View source for Oregon Route 126

{{short description|State highway in Oregon}}
{{Redirect|McKenzie Highway|the Canadian highway|Mackenzie Highway}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox road
| state = OR
| type = OR
| route = 126
| map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=240|type=line|from=Oregon Route 126.map}}
| map_custom = yes
| map_notes = OR 126 highlighted in red; business route highlighted in green
| length_mi = 204.63
| length_ref = <ref>{{cite web |url=http://worldofsigns.com/signs/3229/oregon-route-126/ |title=Oregon Route 126 |website=worldofsigns.com |access-date=December 31, 2020}}</ref>
| direction_a = West
| terminus_a = {{Jct|state=OR|US|101}} in [[Florence, Oregon|Florence]]
| junction = {{plainlist|
*{{Jct|state=OR|I|5}} in [[Eugene, Oregon|Eugene]]
*{{Jct|state=OR|US|20}} in [[Sisters, Oregon|Sisters]]
*{{Jct|state=OR|US|97}} in [[Redmond, Oregon|Redmond]]
}}
| direction_b = East
| terminus_b = {{Jct|state=OR|US|26}} in [[Prineville, Oregon|Prineville]]
| established = 1964
| history = Preceded by US&nbsp;126 (est. 1926)
| browse = {{or browse|previous_type=OR|previous_route=120|next_type=OR|next_route=127}}
{{or browse|previous_type=OR|previous_route=104|route=[[File:I-105.svg|x20px]]|next_type=OR|next_route=120}}
| counties = [[Lane County, Oregon|Lane]], [[Deschutes County, Oregon|Deschutes]], [[Crook County, Oregon|Crook]]
}}

'''Oregon OR&nbsp;126''' ('''OR&nbsp;126''') is a {{convert|204.63|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} [[State highway (US)|state highway]] that connects coastal, [[Western Oregon|western]], and [[Central Oregon|central]] parts of the U.S. state of [[Oregon]]. A short [[freeway]] section of OR 126 in [[Eugene, Oregon|Eugene]] and [[Springfield, Oregon|Springfield]] is [[Concurrency (road)|concurrent]] with '''Interstate 105''' ('''I-105''').

==Route description==

===Florence to Eugene===

The western terminus of OR&nbsp;126 is in [[Florence, Oregon|Florence]] at a junction with [[U.S. Route 101 in Oregon|US&nbsp;101]], the main north–south route along the Oregon Coast. The junction is located north of downtown Florence near the [[Florence Municipal Airport|municipal airport]] and the mouth of the [[Siuslaw River]], which empties into the nearby [[Pacific Ocean]]. OR&nbsp;126 travels east on the '''Florence-Eugene Highway No. 62''' (see [[Oregon highways and routes]]), which follows the Siuslaw River and the [[Coos Bay Rail Line]] out of Florence and into the [[Siuslaw National Forest]] and the foothills of the [[Oregon Coast Range|Coast Range]]. The highway turns north along a bend in the river to reach [[Mapleton, Oregon|Mapleton]], where it intersects [[Oregon Route 36|OR&nbsp;36]] and leaves the river and railroad for Knowles Creek.<ref name="googlemaps">{{google maps |title=Oregon Route 126 |url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/43.9746457,-124.1031074/44.3028695,-120.8584999/@44.2050882,-123.041222,205138m/am=t/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m10!3m4!1m2!1d-123.1074906!2d44.0521489!3s0x54c11e71c14b9b5b:0xa2a83f6f44703095!3m4!1m2!1d-123.092999!2d44.06267!3s0x54c11e061d39cd27:0xd1b885104127decd!1m0!3e0 |accessdate=December 12, 2022}}</ref><ref name="ODOT-Map">{{cite map |author=ODOT Geographic Information Services Unit |date=April 5, 2019 |title=Oregon 2019–2021 Official Highway Map |at=[https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Data/Documents/Map_Official_State_Back.pdf Eugene–Springfield and Vicinity] inset |url=https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Data/Documents/Map_Official_State_Front.pdf |publisher=[[Oregon Department of Transportation]] |accessdate=December 12, 2022}}</ref> OR&nbsp;126 continues east along the creek to the Ralph A. Petersen Tunnel, a {{convert|1,450|ft|m|adj=mid}} long tunnel that opened in 1957.<ref name="RG-Tunnel1988">{{cite news |date=October 22, 1988 |title=Mapleton tunnel to be renamed |page=2B |work=The Register-Guard |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9vJVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=luEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7068%2C5392362 |via=Google News Archive |accessdate=July 22, 2016}}</ref>

