After multiple delays, the entire stretch of Purcell Boulevard in Northeast Bend was back open Friday.
The Purcell Boulevard Extension project connected Purcell between Full Moon Drive to Courtney Drive. Now, Purcell is complete between Yeoman Road to Bear Creek Road, giving northeast Bend drivers another north-south route besides 27th Street.
The City of Bend says it encountered multiple delays during construction. A big issue was utilities under the concrete they didn’t expect.
“There was a lot that we encountered that we didn’t know was there and most folks didn’t know was there. And every time you do that, you gotta you gotta stop and evaluate and reassess. And so that that whole process really added a lot of time,” said city Project Engineer Andrew Wells.
But now that Purcell is open, prepare for a new closure. A future roundabout is planned for Wells Acres Road at Butler Market Road.
