SISTERS, OR -- Old McKenzie Pass will open to cars on Monday. Each year, road crews clear snow in hopes of opening the scenic highway by the third Monday in June. Peter Murphy, with the Oregon Department of Transportation, tells KBND they weren’t able to open the snow gate early, even though the road has been clear for a while. "We’re trying to give people a date to plan on, and if you start maneuvering that date around, it futzes with their plans. So, you have to try and select a date and start working that date out into the public so they can plan; and then you can’t change it." The highway is already open to non-motorized travel.
Pass conditions are clear for drivers, bikers and pedestrians. "Right now, McKenzie is probably a great place to drive and ride your bike and walk because there’s no snow and we’ve been up there and cleaned it," Murphy says. "If it were me, and I had a weekend and had some time, I’d certainly want to go up there and drive through one of the more beautiful drives we have here in Oregon. People from all over the country and even other parts of the world come to see it. So, we’re going to open it up Monday morning, and let people enjoy it." The pass – also known as Highway 242 – closed November 13.
For the latest road conditions, visit ODOT's Trip Check website.
