth getting to your destination five minutes sooner.
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