[[File:Driving Through the Petersen Tunnel.ogv|thumb|right|The Petersen Tunnel, heading east]]

From the tunnel, the highway descends from the mountains along Turner Creek to briefly rejoin the Siuslaw River and the Coos Bay Rail Line. OR&nbsp;126 and the railroad split from the river to follow Wildcat Creek northeast to Cougar Pass, which marks the boundary between the Siuslaw and [[Willamette River|Willamette]] river basins. The highway descends into the [[Willamette Valley]] and passes through the town of [[Veneta, Oregon|Veneta]] and along the south shore of the [[Fern Ridge Reservoir]].<ref name="googlemaps"/> It also joins a section of the Coos Bay Rail Line as it approaches [[Eugene, Oregon|Eugene]].<ref name="OR-RailMap">{{cite map |date=July 22, 2022 |title=State of Oregon Railroads, 2022 |url=https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Data/Documents/Railroads.pdf |publisher=Oregon Department of Transportation |accessdate=January 1, 2023}}</ref>

In the western outskirts of Eugene, OR&nbsp;126 intersects [[Oregon Route 569|OR&nbsp;569]], which forms a northern bypass of Eugene. The highway follows Amazon Creek on West 11th Avenue towards downtown Eugene, turning north onto Garfield Street for five blocks. It then becomes concurrent with [[Oregon Route 99|OR&nbsp;99]], which travels through downtown Eugene on a pair of [[one-way pair|one-way streets]]: West 7th Avenue for eastbound traffic and West 6th Avenue for westbound traffic. At a junction with Washington and Jefferson streets, OR&nbsp;126 turns north onto a freeway, which is designated as Interstate 105 (I-105).<ref name="googlemaps"/><ref name="ODOT-Map"/>

In January 2016, the Oregon Legislature passed SB 5, designating OR&nbsp;126 between Florence and Eugene as "'''[[William Tebeau]]''' '''Memorial Highway''',"<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Oregonian, Your Government, 2015 Session, Senate Bill 5, Provides that portion of State Highway 126 between Florence and Eugene shall be known as William Tebeau Memorial Highway |url=http://gov.oregonlive.com/bill/2015/SB5/ |access-date = January 29, 2016 |website=Oregon Live |year=2016}}</ref> named after a pioneering [[Oregon Department of Transportation|ODOT]] engineer.

===Freeway section===

{{Infobox road small
|state=OR
|type=I
|route=105
|location=[[Eugene, Oregon]]
|length_mi=3.49
|length_ref=<ref name="FHWA-log">{{cite web |title=Table 2: Auxiliary Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways |url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/interstate_highway_system/routefinder/table02.cfm |publisher=Federal Highway Administration |date=December 31, 2016 |access-date=December 22, 2017}}</ref>
|length_round=
|formed=
}}

At the junction with Washington and Jefferson streets in downtown Eugene lies the western terminus of '''Eugene-Springfield Highway No. 227''', an east-west [[freeway]] through the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area. OR&nbsp;126 is routed along this freeway for its entire length, and I-105 is routed along the first {{convert|3.5|mi|km}} until the interchange with [[Interstate 5 in Oregon|I-5]].

The bridge and viaduct carrying the first {{convert|1.5|mi|km}} of I-105 are sometimes known as the Washington-Jefferson Street Bridge.<ref name="ERG-Priorities1962">{{cite news |date=March 18, 1962 |title=Highway Priorities Listed By County, City Officials |page=9A |work=Eugene Register-Guard |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114131769/highway-priorities-listed-by-county/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate=December 4, 2022}}</ref> After crossing the [[Willamette River]], passing two exits, and entering Springfield, I-105 ends at an interchange with [[Interstate 5 in Oregon|I-5]], and OR&nbsp;126 continues east then turning south, with the freeway terminating at Main Street ([[OR 126 Business]]) in the [[Thurston, Springfield, Oregon|Thurston]] neighborhood of the city's east end.

