Ryan Brennecke / The BulletinTraffic navigates successfully through the roundabout at Reed Market and 15th Street earlier this year. The road is now fully open after years of construction.

Reed Market Road in southeast Bend will be open to drivers in both directions at 4 p.m. today, after more than two years of intermittent construction.

City officials are opening the section of road from SE Third Street to SE 27th Street about a month ahead of schedule.

The $18.3 million project included creating two lanes for eastbound traffic between American Lane and SE 15th Street, 6-foot-wide bike lanes, sidewalks and a center turn lane. The project also included rebuilding the BNSF rail crossing as well as moving and rebuilding the American Lane bridge.

“This was the centerpiece of the general obligation bond, so we’re very excited to have it back open,” said Ryan Oster, the city’s project manager.

Voters approved the $30 million bond measure in May 2011.

Other projects include three new roundabouts and the reconstruction of SE 27th Street between Butler Market Road and Conners Drive.

A ribbon cutting to mark the occasion will be held on Reed Market Road west of the railroad crossing at 4 p.m.

“We’re definitely excited to have an arterial road up to city standards,” Oster said about Reed Market. “There were some dangerous stretches where people would walk or ride their bikes.”

The center turning lane was added to allow the flow of traffic to continue when drivers need to turn left into neighborhoods or businesses.

Oster said the city was able to work with the contractor and prioritize completion of the roadway so the street could reopen ahead of schedule. However, the project is not completely finished and will require additional landscaping and work on the sidewalks.

“We wanted to give the road back to the traveling public as soon as we possibly could, but we do have a handful of stuff that we still have to get done,” Oster said.

The project’s completion has been long awaited by residents and businesses along Reed Market Road who have endured seven phases of construction.

“It’s been pretty painful for business owners and homeowners along that stretch,” Oster said.

Expressway Corner Market & Deli at SE 15th Street and Reed Market Road is joining in on the celebration. The gas station will lower gas prices to $1.99 per gallon and offer free cake from 4 to 7 p.m. today.

“We’re very happy after 21/2 years and very excited about it,” said Tom Healy, who owns the market and deli with his wife, Carol.

Oster said the city expects up to $4 million to be left over from the bond once the Reed Market project is completely finished. Those funds will go to potential road reconstruction and possible bike lanes on SW 14th Street. The improvements depend on how much money is left after the Reed Market project.

— Reporter: 541-617-7820, tshorack@bendbulletin.com

Editor’s note: This article has been corrected. An earlier version of the story incorrectly identified what part of the project features two lanes.

The Bulletin regrets the error.