USFS Road 15 to close

Closure on Forest Service Road 15 begins Monday.

Road 15, also known as Blue River Reservoir Road, will be closed to thru traffic at milepost 8 beginning on Monday, August 12th, due to road work. The closure could last up to 30 days, however, thru travel may be available on evenings and weekends to help meet the needs of recreationists. The closure will be just east of the intersection of Forest Service Road 15 with Forest Service Road 1513 (Quentin Creek Road). Visitors will still have access to sites on either side of the closure, but no thru traffic will be allowed during construction activities.

Blue River Reservoir Road connects US Highway 126 to US Highway 20. It provides access to other forest roads, HJ Andrews Experimental Forest, and recreation sites including Saddle Dam Day Use Site, Lookout Campground, Mona Campground, and Browder Ridge Trailhead; visitors will still be able to access these sites using their typical routes. The area near the closure has unstable soils and steep slopes, which have contributed to numerous landslides in recent years. Part of the road work will include the construction of a concrete retaining wall to help stabilize soils and prevent further road damage. The road work will also include clearing ditches, replacing culverts, felling hazardous trees, and rock placement to help stabilize soils. Overall, these actions will also help increase public safety for motorists travelling on the road. “We understand that the closure is an inconvenience for travelers, but it’s important for this work to happen for the safety of everyone who uses the road,” said Scott Ferre, Roads Engineer for the McKenzie River and Middle Fork Ranger Districts. Signs will be posted throughout the affected area to alert motorists. Updates will be posted on the District’s Current Conditions webpage at http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/willamette/home/?cid=stelprdb5136474. For more information, contact the McKenzie River Ranger District at (541)822-3381.