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The Deschutes County Commission approved a transportation plan on Wednesday, opening the door for a new interchange on U.S. Highway 97 south of Bend.

Planners of the Deschutes River Woods South Interchange Project say it could have dual benefits by increasing escape routes for area residents during a wildfire, while also improving safety for drivers headed to the High Desert Museum.

But the change won’t come soon. The project, which is expected to cost is $42.9 million, wouldn’t begin until the 2030s and could take about a decade to complete.

The Deschutes County Road Department says it’s looking into building the highway-spanning interchange within its 20-year capital improvement plan. The project, described in the Deschutes County Transportation System Plan, has a low-priority status.

But an initial step was made Wednesday when the county’s three commissioners adopted the system plan.

The transportation plan includes dozens of high-priority projects on bridges, intersections and roads throughout Deschutes County, including:

• New roundabouts at Powell Butte Highway/Butler Market Road, South Century Drive/Spring River Road and Huntington Road/South Century Drive.

• Extending/paving Hunnell Road to Tumalo Road.

• Widening Smith Rock Way in Terrebonne.

• Partnering with the Oregon Department of Transportation on improvements to Highway 97 in Terrebonne and U.S. Highway 20 in Tumalo.

• Establishing community bike routes connecting Bend to Redmond, Bend to Sunriver, Bend to Sisters, Redmond to Sisters, Redmond to Terrebonne, Redmond to Tumalo, Sisters To Terrebonne/Smith Rock, Sisters to Black Butte Ranch.

Tony DeBone, a county commissioner, called the Deschutes River Woods poject a “safety opportunity.”

“This is aspirational, a project on the horizon,” he said. “A lot of work needs to be done before that really gets built but it is in the TSP and it will be good for the residents of Deschutes River Woods.”

The complexity of the project and the need to obtain state and federal partnership requires the county to pursue state and federal funding in the near term, said Chris Doty, Deschutes County Road Department director. The county is expected to contribute $10 million.

“This is a very complex project that will involve many stakeholders and will take many years to develop,” said Doty.

For frequent visitors to the High Desert Museum, the interchange will also eliminate the need to cross the highway in front of traffic approaching at high speeds.

“The benefit is more geared towards an alternate access to Deschutes River Woods, but it would also serve High Desert Museum,” said Kacey Davey, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Transportation.

The museum has 55 employees, 200 volunteers and 216,000 visitors a year.

“This is a high-volume area for travel,” said Dana Whitelaw, executive director of the museum. “So I am really encouraged to see the county working on that long-term (Transportation Safety Plan) and including this as one of the projects.”

The area where Highway 97 meets the High Desert Museum driveway (milepost 145) isn’t exactly a crash hotspot, but some accidents have occurred. ODOT data from 2002 and 2021 shows four crashes at the location.

The overpass connection plans include a structure to cross the BNSF railroad tracks, said Doty.

“The project will need a significant federal funding contribution and we plan on applying for any eligible grant program available,” said Doty. “Given the funding constraints, it will probably be a 10-plus year project.”

The connection point to the Deschutes River Woods subdivision will be determined through a future community process, said Doty.

“We are sensitive to the fact that the extension of Cheyenne Road, Navajo Circle, Osage Road or Mohawk Circle will have an impact to adjacent properties and we will need to be very transparent in the process to determine this connection,” said Doty.

While the overpass connection would be handy for the High Desert Museum, Doty said the project is designed to provide access to the Deschutes River Woods area and serve as an emergency access point.

“As such, we are hopeful that it will check several boxes with regard to various federal grant programs,” said Doty.

Jason Bolen, deputy chief and fire marshal for Bend Fire & Rescue, said a wildfire in Deschutes River Woods would prove challenging for residents trying to escape while fire crews are trying to respond. Additional routes available for residents and responders could reduce traffic pile-ups during a mass evacuation event.

“Anytime that we can make it easier for residents to get into or out of their neighborhoods in the event of an emergency is a positive thing for the fire department,” said Bolen.