🛑 Bridge Test Piles Halted by Insurance Hurdles - HRWSBA 5/27 - 6/8

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🏛 May 27 & June 8, 2026 Meetings

The Body: Hood River-White Salmon Bridge Authority (HRWSBA)

The Bottom Line: The Authority locked in its $66.9 million operating budget for the year while navigating complex liability insurance hurdles that threaten to delay a critical test pile program.

The Vibe: Pragmatic and occasionally cautious. Commissioners scrutinized communication strategies, from letters to federal park agencies to conversations in D.C., ensuring the project maintains a spotless diplomatic record.

🔎 What Changed:

• Adopted the fiscal year 2026-27 budget in the amount of $66,971,000.
• Authorized an appraisal for the Ko property on the Washington side to advance right-of-way acquisition.
• Approved a revised letter to federal and state parks departments regarding Marina Park mitigation, agreeing to share it with the Port of Hood River before sending.

⚠ What Escalated:

• Kiewit raised liability concerns regarding the upcoming test pile program, forcing the Authority to loop in the Port of Hood River to explore insurance umbrellas.
• Friction with the National Park Service continues over whether the new bridge should be considered a "recreational asset" rather than just a transportation project.

🧭 What’s Next:

• Kiewit continues to develop its 60% design plans, which are targeted for delivery in July/August.
• A Cost Schedule Risk Assessment (CSRA) is scheduled for August 4-6 to verify budget estimates based on the new designs.
• Federal Bridge Investment Program (BIP) grant awards are expected to be announced by September 30.

💰 Budget & Federal Funding

• The Authority unanimously adopted a $66.9 million budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
• The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) agreed to separate the Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) from the larger INFRA grant.
• The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will administer the CDS funds for the bridge project.
• The Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) toll revenue fund currently holds roughly $500,000.

The project is in a delicate holding pattern while waiting for the massive Bridge Investment Program (BIP) grant to land, which likely won't happen until the end of the federal fiscal year in September. In the meantime, uncoupling the CDS funds from the broader INFRA grant gives the Authority the immediate liquidity needed to acquire right-of-way properties. The primary structural hurdle is timing: the Authority must utilize state and local funds to keep the design and property acquisition phases moving before federal dollars formally hit the bank. Furthermore, ARPA funds acting as working capital expire at the end of the year, meaning the Authority is preparing to temporarily draw from TIFIA loan reserves to pay invoices.

"Unless Congress passes a short-term extension, they would need a full new package... if I had a crystal ball, I would probably guess that a new package wouldn't pass until the new Congress." — Dan Mahr, Strategic Communications Subconsultant

🏗️ Construction & Engineering

• Kiewit is developing a test pile plan for the October 2027 in-water work window.
• Driving test piles early allows engineers to verify if the vibrations will damage the existing 100-year-old bridge.
• Kiewit lacks the insurance protections needed to cover potential damages to the existing bridge during the test.
• Bridge monitoring sensors (tilt and vibration) are installed, though a few are facing connection issues.

The test pile program is a critical risk-mitigation strategy. Driving a few piles now allows engineers to measure exactly how the old bridge reacts to the vibrations. If the old bridge shifts dangerously, the Authority has time to redesign their approach before full construction starts. However, this creates a catch-22 regarding liability: Kiewit lacks the insurance protections that the Port of Hood River currently enjoys. Without an insurance umbrella, Kiewit will be forced to inflate their contract price to cover the financial risk of accidentally damaging the old bridge or injuring a commuter. The Authority must now convince the Port to coordinate on the test pile program to share liability protections, or risk paying a premium for construction.

"You're impacting a couple million a month versus 15 to 20 million dollars a month once you're in the construction." — Michael Shannon, Project Director

🏞️ Environmental & Property

• The Authority debated sending a formal letter to the National Park Service and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.
• The letter pushes back against a ruling that requires the Authority to buy replacement land for the bridge's footprint in Marina Park.
• The Authority argues that adding a 12-foot pedestrian path and removing old Port buildings actually improves the park.
• NEPA environmental reviews are complete, but several specific permits are still pending.

The Authority is locked in a bureaucratic standoff with the National Park Service over Marina Park. Because the park was originally funded by federal conservation dollars, strict rules dictate that any parkland converted to non-recreational use (like a bridge pier) must be replaced with equivalent land elsewhere. The Authority argues the new bridge is a recreational asset—featuring viewpoints and a shared-use path—and that they are actively improving the park by demolishing non-compliant Port buildings.

If the feds refuse to budge, the Authority will be forced to spend up to $3.4 million buying replacement land, pulling critical funds away from the bridge itself. Federal rules mandate that any replacement land must remain in Oregon under the Port's stewardship, meaning the Authority cannot simply buy cheaper land across the river in Washington. While the Authority is allowed to bundle several smaller parcels together to hit that $3.4 million valuation, every plot must be a viable, equivalent recreational space.

"I feel like this is a poke the bear letter and the bear is going to come back and say nope. And so I would like to see us really think about if we are going to, when we are going to go over someone's head, we should do it in a very strategic way." — Kathryn Thomas, Commissioner Alternate

🗣 Public Outreach & Tribal Coordination

• The Career and Industry Day event was praised as a major success for local high school students.
• Students operated crane simulators, practiced welding, and learned about union apprenticeships.
• FHWA is delaying the Umatilla Tribe Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signature.
• Communication zones for tribal fishers have been simplified from 12 zones down to 3 (Oregon side, Channel, Washington side).

The Authority is taking a highly cautious approach to its Tribal MOAs. FHWA is pausing the Umatilla agreement to ensure all environmental evaluations for cultural resources on the north access point are fully documented first. This delay reflects a broader, national shift in infrastructure best practices: agencies are moving away from rushed bureaucratic letters in favor of establishing deep, sovereign agreements regarding cultural resource discoveries (like NAGPRA protocols) before ground is broken. By taking the time to get this right now, the Authority hopes to establish legally bulletproof agreements regarding fishing access and safety zones without having to go back and renegotiate terms later.

Special thanks to Columbia Gorge Documenter Kathy Omer, whose meticulous notes from the May 27 meeting were instrumental in untangling the complex liability insurance hurdles holding up the test pile program.

🛠 Jargon Buster

6(f) Mitigation: A rule under the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Act. It states that if public parkland acquired or developed with LWCF money is converted to a use other than public outdoor recreation, it must be replaced with land of at least equal fair market value and reasonably equivalent usefulness.

CSRA (Cost Schedule Risk Assessment): A formal workshop where project managers, engineers, and financial experts review the construction plans to identify potential risks that could delay the timeline or increase costs, resulting in a more accurate budget projection.

How to Join & Learn More

The Hood River-White Salmon Bridge Authority meets twice a month. Meetings are open to the public and offer opportunities for public comment.

Next Meeting: June 22, 2026, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.Location: HRWSBA Office (1000 E Jewett Blvd Suite 204, White Salmon WA) or via Zoom.

Resources: Agendas, past minutes, and Zoom links can be found at hoodriverbridge.org.

Documenter notes are available for republishing under Creative Commons license CC by 4.0. With thanks to Columbia Gorge Documenters, powered by Uplift Local: https://upliftlocal.news/columbia-gorge/columbia-gorge-documenters/