The Port and engineering firm HDR received the State Project of the Year award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Oregon on Jan. 29, 2026, during the Oregon Engineering Excellence Awards Banquet in Tigard, Oregon.

The award recognizes the coordinated emergency response following the June 27, 2024 collision in which a semi-truck carrying an excavator struck multiple overhead structural members on the Hood River-White Salmon Bridge.

The collision forced an immediate closure of the bridge, disrupting the only Columbia River crossing within a 45-mile stretch of the mid-Columbia. Port staff and HDR engineers quickly mobilized to assess damage, evaluate impacts to bridge operations, and develop a plan to safely reopen the crossing.

During the repair period, the Port implemented 24/7 traffic control to prevent over-height vehicles from accessing the bridge while repairs were completed. The response effort also included independent engineering review and analysis to help validate repair recommendations and accelerate the reopening process.

The Port later documented the incident and response in a formal After Action Report to identify lessons learned and strengthen future emergency preparedness. As Oregon's State Project of the Year, the project advanced to the national ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards competition.