Bridgework planned this summer around Klickitat County

Why so many and all of a sudden? It has to do with the way the bridges are constructed. There are concrete abutments that support the girders on which the bridge deck rests. But the girders can’t sit directly on the concrete, because the vibrations from vehicles passing overhead would cause the girders to chip away at the concrete. To keep that from happening, bearing pads are placed between girders and concrete. 

The bearing pads are mad of special strong rubberlike material. The distribute the load by transferring the massive weight of the bridge deck down to the concrete without causing stress concentrations. They also allow the bridge to safely expand and contract with temperature changes and dampens noise and vibrations to extend the bridge's lifespan. 

Unfortunately, they ultimately wear out and need to be replaced. This involves closing the bridge, jacking it up and swapping in fresh bearing pads. WSDOT does bridge inspections every two years and have mandated the county replace the pads on these bridges this year.

So why do they have to all be done at once? Two answers - first, they are not all at once. The closures are staggered, as in the list below. Second, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife only allows a certain window in which the work can be done, and the updates have to be completed in this window.

Whitmore Bridge, on East Road closed from June 15 - July 3

Tom Miller Bridge, on Tom Miller Road closed from June 21 - July 17

White Salmon Bridge on Sunnyside Road, closed from June 26 - July 10

Horseshoe Bend Bridge, on Horseshoe Bend Road closed from June 27 - July 17

Leidel Bridge, on Glenwood Hwy. closed from July 7 - July 17

Bear Creek Bridge, on Jennings Road closed from July 23 - Aug. 13

Public Works Director Jeff Hunter said the Leidel Bridge work would have the biggest impact, and there would be special messaging for that one:

“There's going to be variable message boards put out for the Leidel Bridge because that's the one with the largest route around — one just as you're leaving Glenwood, and then one on Glenwood Highway, just as you're coming off 142,” he said. “The other ones are pretty straightforward; you can get around. Leidel, you're going over Fisher Hill to get there."

Under the schedule, Bear Creek Bridge will be the last to be completed and should be finished by Aug. 13.

In other actions Commissioners agreed that the county should have a central fulltime person in charge of dealing with public record requests, rather than each department trying to handle its own. The HR department, which currently has the responsibility for the county, without any funding for the position, made a joint appearance with the Prosecuting Attorney at the June 2 meeting both agreeing that the person should be assigned to the Prosecuting Attorney's office.

And there was comforting news from Columbia Gorge Regional Airport Manager Jeff Reynard, as firefighting resources start to arrive at the airport. Particularly welcome are Air Tractor Fire Boss airplanes. They are amphibious, single-engine air tankers, equipped with custom amphibious floats and water scoops, and they can scoop up to 800 gallons of water in just 15 seconds from nearby lakes or rivers.

“They actually came in on Sunday,” Reynard said. “I put a post out on the Facebook page, reminding everybody not to get in their way, don't hinder 'em. Yesterday we got our first, the Wishram fire. That actually triggered the Forest Service to call me yesterday and say, 'Yeah, sittin' around, minding our own business and Wishram pops off, and so we're going to bring a helicopter to you.’ So now we have a Sky Crane at the Airport, poised for the U.S. Forest Service."

Under the consent agenda, Commissioners approved:

• A Public Meeting on Short Plat, SPL2026-02, Lade

• A Public Meeting on Short Plat, SPL 2025-12, Scott

• A Public Meeting on a Boundary Line Adjustment, BLA 2025-13, Barker

• Reappointment of Margaret Neumann and Brady Allen to the Klickitat Lead Entity Technical Committee

• Documents for Klickitat County Senior Services to receive grant funding for transportation

• Advertising for a Senior Accountant I/Accountant in the Treasurer's

Office

• The temporary closure of six bridges: Leidel Bridge, White Salmon Bridge,

Whitmore Bridge, Bear Creek Bridge, Tom Miller and Horseshoe Bend

• Release of $13,081.45 retainage for the “Klickitat County Superior Court Remodel"

• A small works Contract for 2026-2028 Fire Alarm Testing and Inspection Services for the County.

• 2026-2027 Klickitat County 911/Dispatch CBA

• Creation of a new Community Development Department and Organizational Chart