In December 2011 the section of highway from the Washington-Jefferson Street Bridge to Springfield was renamed '''Officer Chris Kilcullen Memorial Highway''' to commemorate the fallen [[Eugene Police Department]] officer who was fatally wounded while conducting a traffic stop on the highway in April 2011.<ref>{{cite web |title=Officer Chris Kilcullen Memorial Highway signs unveiled, dedicated |url=http://www.kmtr.com/news/local/story/Officer-Chris-Kilcullen-Memorial-Highway-signs/064QHH3QM0SLfud-9g65jQ.cspx |publisher=KMTR-TV}}</ref>

===Springfield to Prineville===

OR&nbsp;126 continues east as '''McKenzie Highway No. 15''' and the '''McKenzie River Scenic Byway''',<ref>{{cite web |title=McKenzie River Scenic Byway |date=August 31, 2018 |url=https://traveloregon.com/things-to-do/trip-ideas/scenic-drives/mckenzie-river-scenic-byway/ |publisher=Travel Oregon}}</ref> flanking the McKenzie River for most of its length from Springfield into the Cascade Range. It turns north at Belknap Springs and follows the '''Clear Lake–Belknap Springs Highway No. 215''', passing the eponymous [[Clear Lake (Linn County, Oregon)|Clear Lake]]. The highway merges with [[U.S. Route 20 in Oregon|US&nbsp;20]] near Crescent Mountain and begins a concurrency that continues through Santiam Junction (the terminus of [[Oregon Route 22|OR&nbsp;22]]) and [[Sisters, Oregon|Sisters]] as '''Santiam Highway No. 16'''. [[Oregon Route 242|OR&nbsp;242]] is an alternative route between Belknap Springs and Sisters that travels between Mount Washington and the Three Sisters.

East of Sisters, OR&nbsp;126 splits from US&nbsp;20 (which turns southeast towards [[Bend, Oregon|Bend]]) and continues east onto the '''Sisters-Redmond Highway''' and resumes its designation as '''McKenzie Highway No. 15'''. The highway crosses [[Deschutes River]] and travels through [[Redmond, Oregon|Redmond]], where it is briefly concurrent with [[U.S. Route 97 in Oregon|US&nbsp;97]]'s bypass of the city. OR&nbsp;126 travels southeast on '''Ochoco Highway No. 41''' from Redmond, passing its [[Roberts Field|commercial airport]], to reach its eastern terminus at [[U.S. Route 26 in Oregon|U.S. Route 26]] (US&nbsp;26) in [[Prineville, Oregon|Prineville]].

{{clear}}

==History==
[[File:US 28 Oregon 1948.svg|thumb|100px|(1926&ndash;February&nbsp;1, 1952)]]
[[Image:US 126 (1961).svg|thumb|100px|(February&nbsp;1, 1952&ndash;1972)]]
In 1926, the route between Florence and [[Ontario, Oregon|Ontario]] was designated as [[U.S. Route 28|US 28]]. The Junction City-Florence section of the highway ran roughly along what are now OR&nbsp;36 and OR&nbsp;126.

In 1937, the same year a new [[U.S. Route 99 in Oregon|US&nbsp;99]] alignment between Eugene and Junction City opened, US&nbsp;28 was truncated and its western terminus moved to Glenwood (between Eugene and Springfield).

On February&nbsp;1, 1952, US&nbsp;28 was eliminated from the [[United States Numbered Highway System]]. The highway was redesignated [[U.S. Route 26 in Oregon|US&nbsp;26]] between the Oregon-Idaho border and Prineville (and then continuing north and west through [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]] to [[Astoria, Oregon|Astoria]]). The former US&nbsp;28 section between Prineville and Eugene was then designated '''U.S. Route&nbsp;126'''.<ref>{{cite news |date=January 11, 1952 |title=Federal Number Due State Roads |page=2 |work=[[Corvallis Gazette-Times]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40774739/1952_or_changes_january_11_1952/ |via=Newspapers.com |access-date = December 18, 2019}}</ref>

In 1957 the long-awaited direct route between Eugene and the coast, known as "Route F", was completed.<ref>{{cite news |last=Armstrong |first=John A. |date=July 14, 1957 |title=Far-Seeing Lane County Citizens Push System of Parks To Conserve Natural Sites for Fast Booming Populace |page=32 |work=The Oregonian}}</ref> It was primarily funded by the Lane County government with assistance from the federal government, with the goal of bypassing the longer Stagecoach Road.<ref name="RG-Tunnel1988"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Tims |first=Marvin |date=January 13, 1955 |title=Rt. F Tunnel Likely Project for Summer |page=1A |work=Eugene Register-Guard |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114545684/rt-f-tunnel-likely-project-for-summer/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 12, 2022}}</ref> It was proposed as early as the 1930s.<ref>{{cite news |date=January 3, 1934 |title=Short Route Plans Offer Alternatives |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114546624/short-route-plans-offer-alternatives/ 1], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114546640/short-route-plans-offer-alternatives/ 8] |work=Eugene Register-Guard |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114546624/short-route-plans-offer-alternatives/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 12, 2022}}</ref> The Knowles Creek tunnel was opened to traffic on June 4, 1957, and was later renamed for Ralph A. Petersen, a Lane County commissioner who had lobbied for the highway's construction.<ref name="RG-Tunnel1988"/> The state of Oregon formally named the new route the '''Eugene-Mapleton Highway''', but did not assign it a route number until 1964, when it became OR&nbsp;126.<ref>{{cite news |date=July 16, 1964 |title=Road Board Ends Tour |page=8 |work=[[Albany Democrat-Herald]] |agency=UPI |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41010365/road_board_ends_tour/ |via=Newspapers.com |access-date = December 23, 2019}}</ref> Highway authorities agreed to the duplication as a temporary one, as US&nbsp;126 would soon disappear under the ongoing elimination of three-digit U.S. Routes lying entirely within one state.

