Update On Port’s Bridge Process

Soon after the bill was passed, the Port of Hood River hired Siegal Consulting to draft the required administrative rules which the port, and any private entity it enters into a partnership with, would have to follow. Once the draft was completed, the port held several public meetings, the comments from which have been incorporated into the final draft which was approved at the June 5 meeting.

The next major step in the bridge replacement process is the completion of the Final Environmental Impact Study (FEIS), which will be conducted by WSP Engineering.

“To successfully deliver environmental studies, design and permit assistance, the Evaluation Committee and the port have carefully selected WSP Engineering as consultants on this next step,” said Bridge Project Director Kevin Greenwood.

WSP was also a top-rated pick by the Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council (SWRTC) who have been working with the Port of Hood River and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) on this project.

Greenwood also proposed an open invitation work session that would allow for clarification of the potential procurement, delivery, funding and financing possibilities to bridge the gap between the port and the Washington entities. This would be the second bi-state work session.

That meeting took place on Tuesday, June 19. A story will be in the June 28 edition of The Enterprise.