Rob Kerr / The BulletinA beam for the Murphy Road Bridge is set across the northbound lanes of U.S. Highway 97 Tuesday night in Bend.

A girder for the Murphy Road Bridge is set across the northbound lanes of U.S. Highway 97 Tuesday night in Bend.

The girder was the first of eight to be placed Tuesday night, and another eight are scheduled to be placed Thursday night across the southbound lanes of Highway 97. Motorists should expect flaggers and traffic disruption in the area through Friday.

The Murphy Road Bridge construction is part of a $27 million Oregon Department of Transportation project meant to increase safety on Highway 97 and improve east-west connectivity in the area. As part of the same project, an overpass will be built at the intersection of Third Street and Highway 97, and stoplights at that intersection and the intersection of Pinebrook Boulevard and 97 will be eliminated.