Press Release

Vancouver, Washington  -- The public is invited to an open house on October 11, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Fidel’s at the Gorge (restaurant), SR 14 at 120 East Steuben, Bingen, Washington, to review and comment on an evaluation of possible alternative Columbia River crossing facilities. The event is sponsored by the Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council, in partnership with the Oregon and Washington Departments of Transportation and local cities and counties. Information also will be available about a proposed widening project for State Route 14 (SR-14) between the Hood River Bridge and Bingen, Washington.

Fidel's at the Gorge SR-14 at 120 E. Steuben St. Bingen, WA 98605 509-493-1017

Alternatives under consideration in the river crossing study include different types of bridges or tunnels located in these three potential locations:

• City Center Corridor, approximately one-half mile west of the existing bridge, connecting SR-14 in Washington to I-84 near the City Center (2nd Street) interchange in Hood River.
• Existing Corridor, adjacent to or in the same place as the current bridge.
• East Corridor, about three-quarters of a mile east of the existing bridge, from I-84 near Stanley Rock to Bingen Point.

Two other corridors studied earlier in the process have been eliminated from consideration. During the last several months, the project team has analyzed 17 alternatives and is recommending eight (8) of them be studied in more detail. In future rounds of evaluation, the number of alternatives will be narrowed further; eventually, one preferred alternative may be recommended for construction.

Members of the project team will be available to answer questions about the project and listen to comments. Members of the public are welcome to attend any time between 5 and 8 p.m.

Anyone who cannot attend the meeting is welcome to send comments or suggestions to Dale Robins, Project Manager, Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council, 1351 Officers Row, Vancouver, WA 98661, Telephone: 360-397-6067. Additional information also can be obtained at the project web site: http://www.rtc.wa.gov/Studies/sr35.

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