Sisters roundabout preparations continue

Preparations continue for construction of the Highway 20/Barclay roundabout, a joint project of the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the City of Sisters, reported Gary Farnsworth, ODOT area manager for Region 4, at last week's Sisters City Council meeting.

A focus group of neighbors, businesses, and property owners surrounding the area of the intersection has been meeting to discuss plans for the aesthetics of the roundabout as well as proposed management of the construction traffic.

Farnsworth told the City Council that actual construction is scheduled to begin in February 2017 with completion by Memorial Day 2017 in order to limit the upset to tourist traffic as much as possible.

The construction will be done in two main stages, one on the east side of the intersection and the other on the west side. Weather, of course, is the biggest factor in meeting the timeline and determining the need for night work.

Concrete surfacing will be used for the roundabout, which will provide better longevity than asphalt - a 30-year surface life with rehab done in 20 years.

"Renderings of the aesthetics will be presented to the citizens within the context of a City Council meeting to provide a chance for the Council and community to understand the project." said Farnsworth.

When completed, the roundabout at the west end of Sisters will be the largest roundabout in Central Oregon, on a state highway which is a major east-west freight route for trucks.

A seven-person focus group comprised of local artists and a U.S. Forest Service representative will determine the parameters/specifications of the artwork for the middle of the roundabout. Once those parameters are solidified, a request for proposals will go out for artists to submit their designs and the committee will pick the top three designs. Models of the top three will be displayed in a public place and citizen input will be solicited.

After hearing from the public, the committee will make a selection, which will be sent as a recommendation to the City Council for adoption.

There is a line item in the construction budget of $200,000 for art and landscaping in the roundabout.