ODOT advises: Century Drive motorists need to be ready for winter driving

Snow brings more travelers ahead of Mt. Bachelor opening

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – With the recent snowfall at and near Mt. Bachelor, winter sports enthusiasts are taking to Century Drive (Oregon Highway 372) in greater numbers, so ODOT offered some safety reminders Tuesday. 

Highway managers with the Oregon Department of Transportation want to make sure that those travelers are prepared for extreme driving conditions on the highway, where motorists are advised to carry chains/traction devices. 

Plus, there’s a lot of demand for the use of sno-parks, which puts additional burden on ODOT crews to maintain them. 

ODOT District Maintenance Manager Joel McCarroll wants to make sure that motorists are ready to tackle the snowy conditions on the highway. 

“Even though the formal Mt. Bachelor ski season doesn’t kick off for a couple of weeks, we are seeing a greater demand on the highway as the early snowfall sets in,” McCarroll said.

“ODOT is on the job plowing and sanding as necessary," he added, "but we want to be sure that winter sports enthusiasts are prepared for the conditions they’ll be driving in.” 

ODOT has staffed up for winter and is providing routine maintenance on Century Drive, which can see nose-to-tail traffic when winter sports season fully kicks in.

And as always, check conditions before you leave, at KTVZ.COM's Road Conditions page (which includes several area webcams and ODOT's TripCheck.)