The Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge is a vital Columbia River crossing in the central Columbia Gorge bi-state region connecting Hood River, Oregon with the communities of White Salmon and Bingen in Washington State. The Bridge, nearly one mile long, is constructed of steel trusses on concrete pier supports with very narrow lanes (lanes are only 9 feet, 4.75 inches wide, with a 14 feet, 7 inches height restriction). The Bridge is limited to a Total Gross Weight Limit of 80,000 lbs, with each single axle limit of 20,000 lbs. The Bridge serves an average of 4 million users annually and is open every hour of every day, except during periods scheduled maintenance or emergency closures.
Often referred to simply as the Hood River Bridge, the aging structure is deficient by modern standards, but remains an essential transportation link between Oregon and Washington. The Bridge’s narrow lanes (9 feet, 4 inches) were characteristic of the 1924 era in which it was built, when horse-drawn carriages and Model-Ts crossed the Columbia on what was then a state-of-the-art structure.
The Hood River Interstate Bridge was essentially rebuilt in 1938 when the construction of the Bonneville Dam caused water levels to rise and made the addition of a lift span necessary. Nowadays, the lift span is raised several times a year and has become the iconic symbol of the historic Bridge purchased by the Port in 1950.
The Port takes its responsibility to assure the Bridge’s safety, operation and useful life into the foreseeable future extremely seriously, planning ahead and taking proactive action. The Port has invested over $22 million in capital improvements and maintenance in the past two decades, and expects sizable investments in the near and long term to keep the structure functional and operating safely into the future.
The Port of Hood River continues to work with state and federal agencies as a supportive partner in the effort and pursuit of bridge replacement. As years pass, the cost of bridge replacement, currently estimated at $250 million, continues to increase, meaning that funding for a new bridge will likely require pooled resources among local, regional and federal governments and agencies.
BRIDGE INFORMATION:
NARROW LANES (9′ 4.75″)
- No wide loads.
- Large RVs are advised to cross at Cascade Locks or The Dalles.
- All large vehicles are advised to turn in mirrors.
- Special arrangements for wide load crossings can be made by calling (541) 386-1645 more than 24 hours in advance. Flaggers and pilot cars will be required.
WEIGHT RESTRICTED
- Total Gross Weight Limit: 80,000 lbs.
- Each single axle: 20,000 lbs.
- Tandem axles: 34,000 lbs.
- No overwidth loads.
HEIGHT RESTRICTED
- Max height: 14′ 7″.
CASH TOLL
- Cars, vans, non-dual pickup: $1.00 per axle
- Dual pickup: $2.00
- Motorcycles: $0.75
- All cash paying customers must drive through the center Toll Plaza lanes.
ELECTRONIC TOLLING
- BreezeBy bypass lanes are for electronic tolling customers only.
- Create a new BreezeBy account here.
- Transferrable transponders are available.
MARINE VESSELS
- Vessels requiring a bridge lift must call (541) 386-3500 at least 24 hours in advance to schedule the lift.
- Clearance varies with the level of the Bonneville pool.
- Max vertical clearance when lift span is closed: 57 feet (17.3 meters)
- Max vertical clearance when lift span is open: 148 feet (45 meters)
- Horizontal clearance of the lift span is 246 feet (75 meters)
