The work to rebuild the stretch of Highway 20 that wends through downtown Sisters is well underway (construction crews began tearing up the old road in preparation for creating a new one on March 3). And what a project it is! I recently meandered through downtown to get a first-hand look at the work that’s being done with camera in-hand and was captivated by what I saw. As someone who’s never seen a road being built from the ground up (literally), I found the whole process quite fascinating.
If you haven’t yet encountered the site, here’s an idea of what you’re missing:
Construction Project on Highway 20 in Sisters, OR
Yes, it’s chaotic trying to negotiate the big rigs and the mass of road-building materials that litter downtown. But at least it’s an organized chaos! Construction Project on Highway 20 in Sisters, ORSisters has done a fine job of directing both vehicles and pedestrians around the mess, by incorporating not just plenty of the standard directional road signs but creating a series of its own signs (painted in a soothing shade of sage green) that list for visitors all the businesses that can be found within a given block.
No, this isn’t the ideal scenario for visitors to Sisters, but it’s temporary. And in the long run, Sisters will be the better for it — this is one stretch of highway that was long overdue for an overhaul. In the short term, however, there’s no way it won’t have a negative impact on area businesses. So please keep that in mind before making your next gift purchase or planning a night out on the town. Sisters Country really needs our support to ease the burden of this particular bit of progress, which will benefit us all.
Here are a few more photos of the construction, in case you’re curious:
Construction Project on Highway 20 in Sisters, OR
Construction Project on Highway 20 in Sisters, OR
 
Construction Project on Highway 20 in Sisters, OR
 
Construction Project on Highway 20 in Sisters, OR
 
Construction Project on Highway 20 in Sisters, OR
 

About the Author
Lisa Broadwater, GRI, CDPE, is a Central Oregon-based real estate professional who specializes in listing and selling homes, especially in Sisters, Tumalo, Bend and Redmond.