At last, the popular Old McKenzie Highway (also known as Highway 242) has opened for the season, a few days before its Aug. 15 deadline. A nearly $4 million dollar highway improvement project, funded by the Federal Highway Administration, caused the delay (read my blog post about the Highway 242 closure here).
That multimillion-dollar price tag is a far cry from the historic wagon route's original toll of $2 for a wagon drawn by two horses (or $2.50 for a wagon with four horses, $1 for a man on a horse and 10 cents each for loose cattle and horses).
The first route over the McKenzie Pass, which was completed in 1872, connected the Willamette Valley with Camp Polk, near what is now Sisters. The McKenzie Pass Highway became a seasonal scenic highway in 1962 with the completion of the Clear Lake-Belknap Springs section of Highway 126.
Because of the delay, heavy traffic on the scenic byway (which is also popular with bicyclists and pedestrians) is expected. The route should remain open until late fall.
Want to know more about this area?
* Here's my guide to the McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass scenic byway.
*And here's my photo essay showing the gorgeous fall foliage that can found along the McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass scenic byway.
About the Author:
Lisa Broadwater is a Central Oregon-based real estate professional who specializes in listing and selling homes, especially in Sisters, Tumalo, Redmond and Bend. If you'd like to learn more about Central Oregon, please visit www.CentralOregonHome4You.com.
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I was wondering where I had heard of McKenzie Pass and then I realized it must have been from those Western TV shows that were once so popular. Yes, I'm old enough to have lived through that era (TV shows, not wagon trains!).