A freeway bypass of OR&nbsp;126 in Downtown Eugene, named the Q Street Freeway, was planned in the late 1950s and incorporated into the [[Interstate Highway System]] as I-105.<ref>{{cite news |date=February 1, 1961 |title=Q Street Extension Meets General Approval at Hearing |page=1B |work=Eugene Register-Guard |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114131749/q-street-extension-meets-general/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 4, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Jaques |first=Tom |date=March 9, 1960 |title=Eugene-Springfield Freeway Drivers to Face Small Forest of Directional Signs |page=1A |work=Eugene Register-Guard |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114131921/eugene-springfield-freeway-drivers-to/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 4, 2022}}</ref> Initial plans called for its route to follow Q Street from Coburg Road in Eugene (near the Delta Highway) to Mill Street in northern Springfield, with further extensions at both ends.<ref>{{cite news |last=Robinson |first=Don |date=February 25, 1962 |title=Now Who Has the Money? |page=11 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114131683/now-who-has-the-money/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 4, 2022}}</ref> The freeway would reach Downtown Eugene by following the Washington and Jefferson Street Bridge over the Willamette River, which had already been planned by the city government.<ref>{{cite news |last=Frear |first=Sam |date=August 29, 1963 |title=Traffic Relief Plea Made |page=1B |work=Eugene Register-Guard |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114131759/traffic-relief-plea-made/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 4, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=September 29, 1963 |title=Plans Afoot to Untangle River Road Traffic |page=3D |work=Eugene Register-Guard |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114131667/plans-afoot-to-untangle-river-road/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 4, 2022}}</ref> An eastern extension to Highway 126 near Springfield was also planned by the state government, but Lane County officials requested a longer route to avoid more of Springfield.<ref name="ERG-Priorities1962"/> The completed Eugene section of I-105 was dedicated by Governor [[Tom McCall]] on October 25, 1967, along with improvements to US&nbsp;126 in Springfield.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 26, 1967 |title=Governor Lauds Lane Highways |page=B1 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=j_soAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5OADAAAAIBAJ&pg=4870%2C5771576 |via=Google News Archive |access-date = July 22, 2020}}</ref>

In 1972, the [[American Association of State Highway Officials]] dropped US&nbsp;126 from its highway system. The state of Oregon promptly redesignated the Prineville-Eugene section of the former U.S. Route, and the Mapleton-Florence section of OR&nbsp;36, as OR&nbsp;126.

===Prior routes===
The routes of OR&nbsp;126 and its predecessors have changed numerous times over the years. The original route of US&nbsp;28 from Florence to Eugene ran through [[Junction City, Oregon|Junction City]], and overlapped [[U.S. Route 99 in Oregon|US&nbsp;99]] (now [[Oregon Route 99|OR&nbsp;99]]) from there south to Eugene. The route between Junction City and Brickerville is now [[Oregon Route 36|OR&nbsp;36]]; the original route of US&nbsp;28 west of Brickerville is no longer on the state highway system.

In 1972, US&nbsp;126 was eliminated and OR&nbsp;126 through the Eugene-Springfield area was routed onto a newly constructed freeway through north and east Springfield, and then the older I-105 at Eugene. The portions of the former US&nbsp;126 rolling through downtown Springfield and Eugene were designated as the OR&nbsp;126 business route.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=oroads.com |title=Interstate 105 |url=https://www.angelfire.com/or3/oroads/roads/i105/index.html |access-date = October 2, 2007}}</ref>

