HOOD RIVER, Ore. (Jan. 22, 2025) — The Port of Hood River will permanently close the tollbooth on the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge on April 1, 2025, transitioning to fully electronic tolling. The decision, made by a unanimous 4-0 vote of the Port Commission on January 21, follows a 7% decline in traffic, which has impacted toll revenue.

The tollbooth has been closed at night since 2023, with few customer concerns. The Port expects to save approximately $100,000 annually with the full closure. These savings will support ongoing bridge maintenance and repairs, including $1.6 million in capital repairs planned for the coming year. The move to electronic tolling aligns with plans for a new bridge that will operate exclusively with electronic tolling.

The Port expresses its sincere gratitude to all tollbooth employees, both past and present, for their dedicated service to travelers. We fully recognize the impact this transition will have on our tollbooth staff and are committed to providing them with comprehensive support, including severance packages, COBRA health insurance, unemployment benefits, job search assistance, and retirement resources.

Commuters are encouraged to sign up for BreezeBy, which offers discounted toll rates for the Hood River-White Salmon Bridge and the Bridge of the Gods. To learn more about the upcoming tollbooth closure and your payment options, including the ability to prepay tolls online, visit www.portofhoodriver.com.