HOOD RIVER — Although it’s still more than a year away, construction of a new toll bridge between Hood River and White Salmon presents an earl…

HOOD RIVER — There’s no such thing as free money, and that holds for federal grants too — even those awarded half a century ago.

Preparatory work leading to replacement of the Hood River Bridge is under way this month, as contractors conduct riverbed borings from barges anchored near the Oregon shore.

CASCADE LOCKS — As the Bridge of the Gods enters its centennial year, its owner, the Port of Cascade Locks, is obtaining new information about the bridge’s condition gleaned from early findings of an ongoing study focused on pedestrian safety, bridge preservation, and seismic resilience.

By Emily Harris and Documenter Jinlu Yuan

Port commissioners heard an update from David McCurry of Parsons Engineering about safety, seismic and preservation studies on the Bridge of the Gods at its Aug. 19 meeting.