The place where OR&nbsp;126 and its predecessors cross the [[Cascade Range|Cascades]] has changed over the years. Originally, the highway was routed over [[McKenzie Pass]], a high mountainous route that frequently was closed in winter due to poor road conditions. In 1962, the Clear Lake Cutoff was constructed between [[Clear Lake, Oregon|Clear Lake]] and [[Belknap Springs, Oregon|Belknap Springs]], connecting the McKenzie Highway to the [[Santiam Highway]] ([[U.S. Route 20 in Oregon|US&nbsp;20]]) to the north. US&nbsp;126 was re-routed over the cutoff and ran concurrently with US&nbsp;20 east over the Cascades to Sisters, where it resumes its original course. The stretch of the McKenzie Highway between Belknap Springs and Sisters is now designated as [[Oregon Route 242|OR&nbsp;242]]. OR&nbsp;242 is primarily a scenic route and is not plowed in wintertime.<ref>[http://mckenzie.orenews.com/visitorguide/eastmckbr.html East of McKenzie Bridge] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061211143503/http://mckenzie.orenews.com/visitorguide/eastmckbr.html |date=December 11, 2006}}</ref>

===Proposed expansions===
Currently, the route of Oregon OR&nbsp;126 through western Eugene runs along several [[surface street]]s, most notably including West 11th Avenue. This route is well known in the Eugene area for traffic problems. Several projects have been proposed to deal with this; however, none has met with community approval.

A new proposed alignment of OR&nbsp;126, the ''West Eugene Parkway'' is being planned by transportation authorities (but is facing fierce opposition from activists opposed to the parkway). The proposed parkway, a limited-access [[Limited-access road|expressway]] with some at-grade intersections and some interchanges, would run north of the current West 11th alignment. Transportation planners have argued that the new route is necessary to fight congestion in Eugene and its western suburbs and that the highway would facilitate traffic and growth in the year 2025. Highway opponents note that world petroleum supplies will likely be in decline long before the road would be completed, and therefore modest fixes to existing roads would be sufficient.

The [[Roosevelt Freeway (Oregon)|Roosevelt Freeway]] was a [[freeway]] proposed in the 1960s and planned in the 1970s, which would serve as a new alignment of OR&nbsp;126 through west Eugene. It was cancelled in 1978 due to [[Highway revolts in the United States|community opposition]].

Construction on the parkway was set to begin in 2006 though land-use appeals and lack of funding delayed and ultimately prevented groundbreaking on the project.<ref>{{Cite web| title=West Eugene Parkway Assessment | url=https://www.udall.gov/SupportFiles/CaseBriefings/pdf/1040PR06.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911013043/http://www.udall.gov/SupportFiles/CaseBriefings/pdf/1040PR06.pdf | archive-date=2015-09-11}}</ref>

====Roosevelt Freeway====
The '''Roosevelt Freeway''' was a proposed freeway alignment of OR&nbsp;126 through [[Eugene, Oregon]] and its western suburbs. The project was canceled in 1972, largely due to the Oregon [[Highway revolts in the United States|freeway revolts]].

The freeway was proposed to go north of the current OR&nbsp;126 alignment along West 11th Avenue, Roosevelt Boulevard and the Willamette River near the Whitaker neighborhood, and connect to the current I-105 just south of the Washington-Jefferson Street Bridge.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.permatopia.com/wetlands/1967.html |title=Eugene's 1967 Highway Plan |publisher=Permatopia.com |access-date = August 11, 2012}}</ref> (A proposed eastward extension of the project, the '''Skinner Butte Freeway''', never made it off the drawing board).

The freeway was designed to solve a longstanding traffic issue in Eugene, the inadequacy of West 11th Avenue (a neighborhood arterial) to handle long-haul and commuter traffic. Many commuters, as well as state transportation officials, strongly desired to build the freeway. Plans for the freeway were completed in the mid-1970s, and the state of Oregon had begun buying up property for the right-of-way. A [[ramp stub]] currently exists on I-105, where the interchange with the Roosevelt Freeway would have been.

[[Image:Interstate105ghostramp eugene oregon.jpg|thumb|300px|This [[ramp stub]], as seen from the west side of Skinner Butte, was supposed to provide access to the canceled Roosevelt Freeway from Interstate 105.]]

However, the freeway proved to be unpopular with Eugene residents, due to its impact on existing neighborhoods and riverfront access. In 1978, the so-called "T-2000" transportation plan was adopted, which effectively killed the Roosevelt Freeway by removing it from the plan's list of transportation projects. The plan did call for an east–west corridor through west Eugene, but for a scaled-down version. The mothballed West Eugene Parkway, a non-freeway route on a similar alignment, was seen by supporters and critics alike as an implementation of these plans.

