Starting late Friday, anyone driving south on U.S. Highway 97 will get smooth sailing along the newly realigned parkway.

But if motorists have a stop planned at one of the many businesses along the route, they will still have to access the Cascade Village Shopping Center from Empire Avenue and U.S. Highway 20 at the Robal Lane roundabout.

“If you are through traffic and don’t need to access any businesses, stay straight and continue on the new southbound section of the parkway,” said Kacey Davey, Oregon Department of Transportation public information officer.

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U.S. Highway 97 north corridor project to finish end of 2024

This is the last big traffic change in the $177 million Highway 97 corridor project in Bend, which is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

The northbound lanes opened June 28, Davey said. The next section will be a connector road to the shopping area. That connector road will bridge north and south businesses together via Third Street. Once complete, motorists will not need to use U.S. Highway 20 to get to the shopping area.

Roughly 40,000 vehicles pass through the stretch of highway every day, according to 2022 data from ODOT.

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U.S. Highway 97 traffic shifting permanently for ODOT’s Bend North Corridor project

The state highway project avoids the traffic lights in the north Bend area and skirts the Cascade Village Shopping Center, an area that is a hub of businesses in Bend, said Ben Hemson, Bend Economic Development manager.

“The improvements to U.S. Highway 97 help balance the traffic with the needs of folks traveling through the area, which should help serve both groups,” Hemson said. “The area continues to see interest from large-scale retail developers seeking to locate there, most notably Costco, which seems to bode well for its continued success.”