Northbound traffic on U.S. Highway 97 will use a newly built portion of the highway beginning Thursday, but traffic will have to stop Saturday morning for another blast into a layer of basalt rock,  all of which is a part of a complete revamp of Bend’s north corridor, state transportation officials said.

Drivers traveling north on the highway will travel on the new parkway on-ramp at Cooley Road and tie back onto the existing highway just after Grandview Avenue, a news release from the Oregon Department of Transportation said. 

The change will remain in effect until July when all new northbound lanes are completed, the department said. It’s not expected to affect travel times. 

The northbound on-ramp at Empire Avenue was closed and rerouted April 10. Drivers must travel on a newly constructed portion of the highway up until Robal Lane where traffic rejoins with the existing highway at the stoplight.

“Travelers should expect some congestion and are advised to take a different route when possible,” the department said.

On Saturday morning, sometime between 7 and 9 a.m., the highway will be closed for up to 15 minutes for the hard basalt blast, the department said. Last week’s traffic delay lasted seven minutes, the department said.