Mount Thielsen towers above the Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway along Highway 230.

The Federal Highway Administration has announced open house meetings to be held Aug. 8 in Gold Hill and Aug. 9 in Prospect to help create a master plan for bicycle and pedestrian facilities along a 172-mile stretch of designated scenic byways in northern Jackson County and eastern Douglas County.

The byways take in four rural highways — 230, 234, 62 and 138 — that run from Gold Hill to Roseburg via the Diamond Lake area. The route is shaped somewhat like a backward C.

The meetings will include large maps of the corridor and discussion about “challenges, opportunities and areas of interest for users,” according to Cole Grisham, project manager.

Project tasks include documenting existing conditions and collecting travel data for major recreation sites along the corridor in order to understand current and future demand. Conceptual designs and construction cost estimates for facility improvements would follow, as would a final report.

Project goals include addressing bicycle and pedestrian facility needs along the entire corridor. The two-year project got underway in March and is scheduled to end in March 2025. Partner agencies include the Oregon Department of Transportation and the U.S. Forest Service.

The public may drop in at any time during the two-hour meetings, which are set for 5-7 p.m. Aug. 8 at the Gold Hill library, 202 Dardanelles St.; and 5-7 p.m. Aug. 9 at the Prospect library, 150 Mill Creek Drive.

For more information, contact Grisham at 202-839-1409 or nicholas.grisham@dot.gov. The project’s website can be seen at bit.ly/43xNyLS. More information about scenic byways in Oregon can be found online at bit.ly/44Ea1Z3.