September 30, 2021

Intermittent single lane closures expected 7 days a week during testing period

Hood River, ORE. – In response to the lowered load rating imposed by ODOT in March of 2021, the Port of Hood River will conduct extensive live load testing on the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge from October 9 through October 24. Testing activities will take place on the bridge seven days a week during this period.

Bridge users should expect intermittent single-lane closures between the hours of 7:00AM and 5:00PM every day throughout the testing period, with delays of approximately 30 minutes possible depending on traffic volume. Flaggers will direct traffic around the moving work zone.

Full bridge closures are anticipated to take place on October 13, 18, and 20, with delays of 30-45 minutes possible.

Throughout the project, the Port will work with contractors to provide public notifications of closure schedule updates as they come available. These updates will be posted to the Port’s Facebook and Twitter feeds online.

“The reduced weight limit on the bridge has caused significant impacts to some important local businesses,” said Port Executive Director Michael McElwee. “The Port Commission is committed to determining whether it is feasible and cost effective to restore the 32-ton weight limit. The results of the live load tests will be a critical factor in the weight limit restoration decision.”     

For more information, contact the Port of Hood River via email to info@portofhoodriver.com.