Post-fire work underway on McKenzie Pass Highway

As the weather warms up, people are getting anxious to enjoy scenic state Highway 242, also known as the McKenzie Pass Highway. Wildfires forced its closure earlier than expected last summer, and crews are still dealing with the aftermath.

On Wednesday, Peter Murphy, an Oregon Department of Transportation spokesman, said people keep calling their office with the same question: “When will McKenzie Pass open?”

Murphy said ODOT crews are currently working to repair damage caused by the Milli Fire, and even though the flames have been extinguished, there are still a lot of hazards.

“It’s possible there are trees that could still fall. The road isn’t swept. There are holes in the road. There was a lot of damage up there,” he said.

For the next few weeks, there will be everything from road graders to sweepers out making the roadway passable again.

“What that means is people who might ordinarily go up on their bicycles, they kind of have to give it back to us and let us get in there and do our job, so when they finally do get up there, it’s a safe place to be,” Murphy said.

He said crews had to tell three cyclists just on Wednesday that it’s not safe to ride while repair work is being done.

Cyclists can typically use the roadway in the spring, before it opens to cars, but that’s not the case this year.

“What we want to make sure of is that when people who want to go up there see the ‘road closed, don’t come up here’ (sign), we mean it. Because there is this work going on, and their presence can put a lot of people at risk,” Murphy said.

He also said that starting this year, the third Monday in June will be set as a regular opening date for cars. This year, that will be June 18.