New interchange proposed for highway

A request to construct a $1.1 million interchange on the Sisters-Redmond Highway (Highway 126) just west of its present intersection with Cline Falls Highway is being considered by a Deschutes County hearings officer.

The request was made by Eagle Crest Partners, Ltd. and the Oregon Department of Transportation. Eagle Crest is required to participate in the construction of the interchange to handle increased traffic if it wants to expand beyond its current 25 percent -- 200-unit -- limit on a 746-acre expansion of the development south and west of the highway.

Eagle Crest Partners, Ltd. will be required to pay approximately $750,000 of the cost of construction.

The matter was presented in a public hearing Tuesday, October 29, before hearings officer Karen Green. Because the land for the interchange is presently in a farm-use zone, an exception to the state land-use laws protecting farm land is required. The request has met all county criteria for approval, according to Heidi Kennedy, assistant county planner.

The request met little opposition from the public. A neighbor, Marilyn Millard, expressed concerns that the 7 percent grades leading to the proposed interchange overpass would be too steep in winter for school buses. She suggested a bluff at the present interchange be blasted away to make way for turn lanes and a traffic light.

Sharon Smith, attorney for Eagle Crest, said her client would prefer a traffic light because it would be less expensive, but added that a light would not be allowed by the Oregon Department of Transportation. She also said the grade was less than the 8 percent maximum imposed by the county.

Because of its proximity to the Deschutes River, the request also is being reviewed by the Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation. It also is being reviewed by the Bureau of Land Management. Smith told the hearings officer that indications from both agencies were such that she did not anticipate any problems.

Green said before she makes a ruling on the request she will visit the site. She also left the hearing open for written testimony for a week.