The Oregon Department of Transportation is warning cyclists and pedestrians to stay off Old McKenzie Pass Highway as road crews prepare the scenic byway for the summer season.

The byway, state Route 242, was closed to vehicles in November. The road is not maintained through the winter, and cyclists and pedestrians use it at their own risk.

But now ODOT has heavy equipment plowing and clearing the road, which creates a serious safety issue, said Peter Murphy, an ODOT spokesman.

“I know people are trying to get out and about,” Murphy said Tuesday. “It’s a safety issue. Someone could get really hurt.”

Warning signs are posted at the entrance gate outside of Sisters.

In addition to the ODOT crews, the scenic byway has heavy snow in some areas that is also dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians, Murphy said.

Nine feet of snow was recently measured at Windy Point, east of the Dee Wright Observatory. And about eight feet of snow is being reported at the Obsidian Trailhead, west of the Three Sisters mountain range.

Old McKenzie Pass Highway traditionally opens for vehicles on the third Monday in June. Even after it’s plowed, the road is still usually covered in debris and is not safe for cyclists, Murphy said.

“It’s easy for a cyclist to slip,” he said.

When it’s open, the highway averages about 350 vehicles per day, according to state transportation records. Vehicles longer than 35 feet are not allowed at any time on highway.

The 37-mile route, at 5,325-feet elevation, traditionally closes in mid-November when snow starts to accumulate and it becomes difficult for crews to remove the snow.

The earliest closure of the highway was Oct. 18, 1996. The latest closure was Jan. 10, 1939, state transportation records show.

McKenzie Pass was the main route between Eugene and Bend, but became a seasonal highway in 1962, when construction finished on state Highway 126.