Well, the bypass has finally opened. Locals have been waiting for a very long time to use it and measure its effectiveness. Anyone driving through Dundee during rush hour knows how congested the 99W can be. To go just a few miles can take more than 20 minutes. The bypass was made to alleviate some of that congestion by connecting Highway 99W in Dundee with Highway 219 southeast of Newberg.

I tried using the bypass the very first day and have been using it often since then. I have to say, it’s a pretty smooth drive, and traffic going through Dundee does seem lighter now. I definitely save time using the bypass if I am in the Dundee Hills and need to drive past Newberg and head towards Portland. I will be very curious to see how things go at the bypass intersection when the busy season hits the Willamette Valley.