Pass not open yet

MCKENZIE BRIDGE: The earliest possible opening date for the Old McKenzie Pass is the third Monday in June, and officials at the Oregon Dept. of Transportation say they believe they are aiming for that date.

“We used to (around 10 years ago and earlier) let people know when we were going to start plowing, but we aren’t doing that anymore for a variety of reasons,” according to Kacey Davey, an ODOT public information officer. “Before the highway is open, and after we have cut through the snow, our crews are often up there performing pre-season maintenance like clearing debris, stabilizing slopes, and repairing potholes.”

In the past, bicycle riders often showed up en masse to ride the roadway when snow had melted but before it was reopened to vehicular traffic. “We will not be announcing when we cut through the snow since we do not want to encourage people to use the highway while it is still closed,” Davey said.

When the east and west side gates are closed, the road is not maintained. Weather conditions, logistics, and cost make it impractical to maintain for travel year around. To prepare the road for traffic, crews have been busy plowing, paving, felling trees, and doing other work with heavy equipment. There are no flaggers and it can be difficult to hear equipment in different areas due to snow and trees. ODOT warns that pre-season maintenance work can occur on any day of the week.

More information on the route is available at: tinyurl.com/5n8dezhr.