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Editorial: It's time to break ground on Newberg-Dundee Bypass

Columns | Sun, 12/06/2009 - 12:08 pm | Read 955 | Commented 3 | Emailed 1

The 2009 Legislature earmarked $192 million for the first phase of the Newberg-Dundee Bypass - a six-mile stretch from Fulquartz Landing west of Dundee to Highway 219 in Newberg. With good reason, proponents of the project are shouting, "Build it now!"

We'll add our voice to that chorus, with emphasis that Phase One must be followed by completion of the full bypass project.

The Dundee-Newberg bottlenecks frustrate residents and out-of-towners alike. Commercial and personal traffic are hindered by long delays. For instance, trips from McMinnville to Portland that once took 45 minutes have increased to 90 minutes, even longer during rush hour.

The bypass is vital to the region's economy. Agriculture and businesses need speedy transportation of goods to and from Portland and the coast.

Dundee and Newberg want their cities back. In the past decade, traffic volume through downtown Newberg has increased more than 40 percent, with more than 40,000 vehicles traveling through daily.

The congestion is unhealthy for people and the environment, affecting safety and livability. Relief is long, long overdue, but now, after decades of hard work by hundreds at the local, state and federal levels, the time has come for the state to break ground.

The accomplishments leading up to this moment are monumental:

The full 11-mile bypass route from just North of Newberg to Highway 18 at McDougall's Corner, has been approved by the Federal Highway Administration and the Oregon Department of Transportation.

The overall project is in the final stages of the design Environmental Impact Study. Right-of-way acquisition is underway, and the preliminary engineering is complete.

We're concerned about what will happen when traffic is dumped back onto crowded roadways on the other side of Newberg, perhaps creating another set of issues for traffic flow. Hopefully, the bypass will send more traffic directly to I-5 via Highway 219 and the McKay-Ehlen Road corridor.

Despite that unanswered question, we support the much-needed Newberg-Dundee Bypass as a solution to moving traffic and commerce through the county.

Economic growth and stability are much better served by an efficient transportation system. This bypass has met all the requirements, passed regulatory muster and has committed funding.

It's time to break ground.

Print | Email Updated 38 weeks 4 days ago

Comments (3)

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Thu, 12/10/2009 - 9:43pm - Posted by: jbladine

SP:

I'm not sure exactly who you're referring to as "everyone" who thinks the project is wasteful spending. But supporters of the bypass range from Republicans Larry George and Bruce Starr to a democratic governor and majority Legislature. City governments from Newberg to Dundee to McMinnville to Lincoln City. All 3 county commissioners -- nonpartisan offices, but definitely from two political parties. Dave Haugeberg and many people involved in the bypass committee. McMinnville Leadership Council, McMinnville Economic Partnership and the McMinnville Chamber. Many local business interests, and many local citizens. And yes, the newspaper, but hardly editorializing from an isolated island of thought.

Jeb Bladine
News-Register

Thu, 12/10/2009 - 9:40pm - Posted by: jbladine

SP:

Jeb Bladine
News-Register

Thu, 12/10/2009 - 8:30pm - Posted by: sp_redelectric

"The Dundee-Newberg bottlenecks frustrate residents and out-of-towners alike. Commercial and personal traffic are hindered by long delays. For instance, trips from McMinnville to Portland that once took 45 minutes have increased to 90 minutes, even longer during rush hour."

The problem is that the Bypass is going to do very, very little to resolve that.

Yes - Dundee gets backed up. Simply widening 99W through Dundee to five-lanes would do miracles for traffic AND the city - and would cost a tiny, tiny fraction of $192 million -- leaving enough money left over to widen 99W all the day from Archery Summit Road west to McDougall's Corner and onto 18 to Three Mile Lane (since much of the right-of-way is already owned by ODOT, and the portion of it along 18 is already graded for future highway widening - saving substantial construction costs.)

Once you leave Newberg and head up Rex Hill you have an uphill climb where traffic is poorly managed causing backups by idiot drivers failing to heed the speed limit. A third uphill lane is needed - or OSP officers in force to cite people illegally driving in the left lane and obstructing traffic. Once over the hill and into Sherwood you have a stretch of 99W that has FIVE traffic lights where there was only one before (Six Corners) and then two after the Six Corners mess was fixed. Continue on to Tualatin Road where congestion starts up all the way through King City and into Tigard - thanks to poor traffic management, with too many roadway entrances, mismatched speed limits, poorly timed traffic signals...

I live in Tigard now and it takes 15-20 minutes JUST to get through Tigard (except at maybe 3:00 AM.) Dundee is hardly a problem except on Sunday afternoons with the Oregon Coast crowd.

I guess the N-R would rather see wasteful, inefficient spending on questionable projects than actual, cost-effective solutions that make sense to everyone.