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| 6/29/2006 |
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For More Information Contact:
Heidi Hiaasen, Project Communications, 541-388-6178
Julianne Repman, Public Information, 541-388-6224
McKenzie Highway (OR 242) Opens to Vehicle Traffic on Thursday, June 29
Oregon Highway 242, the McKenzie Pass Highway, will open to motorized traffic at noon on Thursday, June 29. The east gate, near Sisters, and the west gate, near McKenzie Bridge, will be opened simultaneously. The highway closed for the winter on November 2.
Motorists driving this curvy road need to be aware of bicyclists and pedestrians on the roadway. Vehicles longer than 35 feet are prohibited from using the highway.
The 239-day closure of McKenzie Pass Highway was longer than in most years. The longest closure period occurred during the winter of 1998-1999 when the highway was closed for 256 days. The shortest closure period occurred during the winter of 1933-1934 when the highway was closed for 96 days.
The highway has closed as early as October 18 (in 1996) and as late as January 10 (1939). The earliest open date was March 21 (in 1934) and the latest July 29 (in 1999).
The first route over the McKenzie pass, Craig's McKenzie Salt Springs/Deschutes Wagon Road, was completed in 1872. The toll road connected the Willamette Valley with Camp Polk, near what is now Sisters. The charge was $2 for a wagon drawn by two horses, $2.50 for a wagon with four horses, $1 for a man on a horse and 10 cents each for loose cattle and horses.
Modern construction techniques allowed crews to rebuild the road in the 1920s. At that time the McKenzie Pass Highway was created and the former wagon route was abandoned, except in places where the new highway followed the same path.
In 1936 the Clear Lake-Belknap Springs section of OR 126 was completed, giving motorists a new, straighter, year-round alternative for travel between the Willamette Valley and central Oregon.
The McKenzie Pass Highway became a seasonal scenic highway in the 1960s with the completion of the Clear Lake-Belknap Springs section of OR 126. Even during its tenure as the main route between the southern Willamette Valley and Central Oregon, the narrow, twisting roadway and high elevation (5,325 feet) made the highway too difficult to maintain and keep clear during the winter months.
For road information, visit www.TripCheck.com.
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