Bridge Replacement project applies for $195 million federal grant

“We want to be able to talk to all of the important agency and elected officials and really talk about the need for the project and advocate for not just that grant application, but the entire project,” said Greenwood.

Attendees on the advocacy trip include Klickitat Commissioner Jake Anderson, Hood River Mayor Kate McBride and White Salmon Mayor Marla Keethler. Hal Hiemstra of Summit Strategies, the port’s government affairs consultant, spoke to the BSWG regarding actions after the application is submitted. Hiemstra will also accompany the group to the nation’s capital. Hiemstra noted that when the group visits D.C. in July the status of their application will still be pending.

“That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be promoting it,” said Hiemstra. “We will do everything we can to set up a meeting with the U.S. DOT (Department of Transportation).”

According to Greenwood, port staff and government affairs consultants secured letters of support from local government agencies, fruit growers, lumber manufacturers, bicycle advocates and others affected by the obsolete bridge. The project received letters from the federal and state delegations including Senator Ron Wyden and Oregon and Washington State Representatives Anna Williams (D-OR), Chuck Thomsen (R-OR), Curtis King (R-WA) and others. Providence Hospital and Klickitat Emergency Management also gave their support.

These letters are important because certain grants are centered around specific transportation problems. For example, the INFRA grant program is focused on freight movement, which has become a topic of concern for many agricultural and industrial companies in the Gorge. The Port of Hood River has imposed weight and speed limits on the current bridge for safety concerns, thus making it more of a task to ship fruit, lumber and other materials between Oregon and Washington.

The Department of Transportation combined the INFRA, MEGA and the Rural Surface Transportation grant programs under the new bipartisan bill and the Hood River-White Salmon bridge replacement project qualifies for all three.

Project Director Kevin Greenwood said the possible infusion of funding would be a major step forward in financing the $500 million cost estimate. Like any federal funding, the application process will be competitive due to rising interest rates and increased demands for infrastructure improvements. Greenwood notes that these grants have a 5% success rate, but having a group advocate in D.C. may help bring attention to the bridge.

As Greenwood and the port are continuing to manage operations and secure funding, the project is also going through the process of hiring a firm to manage all aspects of the project through engineering, construction of the new bridge and demolition of the existing one.

After reviewing the written and oral presentations, the evaluation committee has made a recommendation to hire HNTB Corporation as the new technical and administrative manager. HNTB is an engineering consultant based out of Portland, Ore.

“They are very well qualified and strong presence,” said Fox. “I think they are going to do some great work for us.”

The evaluation committee was made up of Mike Fox, Port of Hood River Commissioner; Arthur Babitz, Hood River County Commissioner; Gordie Kelsey, Klickitat County Engineer; Sam Hunaidi, ODOT; and Holly Winston, ODOT.

WSP is completing their contract on the environmental work with Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision complete this year. WSP and FCS Group helped produce the grant application.