The $252 million project was completed in just over four years on schedule and on budget. The project consists of almost 4 miles of new 2-lane roadway connecting OR 99W just west of Dundee to OR 219 south of Newberg. Springbrook Road was reconstructed to connect the Bypass with OR 99W east of downtown Newberg.
Travelers will be able to enter the Bypass at two new signalized intersections at OR 99W west of Dundee and at OR 219 south of Newberg. Also, the intersections of OR 219 and Springbrook Road and OR 99W and Springbrook Road were rebuilt with new signals that will help control the increased traffic that will use Springbrook Road.
Phase 1 of the Bypass was built under several contracts which allowed the project to be completed within a shorter timeframe and enabled Oregon companies to work on the project. The project was funded with $190 million from the Jobs and Transportation Act (JTA) passed by the Oregon Legislature in 2009, some federal funding, and $20 million from the cities of Newberg, Dundee, McMinnville, Yamhill County and the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde.
The project includes 10 new bridges, including one bridge that is almost one half mile long. Its official route number is OR 18, adding another segment to the already existing road in Northwest Oregon. The maximum speed on the Bypass will be 55 miles per hour. It also included the installation of five new TripCheck cameras at key areas on and near the Bypass to aid travelers.
The Bypass is expected to significantly reduce congestion and travel time on OR 99W through Newberg and Dundee, and increase safety. Large truck traffic on OR 99W will decrease by 50 to 75 percent in Newberg and Dundee.
The full Bypass will be an 11-mile, four-lane limited access expressway around the cities of Dundee and Newberg. The Oregon Legislature appropriated $22 million in House Bill 2017 this year for the design of Phase 2 that will connect the Bypass at OR 219 and at OR 99W near Rex Hill east of Newberg.