Bridge Authority to host Dec. 4 open house

THE GORGE — The Hood River-White Salmon Bridge Authority and local partners will host a December open house to help engage local communities in planning recreational trail access to the new structure, on track for completion in 2031.

The “Community Mobility Open House” will take place from 5-8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 4, in Hood River’s Hampton Inn & Suites, 1 Nichols Parkway.

The project team and cities on both sides of the river will share conceptual plans to improve community connections to the new bridge. That said, it’s important to emphasize that funding and building those local connections, such as bike and walking paths, will be the responsibility of local municipalities, not the bridge authority.

For instance, the Port of Hood River’s pedestrian bridge over the Hood River could support access, but a path will be needed to the new bridge. On the Washington side, improvements will likely occur along Highway 14 — perhaps even a walking path up the bluff to White Salmon, as described in the Oct. 29 edition of Columbia Gorge News. (Ironically, a stairway of 652 wooden steps allowed people to hike from a passenger and freight dock near the current bridge’s Washington terminus to White Salmon around the turn of the 20th century. The stairs endured until destroyed by a bluff fire in the 1960s, according to “The Mount Adams Country,” by Keith McCoy.)

The new bridge will feature bi-directional bike lanes and a pedestrian lane, separated from vehicular traffic. The bridge authority is responsible for constructing that non-motorized travel lane, which could also be used for first responder vehicles during emergencies.

Preliminary planning for community recreational access to the bridge is funded through a $3.6 million U.S. Department of Transportation RAISE grant awarded to Port of Hood River in 2023. As explained in the 2023 grant application, “While biking and pedestrian facilities exist in proximity of the bridge, this project will advance planning and concepts previously identified in recent environmental and technical documentation, and an opportunity to rethink how to implement ‘healthy connections’ within the bridge environs.”

RAISE stands for “Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity,” reflecting priorities of the Biden administration. Grant funding is secure despite the change in presidential administrations.

While the RAISE grant enables early conceptual work and collaboration, it will take local advocacy and fundraising to turn those plans into reality, ensuring recreational access to the new bridge.

December’s Community Mobility Open House will be an important step.