Hood RiverWhite Salmon Bridge Authority outlines $1.12 billion replacement plan, seeks remaining federal funds

Mayor Marla Keethler invited Mike Shannon, project director for the Hood RiverWhite Salmon Bridge Authority, to brief the City Council on the planned bridge replacement and next steps. Shannon said the Record of Decision approved in November 2025 allows the project to move into final design, permitting and right-of-way acquisition.

Shannon said the new bridge design proposes two 12-foot travel lanes, 4-foot shoulders and about 20 feet of space dedicated to pedestrians and bicycles (an 8-foot sidewalk and two 5-foot directional bike lanes). He said the design meets current seismic and vessel-collision standards and will increase navigation width from approximately 249 feet to about 450 feet.

"The current estimated project cost is approximately $1.12 billion," Shannon said, adding that the figure includes contingency and demolition of the existing span. He outlined funding commitments so far: $250 million from the states of Washington and Oregon, and a previously awarded $200 million INFRA grant; an additional $532 million in federal funding is being pursued through the Bridge Investment Program. Shannon said a planned local contribution of roughly $105 million would be supported by toll revenues and that the authority has received an initial BBB credit rating while commissioning an investment-grade traffic and revenue study.

Council members asked about the project timeline, cost controls and tolling policy. Shannon said design is expected to reach 60 percent completion in 2026, with a potential construction start in 2027, an estimated four-year construction period and roughly two years to demolish the existing bridge. He estimated design-phase expenditures of about $1.5 million per month during peak design and roughly $30 million per month during peak construction. He warned that prolonged funding delays could increase costs or require a scope reassessment.

On tolling, Shannon described the financing assumptions used for the TIFIA loan scenario: an initial $0.50 toll increase at opening and 15% increases every five years (about 3% annually), and noted toll policies, discounts and potential local accommodations have not been finalized. In response to a question from City Attorney Shawn MacPherson, Shannon said the Port currently provides free passage for tribal members and the Authority intends to continue accommodations, using electronic mechanisms such as non-revenue transponders though final policies remain to be adopted.

Mayor Keethler asked how the community could track cost revalidation; Shannon said the planned 60 percent design milestone and cost/schedule risk analysis will revalidate costs using market tracking and supplier pricing and that the Authority plans to share updated information publicly. The Authority indicated willingness to return to the council for updates, including at the 60 percent design milestone.

Local implications: the councils discussion focused on funding risk, tolling impacts for local users and design flexibility if full funding is delayed. The Authority recommended completing design elements that preserve the ability to restart construction quickly if funding is paused.

The Authority left open the timeline for final toll policies and noted additional federal funding decisions remain outstanding.