Kicking off the second phase of the Hood River-White Salmon bridge replacement, the Port of Hood River’s Board of Commissioners on June 22 approved agreements that aim at managing and raising money for the estimated $400 million project.
First up: Port commissioners approved a new three-year contract with Kevin Greenwood, the project director, who was hired in 2018 to manage the first environmental impact statement phase of the project, now nearly complete. Greenwood’s work expands under the new contract.
Since 2018, significant progress has been made in securing funds for engineering and for creating a Bi-State Bridge Compact, according to Michael McElwee, port executive director. “Mr. Greenwood has been an integral part of the Bridge Replacement Project’s recent successes and forward momentum. He has proven to be a highly capable manager, excellent facilitator, and disciplined overseer of the project,” McElwee reported.
Greenwood’s annual salary will be $126,763.
Greenwood’s contract is among several indications that work on the new bridge is picking up steam, while maintaining the ailing 100-year-old span. The commission approved an agreement with HDR Engineering to oversee a variety of tasks, including exploring reinforcements to the current bridge to restore it to its previous 40-ton maximum weight limit. Earlier this year, 32-ton weight limits were imposed on the current bridge due to structural deficiencies, impacting local haulers and shippers who use the interstate bridge. HDR Engineering, a Port-land firm, has been contracted with the port for bridge work since 2015. The firm will continue to assess feasible repairs to the current bridge.
Construction on the new bridge may not begin until 2026, according to port estimates.
The port on June 22 has also renewed contracts with three firms who will continue to lobby for bridge funding in the state and federal legislatures. The port spent $199,000 in the last fiscal year and plan to spend $211,000 for lobbying efforts in the 2021-22 fiscal year.
Environmental impact studies began three years ago with a $5 million Oregon transportation grant for planning and environmental testing, to be completed this fall. Another $10 million is coming from the Washington State Legislature and federal transportation BUILD funds. The Port of Hood River has also committed $1.25 million to the project.
Planning for future toll losses
The port owns the current bridge, but the new bridge owners will most likely be an Oregon-Washington entity including the port. At the June 22 meeting, commissioners reviewed the port’s business strategies for the next five years which suggested, among many others, plans for replacing bridge toll revenues that will belong in the future to the new entity.
In 2021-2022, for example, the port plans to collect $6.2 million in tolls. Although $4.6 million is budgeted to operate the bridge, the remainder will support other Port programs, including debts and financing new bridge activities. In addition to the bridge, the port owns waterfront property and an airport, among other assets that generate income.
According to the port’s Strategic Business Plan: “In the next few years, the port’s overarching strategy relating to funding is to (1) find new sources of revenue (consider all types: grants, loans, fees, and so on), and (2) find efficiencies to reduce the cost of service delivery.”
Once final publication is complete, the entire Strategic Business Plan, including proposed actions to meet those and other goals, will be available at portofhoodriver.com/about-the-port/mission-strategic-business-plan. Visitors to the site will now be able to read the 2014-2018 plan.
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