Bend residents could see a brief break from daytime train traffic when work begins on the Reed Market Road rail crossing next month.

Under construction for the past two years, Reed Market Road opened to two-way traffic between American Lane and Third Street last week. Eastbound drivers can travel from American Lane to the roundabout at 15th Street, and both lanes of Reed Market Road are open from the roundabout to 27th Street.

In mid-September, Reed Market Road will close in both directions for up to 10 days between American Lane and Ninth Street, while the BNSF Railway rebuilds the rail crossing and city crews finish the road on either side of the crossing.

Gus Melonas, spokesman for BNSF, said the railroad expects it will take three days to complete its portion of the project. He said the company has yet to set a starting date, as it’s waiting on the delivery of materials needed to install the new crossing signal.

The railroad will be diverting some train traffic elsewhere while the crossing is under construction, Melonas said, while other trains will travel at night.

An average of six to seven trains a day pass through Bend on the BNSF tracks, Melonas said.

Melonas said BNSF will be rebuilding the entire crossing while widening it from 60 to 120 feet, with new tracks, ties, crossing signals and road surface.

“The end result will be optimum operations over this track with upgrades for trains, as well as a new surface for the motoring public, and they’ll notice a difference in the smoothness when they drive over the crossing.”

David Abbas, Bend streets and operations director, said the city is looking at its options to relieve congestion on SE Wilson Avenue, which has absorbed much of the east-west traffic detoured away from Reed Market Road during construction. The city recently added a new layer of pavement at the intersection of Wilson and Ninth and realigned the lanes leading to the four-way stop to better move traffic east and west.

A temporary three-way stop at the intersection of Wilson and 15th is among the possibilities under consideration, Abbas said. He said eastbound traffic has been stacking up at 15th Street, as drivers are having a difficult time turning on to 15th.

Abbas said the city expects congestion at Wilson and 15th to decrease once all of Reed Market Road is opened to traffic in November, and a longer-term fix like a signal or roundabout is not currently planned for the intersection.

— Reporter: 541-383-0387, shammers@bendbulletin.com