Team planning a new Columbia River bridge (no, not that one)

East of the Interstate Bridge, where a replacement is in the works, another bridge across the Columbia River is due to be replaced, and construction preparations appear to be further along.

The Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge replacement project has received a $200 million federal infrastructure grant, and a general contractor is in place. Authorities are waiting for state grants $125 million each from Oregon and Washington to begin work.

Like the Interstate Bridge project downriver, replacement of the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge is being driven in part by fears of the structure’s seismic vulnerability.

“If we have any kind of an earthquake, we could have a (liquefaction) event, which would bring the bridge down,” said Mike Fox, co-chairman of the Hood River-White Salmon Bridge Authority . Fox is a retired Bechtel engineer who has worked on large-scale infrastructure projects around the world.

The $520 million project to replace the 99-year-old bridge has been in planning for decades, beginning with a feasibility study in 1999. A draft environmental impact statement was published in 2003, and the process to develop a final EIS began in 2020.

In 2022, HNTB Corp. , a major engineering consulting firm based in Kansas City, Missouri, was selected as owner’s representative.

Kiewit Corp. , based in Omaha, Nebraska, has since come on board as design and construction contractor. The firm has a bridge and marine division in Vancouver, Washington.

“They have all the resources and they’re local,” said Michael Shannon, bridge replacement project director for the Port of Hood River . “They know the area, know the Gorge. So, I think we’ve got the best contractor.”

Project officials spoke last week at a lunch event hosted by Jordan Ramis PC at the law firm’s downtown Portland office.

The replacement project is governed by the Hood River-White Salmon Bridge Authority, comprising representatives of the city of Hood River, the Port of Hood River and Hood River County on the Oregon side, and the cities of White Salmon and Bingen, and Klickitat County on the Washington side.

The group does not directly report to the transportation departments in Oregon and Washington, leaving the project somewhat free of the political battles in each state, project officials said. The project also has backing from the Yakama, Nez Perce, Warm Springs and Umatilla tribes.

Vehicle traffic on the bridge will be tolled, with 100 percent of proceeds covering construction costs, project officials said. A roundabout on the Washington side will handle traffic flow.

The existing bridge has no lanes for bicyclists or pedestrians. That will change on the new bridge, which will have a path to accommodate both.

The new bridge will be located 150 to 200 feet downstream of the current bridge. That plan will avoid archaeological sites and allow for demolition of the old span.

An aesthetics committee was recently appointed to advise on bridge design. But project officials are looking for a span that’s more functional than fancy, Shannon said.

“We’re not looking to do a big, iconic bridge,” he said. “We’re looking at something that will be functional and serve the community for the next 100 years.”

The current bridge opened in December 1924. Wear and tear on the bridge resulted in 7,781 welds during a recent two-week period, Fox said. Weight restrictions were reimposed on bridge traffic, and speeds were limited to 15 miles per hour.

If all goes as scheduled, construction of the new bridge will begin on Oct. 1, 2025. A clock at the project administration office counts down to the scheduled opening: 10 a.m., Oct. 21, 2029.

Meanwhile, another Columbia River bridge, the Bridge of the Gods at Cascade Locks, is due to be rehabilitated, but not replaced. Officials are looking at a $90 million bridge rehab project. Engineering firm Parsons Corp. is engaged on that project.

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