Overhauling 468th Ave: City hosts Open House on Middle Fork Master Gateway Plan

The 468th corridor that runs through the eastern edges of North Bend – connecting I-90 exit 34 to Truck Town, Twin Falls Middle School, other businesses AND the Middle Fork Conservation Area – may look a lot different in the coming years.

The City of North Bend is planning for the future and inviting the public to an Open House to see the conceptual designs for improvements to 468th Ave SE from the intersection of SE 140th Street and Middle Fork Road to North Bend Way.

The meeting will be 6PM to 7PM on Thursday, November 9th at City Hall, 211 Main Avenue North in North Bend.

Called the Middle Fork Master Gateway Plan, the city says the plan provides recommended improvements for 468th Ave SE, “including vehicular channelization and intersection design, landscaping, gateway design and beautification, and pedestrian and bicycle amenities.”

These improvement plans – complete with two new roundabouts at the SE 140th and Middle Fork Road intersection near Twin Falls Middle school and at SE 144th Street near the entrance to Truck Town – will reduce vehicular and truck conflicts, improve vehicular movements, create a unique experience for users, and improve the safety for all users.

As the 468th area develops, the City will require developers to build to the adopted plan standards, and will also use the conceptual design to apply for grant funding to implement recommended provisions.

City of North Bend Economic Development Manager and Planner Lynn Hyde said the city had the designs created so that if adjacent properties redevelop, they would develop to the standards laid out in the Middle Fork Master Gateway Plan.

She added, “The City wants to have a plan and vision for the corridor and be proactive in the planning.”

[Note: the schematic design below is conceptual at this point, NOT a working plan.]