Highway 97 Safety Upgrades for Madras: What ODOT Is Planning — and What Residents Are Demanding

The 15-mile segment of U.S. Highway 97 between Terrebonne and Madras has long been one of the most dangerous stretches of road in Central Oregon. Local officials, freight operators, and emergency responders have been raising alarms for years — and a coalition of Central Oregon leaders is now pushing the Oregon Department of Transportation to move faster on safety upgrades.

A Documented Danger Zone

ODOT recently completed a safety study on the Terrebonne-to-Madras segment of Highway 97 that identified multiple dangerous intersections and an uptick in fatal and serious injury crashes. Head-on collisions and weather-related crashes are among the most common fatality types on the corridor.

Jefferson County commissioners presented concerns to ODOT in March 2026, reading from a prepared statement: "The Redmond-to-Madras segment in particular has a documented history of fatal and serious injury crashes, including head-on and weather-related collisions. Constituents have been voicing concerns for years. Residents, freight operators, and emergency responders all understand that this corridor is both essential and dangerous."

What Is Being Proposed

ODOT has previously installed concrete medians on Highway 97 between Bend and Redmond to reduce head-on crashes. Advocates are pushing for similar median barriers, widened shoulders, and intersection upgrades on the Madras segment.

A separate ODOT project — covering U.S. Highway 97 from milepost 91.58 to 97.00 and portions of Highway 26 through central Madras — is also in development, targeting new sidewalks, signal upgrades, and repaving in the city core. That work is expected to begin in 2026.

The Budget Reality

ODOT officials have been candid about the constraints. At a March 2026 meeting, ODOT representative Tim Chang cautioned that the improvements being requested "cost a lot of money and ODOT does not have a lot of discretionary funds."

Oregon has faced significant state transportation budget shortfalls in recent years, complicating efforts to advance safety projects even on corridors with clear needs.

What Residents Can Do

Community members who want to push for Highway 97 safety improvements are encouraged to contact Jefferson County Commissioners and ODOT Region 4 in Bend. The more voices ODOT hears from Jefferson County, the stronger the case for prioritizing the corridor in the next statewide transportation funding cycle.

Jefferson County Commissioners can be reached through the county website at jeffco.net. ODOT project updates can be tracked at oregon.gov/odot.