Hood River, OR – Federal grant applications for the Hood River-White Salmon Bridge Replacement project were not awarded in 2022. But the project team says these first attempts to secure federal funding won’t be the last and that this will not affect the project timeline to replace the outdated and deficient bridge.

On December 21, 2022, the U.S. Department of Transportation notified the Port of Hood River and the Hood River-White Salmon Bridge Replacement project team that the project was not awarded any federal grants in 2022. The project team is continuing funding efforts in the upcoming legislative sessions in Oregon and Washington and will also reapply for federal grants this year. Mayor Marla Keethler of White Salmon explained, “While not ideal news, we remain encouraged by the federal and state support for our project. The focus remains having a new bridge in place by the end of 2029, and we’ll be back at it applying for these same federal funds in 2023.”