ODOT release – BEND — McKenzie Pass will open the morning of July 4 with fresh, smooth pavement for all to enjoy. The pass has remained closed while crews paved the narrow and winding section of road between the winter gate and the summit on the east side of the pass. Funding from a Federal Lands Access Program grant is improving the highway from the junction with U.S. 20 in Sisters to the summit at Dee Wright Observatory. Improvement grants like this are critical to low-traffic volume roads like McKenzie Pass. While the paving between the winter gate and the summit on the east side is complete, paving will now be moving below the snow gate on the east side. This section of highway is wider, so crews will flag traffic through one lane while paving the other. Expect some delays while this work continues. After the paving is done, crews will stripe and sign the road. The project should be complete by late August. Drivers on this winding road need to be on the lookout for cyclists and pedestrians, as this is a popular scenic route for many types of road users. Vehicles longer than 35 feet are prohibited from using the highway due to its sharp, narrow curves. Every year, we close McKenzie Pass from November to mid-June. Weather conditions, logistics and cost make it impractical to maintain for travel year around. When we close the road, it is closed to everyone and is not maintained. We do not open it early for cyclists or pedestrians. Even after the snow melts each spring, our crews have a lot of work to do before the road is safe for travel. Each winter trees come down and heavy rain and snow move rocks and debris onto the road. All of this is cleaned up and the pavement is patched before we open. Take a look at these pictures and videos to see what it takes to open the pass every year.
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