====West Eugene Parkway====
{{More citations needed section|date=May 2010}}
The '''West Eugene Parkway''', or WEP, was a proposed re-alignment of OR&nbsp;126 through the western parts of Eugene and its suburbs. OR&nbsp;126 runs through west Eugene along several [[surface street]]s, including West 11th Avenue, which is well known for its traffic problems. The proposed route, a limited-access [[Limited-access road|expressway]] with some at-grade intersections and one interchange, would have run north of the current West 11th alignment, terminating at the western terminus of the Sixth-Seventh Avenue couplet carrying [[Oregon Route 99|OR&nbsp;99]] through west Eugene. The project proved to be highly controversial. In July 2006, [[Oregon Department of Transportation|ODOT]] suspended work on it, and recommended a no-build alternative to the [[Federal Highway Administration]].<ref>[http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/REGION2/wep.shtml Northwest Region- Region 2 West Eugene Parkway Project] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070507124030/http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/REGION2/wep.shtml |date=May 7, 2007}}</ref>

Transportation planners argued that the new route is necessary to fight [[traffic congestion]] in Eugene and its western suburbs and that the highway would facilitate traffic and growth in the year 2025.

Opponents to the parkway have several reasons for their objection:
* The route is not needed; further road construction is a symptom of [[urban sprawl]] and better [[land use planning]] is the solution
* The route will encourage further development and urban sprawl in west Eugene
* World petroleum supplies will likely be in decline long before the road would be completed, and therefore modest fixes to existing roads would be sufficient
* The proposed route will disrupt environmentally-sensitive areas, including [[wetlands]] near the proposed alignment
* The parkway is just a resurrection of the old Roosevelt Freeway proposal (canceled in 1972), and calling the proposed project a "parkway" is deceptive
* The proposed route will just dump more traffic in Eugene's downtown core. The project fails the federally mandated "independent utility" test, and is thus illegal, because public transportation projects must be self-standing, according to federal law. It is alleged that construction of the parkway will raise traffic on Sixth and Seventh Avenues to unacceptable levels, requiring construction of a new highway through downtown. If such a design element was included in the current plan, such inclusion would likely lead to its cancellation.
* Funds spent on the project (officially $169 million) would be better spent on other improvements to the area transportation network.
* Over the past 20 years Eugene City Planning required businesses build along the West 11th corridor to place their parking lots ''behind'' their buildings, resulting in many buildings erected close to the existing street.  Construction of the proposed parkway would require widening of the current road, forcing many of these businesses to close or relocate.  Consequently, the project was opposed by many business owners along the route.

On June 18 and 19, 2001, the City of Eugene, Lane County, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), among others, held a two-day "West Eugene [[Charrette]]" to discuss the future of the project. Most participants were supporters of the highway, but at the end of the conference agreed to select the "no-build" option. This consensus was not implemented, although ODOT and FHWA continued to spend millions, for a time, on the environmental impact statement.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.permatopia.com/wetlands/nobuild.html |title=Report on WEP charette |publisher=Permatopia.com |access-date = August 11, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060819061223/http://www.permatopia.com/wetlands/nobuild.html |archive-date = August 19, 2006 |url-status = dead}}</ref>

Supporters, and the government agencies involved in the planning of the project, pointed to the fact that the parkway proposal has been approved by city voters in two referendum elections, most recently in 2001. Opponents note that the election was 51 to 49, and that proponents claimed "The Money Is There" when selling the project. The official price tag for the WEP was $88 million in 2001, but a 2004 estimate by local and state governments predicts the cost is really $169 million. Few WEP proponents support tax increases to pay for the highway.

On October 26, 2005, the Eugene City Council voted 5-4 to withdraw the city's support for the project, although the City of Eugene has continued its agreement with ODOT to assume responsibility for maintaining part of the road. The city also owns the property for the parkway that has not yet been transferred to the BLM nature preserve for conservation and restoration.

In July 2006, ODOT withdrew its support of the project, effectively stopping further progress.

