Aufderheide Drive bridge work continues, limiting McKenzie corridor access

A full closure on Forest Service Road 19 has cut off the Aufderheide Drive corridor near Rainbow through April 30, blocking access from Highway 126 to Cougar Reservoir, Terwilliger Cougar Hot Springs and other east Lane County recreation sites while bridge work continues near milepost 55.5.

Crews have set bridge beams and removed a failing culvert about 2.5 miles south of Highway 126, where the U.S. Forest Service is replacing a damaged section of road with a 61-foot concrete bridge. The project also includes repaving and new guardrail work. Forest Service guidance says access is expected to open to single-lane traffic in May, but travelers should expect delays.

The closure matters far beyond a single road segment. Aufderheide Drive connects Highway 126 and Highway 58 and is part of the 220-mile West Cascades Scenic Byway, so it serves hikers, campers, hot spring visitors and businesses tied to McKenzie River corridor travel. Forest Service recreation pages list Cougar Reservoir Area, Cougar Crossing Day Use Area and Roaring Ridge North Trailhead as affected destinations. Terwilliger Cougar Hot Springs is not reachable from Highway 126 during the closure.

Travelers can still reach the corridor from the south through Westfir, but the round trip from Westfir to the hot springs is about 100 miles and comes with minimal to no cell service. That makes trip planning, fuel and timing much more important for anyone trying to get into the backcountry or reach a destination in the McKenzie area.

The repair is part of a longer recovery from the Holiday Farm Fire, which began Sept. 7, 2020, about three miles west of McKenzie Bridge and moved through Blue River, Finn Rock, Nimrod, Vida and Leaburg. A Forest Service BAER summary said the fire affected 141 miles of Forest Service roads and increased the risk of road damage or failure from rock fall, debris flow and drainage structure failure. Oregon Department of Transportation’s OR 126 East Safety Study said the fire devastated a 22-mile stretch of the McKenzie Highway corridor.

For Lane County residents and visitors alike, the current closure is a reminder that wildfire recovery in the McKenzie corridor is still reshaping how people move, recreate and reach the forest years after the fire. The McKenzie River Ranger Station is at 57600 McKenzie Highway in McKenzie Bridge, and the station can be reached at 541-822-3381.