THE SPOKESMAN • TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2022 A5
Redmond man charged with DUII after head-on crash
BY TIM TRAINOR
Redmond Spokesman
A Redmond man was ar-
rested after a head-on crash Fri-
day, August 5 that seriously in-
jured a Bend teen.
According to the Deschutes
County Sheriff’s Office, Jose
Alvarez Ibarra, 46, crashed into
another vehicle about 9 p.m. on
Tumalo Road near the Cline
Falls Highway. That vehicle was
driven by a 17-year-old from
Montague, California.
Members of the DCSO crash
reconstruction team responded
to assist with the investigation.
Based on evidence at the scene
and witness statements, sheriff’s
office crash reconstruction team
“determined Ibarra was driving
east on Tumalo Rd and the 17
year old female was driving west
when Ibarra crossed into the
westbound lane of travel collid-
ing head on with her vehicle.”
Based on that investigation,
Ibarra was arrested and after be-
ing released from St. Charles. He
was transported to the Deschutes
County Sheriff’s Office Jail and
charged with second degree as-
sault, reckless driving, DUII and
driving while suspended.
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Reporter: ttrainor@
redmondspokesman.com
Odem Medo construction begins
New intersection to
‘make a sure difference’
for neighborhood, traffic
BY NICK ROSENBERGER
Redmond Spokesman
Clunky and slow, the intersec-
tion between SW Salmon Ave.
and SW Canal Blvd. in Redmond
recently began its $1.14 million
shift to SW Odem Medo Way
to create a safer and more natu-
ral street by November. To do so,
crews must remove the old Parks
& Rec building and put in a stop-
light and cul-de-sac.
As the west side of Redmond
developed, Steve Wilson, civil en-
gineer for the city, said traffic in-
creased on SW Salmon and made
left and right turns onto SW Canal
difficult and dangerous.
“The intent of this project was
to eliminate the conflict of those
major intersections,” Wilson said.
The increased traffic from new
developments created conges-
tion on the short section of road
between Odem Medo and SW
Salmon Ave.
Councilor Ed Fitch noted in
a city council meeting that there
had been two pedestrian hit-and-
runs at the intersection of Canal
and Salmon. Mayor George Endi-
cott said turning left at the current
intersection is dangerous and the
new realignment “will be a wel-
come addition to that part of town
for traffic movement.”
Demolition on the property be-
gan two weeks ago, Wilson said.
The contract for the project went
to Knife River Northwest.
The project is finally coming
together after 17 years of planning
and waiting. In 2005, the city be-
gan planning for the realignment
and in 2010 the city purchased
the land, which was leased to the
parks & rec district for 10 years.
“It was a very good opportunity
for the rec center to go in and lease
that structure for a period of time,”
he said. Now, the district is with-
out the space, however.
In 2020, the city purchased the
last remaining piece of land neces-
sary for the project and completed
the construction plans,.
According to Wilson, there are
several benefits from the changes.
For starters, the intersection of
Salmon Ave. will no longer con-
nect to South Canal, but will end
in a cul-de-sac that serves the res-
idential area and will be safer for
walking.
“It will become a very localized,
residential street,” he said.
Additionally, the new Odem
Medo intersection will have stop-
lights, ADA-compliant pedestrian
ramps, sidewalks and intersection
lighting at night.
The new roadway will curve
into the Odem Medo intersection
and require traffic to reduce speed
as cars transition into a left turn
Nick Rosenberger/Spokesman
The site where construction recently began between SW Salmon Ave. and SW Odem Medo Way in Redmond.
Project
design
Nick Rosenberger/Spokesman
A Knife River tanker sits at the site where construction recently began
between SW Salmon Ave. and SW Odem Medo Way in Redmond.
A design of the
construction
between SW
Salmon Avenue
and SW Odem
Medo Way in
Redmond.
Central Oregon
Disability Support Network
Nick Rosenberger/Spokesman
An excavator sits at the site where construction recently began between
SW Salmon Ave. and SW Odem Medo Way in Redmond. The sign for SW
Odem Medo Way can be seen through the excavator.
only onto South Canal and east-
west traffic on Odem Medo.
According to Wilson, this will
increase the amount of traffic that
can move through the intersection
without becoming congested.
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Reporter: nrosenberger@
redmondspokesman.com
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