==Business route==
{{Infobox road small
|state=OR
|type=OR-Bus
|route=126
|location=[[Eugene, Oregon|Eugene]] – [[Springfield, Oregon|Springfield]]
|length_mi=6.64
|length_ref=<ref name="OR-Straightline-015"/>
|formed=
}}

'''OR&nbsp;126 Business''' is a state [[business route]] of OR&nbsp;126 that travels for {{convert|6.64|mi|km}} through the central districts of [[Eugene, Oregon|Eugene]] and [[Springfield, Oregon|Springfield]]. It also forms the westernmost part of '''McKenzie Highway No. 15''' under Oregon's named highways system.<ref name="OR-Straightline-015">{{cite web |date=August 2016 |title=Straightline Charts: McKenzie Highway No. 15 |url=https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Data/Documents/SLC_Hwy015.pdf |publisher=Oregon Department of Transportation |accessdate=December 4, 2022 |archive-date=September 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923052628/https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/Data/Documents/SLC_Hwy015.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> At the western terminus of I-105, OR&nbsp;126 heads west on Sixth Avenue (cosigned with OR&nbsp;99). From that same terminus, Business OR&nbsp;126 heads east, also cosigned with OR&nbsp;99, along Seventh Avenue. This route then proceeds through Eugene's downtown core and turns south at an interchange near the [[Ferry Street Bridge (Eugene, Oregon)|Ferry Street Bridge]].

After two blocks, Business OR&nbsp;126/OR&nbsp;99 turns east again on East Broadway, which becomes Franklin Boulevard at Alder Street. Franklin Boulevard separates the south shore of the Willamette River from the northern edge of the [[University of Oregon]] campus.

Past the university campus and surrounding business district, Business OR&nbsp;126 and OR&nbsp;99 split. OR&nbsp;99 joins southbound I-5, while OR&nbsp;126 continues eastbound through the community of Glenwood. It then crosses the Willamette River and enters the city of Springfield. Business OR&nbsp;126 continues east through downtown Springfield, eventually rejoining the main stem of OR&nbsp;126 in the Thurston neighborhood of the city's east end.

==Major intersections==
Note: mileposts do not reflect actual mileage due to realignments.
{{jcttop|exit|length_ref=<ref name=inventory>[[Oregon Department of Transportation]], [http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/TDATA/rics/PublicRoadsInventory.shtml Public Road Inventory] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080224153306/http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/TDATA/rics/PublicRoadsInventory.shtml |date=February 24, 2008 }} (primarily the Digital Video Log), accessed April 2008</ref>}}
{{ORint|exit
|county=Lane
|cspan=19
|location=Florence
|mile=0.02
|road={{jct|state=OR|US|101|city1=Yachats|city2=Newport|city3=Reedsport|city4=Coos Bay}}
|notes=}}
{{ORint|exit
|location=Mapleton
|mile=14.40
|road={{jct|state=OR|OR|36|dir1=east|city1=Swisshome|city2=Junction City}}
|notes=}}
{{ORint|exit
|location=Veneta
|mile=46.92
|road={{jct|state=OR|OR|200|name1=Territorial Highway|city1=Elmira|city2=Veneta}}
|notes=}}
{{ORint|exit
|location=none
|mile=52.69
|mile2=0.00
|line=y
|place=West end of formerly proposed West Eugene Parkway}}
{{ORint|exit
|location=Eugene
|lspan=7
|mile=3.10
|road={{jct|state=OR|OR|569|dir1=north|to2=to|I|5|OR|99|name1=Beltline Highway|city1=Santa Clara|city2=Springfield}}
|notes=}}
{{ORint|exit
|mile=122.26
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=OR|OR|99|dir1=north|city1=Eugene Airport|city2=Junction City|extra=airport}}
|notes=West end of OR 99 overlap}}
{{ORint|exit
|mile=123.10
|road=Blair Boulevard
|notes=Former [[Junction City-Eugene Highway]] }}
{{ORint|exit
|mile=123.30
|road=Jefferson Street&nbsp;– [[Lane County Fairgrounds]]
|notes=}}
{{ORint|exit
|mile=123.37
|mile2=0.00
|type=concur
|line=y
|road={{jct|state=OR|OR|99|OR-Bus|126|dir1=south|dir2=east|city1=Downtown Eugene|city2=Springfield}}<br />{{jct|state=OR|I|105|dir1=begins}}
|notes=East end of OR 99 overlap; west end of freeway and I-105 overlap}}
{{ORint|exit
|mile=0.89
|exit=1
|road=[[File:OR 569.svg|25px|alt=|link=]] [[Delta Highway]] to [[OR 569|OR&nbsp;569]] (Beltline Highway)
|notes=}}
{{ORint|exit
|mile=1.96
|exit=2
|road=Country Club Road, Coburg Road&nbsp;– [[Downtown Eugene, Oregon|Downtown Eugene]]
|notes=}}
{{ORint|exit
|location=Springfield
|lspan=6
|mile=3.50
|exit=4
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=OR|I|5|city1=Roseburg|city2=Salem|dir2=east}}<br />{{jct|state=OR|I|105|dir1=ends}}
|notes=East end of I-105 overlap; signed as exits 4A (south) and 4B (north); I-5 exits 194A-B}}
{{ORint|exit
|mile=4.67
|exit=—
|road={{jct|state=OR|OR|528|dir1=south|city1=Springfield City Center}}
|notes=}}
{{ORint|exit
|mile=6.09
|exit=—

