MCKENZIE BRIDGE, Oregon (STPNS) -- BLUE RIVER: Since September, contractors have been working to reconstruct a portion of U.S. Forest Service Road 15. The road-way experienced extensive damage in January when heavy rains caused soil under the asphalt to collapse. Forest Service Road 19 (also known as Aufderheide Drive) was also closed due to a slide between the 1938 Road and 1940 Road.

Most of the work has revolved around rebuilding an embankment that had supported the road. To do this, nearly 12,000 cubic yards of rock were brought in to buttress the hillside. Once the embankment work is complete, crews will begin to shape and lay the road structure.



“Creating the road structure will take several weeks,” said Brandon Green, Forest Engineer, “Right now, we are hoping to reopen the road by mid-November.”

Green added that if heavy rains prevent the final paving of the road, the work would be done the following year; however the route could still be opened to public use.

The Forest Service Road 15 accesses the Blue River Reservoir from Highway 126 east of Blue River. It is the main road to the H.J. Andrews Experimental For-est and Mona Campground, as well as the Lookout Campground and Boat Launch. It is currently closed to all public traffic.