Oregon Route 58 - Route Description

Route Description

Oregon Route 58 begins (at its western terminus) at an interchange with Interstate 5 and Oregon Route 99 near Goshen, located between the cities of Eugene and Creswell. It heads due southeast from there, following the course of the Willamette River into the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. The highway passes several lakes, including Dexter Lake and Lookout Point Lake, and provides access to the town of Lowell. Further into the mountains, it passes through the cities of Oakridge and Westfir. It continues into the mountains, to the summit of Willamette Pass, after which it descends into central Oregon. Oregon Route 58 terminates at an interchange with U.S. Route 97.

Oregon Route 58 is of high importance as a freight corridor. It is the primary route between the Willamette Valley and south-central Oregon, including the Klamath Falls region. It also is the preferred route to points further southeast, including Reno, Nevada. Finally, it is an important alternate route for traffic moving up and down the West Coast, as bad weather frequently closes Interstate 5 at the Siskiyou Summit during the winter. It should be noted that the Union Pacific Railroad I-5 Corridor main line through Oregon and California roughly follows OR 58 and US 97. While a rail line exists through Siskiyou Summit, it is difficult for trains to use even in good weather, due to an excessively steep grade, and is often uneconomical to use in winter weather. It is common for West Coast truck traffic to prefer OR 58 and US 97 to Interstate 5 for the same reason.

Two scenic byways—the West Cascades Scenic Byway and the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway—intersect with OR 58.