|road=Mohawk Boulevard
|notes=}}
{{ORint|exit
|mile=7.51
|exit=—
|road=42nd Street&nbsp;– [[Marcola, Oregon|Marcola]]
|notes=Western access to [[Weyerhaeuser]] Complex}}
{{ORint|exit
|mile=9.05
|road=52nd Street
|notes=Eastern access to [[Weyerhaeuser]] Complex}}
{{ORint|exit
|mile=9.05
|place=East end of freeway}}
{{ORint|exit
|location=none
|mile=9.97
|mile2=6.23
|line=yes
|road={{jct|state=OR|OR-Bus|126|dir1=west|city1=Springfield City Center}}
|notes=}}
{{ORint|exit
|location=none
|mile=54.97
|mile2=19.81
|line=y
|road={{jct|state=OR|OR|242|dir1=east|city1=McKenzie Pass|name1=Scenic Route}}
|notes=}}
{{ORint|exit
|county=Linn
|cspan=2
|location=none
|mile=0.00
|mile2=71.69
|line=yes
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=OR|US|20|dir1=west|city1=Sweet Home|city2=Lebanon|city3=Albany}}
|notes=West end of US 20 overlap}}
{{ORint|exit
|location=Santiam Junction
|mile=74.90
|road={{jct|state=OR|OR|22|dir1=west|city1=Detroit|city2=Salem}}
|notes=}}
{{ORint|exit
|county=Deschutes
|cspan=4
|location=Sisters
|lspan=2
|mile=100.12
|mile2=92.03
|line=yes
|road={{jct|state=OR|OR|242|dir1=west|city1=McKenzie Pass|name1=Scenic Route}}
|notes=}}
{{ORint|exit
|mile=93.07
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=OR|US|20|dir1=east|city1=Bend|city2=Burns}}
|notes=East end of US 20 overlap}}
{{ORint|exit
|location=none
|mile=107.43
|exit=—
|road=[[Cline Falls Highway]]
|notes=Interchange}}
{{ORint|exit
|location=Redmond
|mile=111.94
|mile2=-0.06
|line=yes
|road={{jct|state=OR|US|97|city1=Madras|city2=Portland|city3=Bend|city4=Klamath Falls}}
|notes=}}
{{ORint|exit
|county=Crook
|cspan=3
|location=Powell Butte
|mile=6.84
|road=Bozarth Road
|notes=Former [[Powell Butte Highway]] }}
{{ORint|exit
|location=Prineville
|lspan=2
|mile=17.92
|road={{jct|state=OR|OR|370|dir1=west|name1=O'Neil Highway|city1=O'Neil|city2=Terrebonne}}
|notes=}}
{{ORint|exit
|mile=18.16
|road={{jct|state=OR|US|26|city1=Madras|city2=Portland|city3=Prineville City Center|city4=John Day}}
|notes=}}
{{jctbtm|exit|keys=concur}}

==See also==
* {{Portal-inline|Oregon}}
* {{Portal-inline|U.S. Roads}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{attached KML|display=title,inline}}
* "[https://www.jstor.org/stable/20610568 Beginnings of the McKenzie Highway, 1862]" ''[[Oregon Historical Quarterly]]'', 1930
* [https://www.angelfire.com/or3/oroads/roads/i105/index.html I-105] at ORoads
* [http://www.permatopia.com/wetlands.html Wetlands]: West Eugene Transportation, Land and Neighborhood Design Solutions, an alternative to the $200 million WEP
* [http://www2.eugeneweekly.com/2001/01_04_01/coverstory.html West Eugene Parkway controversy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927222357/http://www2.eugeneweekly.com/2001/01_04_01/coverstory.html |date=September 27, 2007 }}

{{I-5 aux}}

[[Category:State routes in Oregon|126]]
[[Category:Transportation in Lane County, Oregon]]
[[Category:Transportation in Deschutes County, Oregon]]
[[Category:Transportation in Linn County, Oregon]]
[[Category:Transportation in Jefferson County, Oregon]]
[[Category:Transportation in Crook County, Oregon]]
[[Category:Deschutes National Forest]]
[[Category:Willamette National Forest]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Transportation in Eugene, Oregon]]