Sisters and all of Central Oregon are a major destination for vacationers and adventurers seeking to enjoy the region’s natural beauty, recreational opportunities, and cultural events. It’s also a destination for people who want to live among all of those attractions.
That means growth and traffic, and Sisters is adapting to meet changes and challenges.
As the Sisters Oregon Guide hits the streets, the Oregon Department of Transportation will be opening a roundabout on the east end of town at the intersection of Highway 20 and Locust Street.
ODOT provided $5 million in state transportation improvement funds, combined with $1.425 million from the City of Sisters and $1 million from Deschutes County, to fund the project.
The roundabout, which is expected to be fully completed in September 2024, is designed for Highway 20 to make a gentle curve into the roundabout, intended to slow traffic coming into town from the east. Through traffic from the east will have the option of turning north on Locust Street to take an alternative route around downtown through the Sisters Industrial Park. Those who are stopping in Sisters can proceed right up the highway into downtown on Cascade Avenue.
The roundabout pairs with another constructed years ago at the west end of town.
Over the next year, Sisters will debate whether and how to expand its urban growth boundary to accommodate more housing. Like most mountain towns across the West, Sisters is facing a crisis of affordability. How to manage the pressures of being a desirable place to be while maintaining the small town charm that is a big part of that desirability is a major work in progress for Sisters.
コメント