A major east-west state route, Oregon 126 travels from U.S. 101/Oregon Coast Highway in Florence east to U.S. 26 in Prineville after passing through Eugene, Springfield, Santiam Pass, Sisters, and Redmond.
In Eugene, the state highway follows West 11th Avenue into west Eugene from Florence and the Oregon coast line. Oregon 126 turns north onto Garfield Street to make the leap from 11th Avenue to the one-way street couplet with 6th & 7th Avenues (Oregon 99). Oregon 99 & 126 overlap to the ramps with Interstate 105 at the couplet of Jefferson and Washington Streets. There Oregon 126 turns north onto the Interstate 105 freeway to Springfield. Business Oregon 126 overtakes the former U.S. 126 alignment along 6th & 7th Avenues east to Mill Street, Broadway, and Franklin Avenue through downtown Eugene.
Oregon 126 shares pavement with the entire routing of Interstate 105 between Oregon 99 and Interstate 5. Interstate 105 officially ends at the directional cloverleaf interchange with Interstate 5. Oregon 126 continues east as a freeway into the city of Springfield. Business Oregon 126, meanwhile, crosses the Willamette River via Franklin Boulevard from Greenwood into Springfield. Old U.S. 126 follows Main Street through the Springfield central business eastward to its reuniting with Oregon 126. Oregon 126 meanwhile follows a freeway east to 52nd Street, and an expressway south from there to Oregon 126 Business and Main Street. The state highway departs Springfield via the McKenzie Highway into the Cascade Range.
Oregon 126 replaced the routing of U.S. 126 in 1972; U.S. 126 was eliminated since it was less than 300 miles long and was wholly located within one state. U.S. 126 itself only existed for 20 years, between 1952 and 1972. Its parent route, U.S. 26, didn't extend west into Oregon until 1950, when it was extended west from Wyoming into Idaho and Oregon.
Oregon Route 126 Guides
Connect with:
Interstate 5
Interstate 105
Route 99 and Historic U.S. 99
Page Updated 11-17-2005.