Another sign of the season: ODOT set to close McKenzie Pass next Tuesday ktvz.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ktvz.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The snow is here, and crews will close the Old McKenzie Pass Highway, OR 242, for the winter season. On the morning of Tuesday, November 1, crews will close the highway from the western gate at OR 126 to the eastern gate just outside of Sisters. McKenzie Pass is a secondary, scenic highway. Weather, cost and logistics make it impractical to maintain for travel year-round. In the winter, ODOT staff and resources work on main highways to keep them plowed, open and safe. When the highway is closed, it is closed to all users and is not maintained. Travelers going past locked gates and closure signs could encounter hazards and working equipment on the road, and there are no services or cell coverage. Every year, McKenzie Pass opens and closes with the seasons. Dates vary depending on road and weather conditions. McKenzie Pass became a seasonal scenic highway in 1962 with the completion of the Clear Lake-Belknap Springs section of Oregon 126. Even during its time as the main route between th