With Monday’s announcement of $200 million in federal funds for a new Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge, it sets the stage for a number of steps to be taken to move toward a goal of opening the bridge by October 2029.  Hood River-White Salmon Bridge Authority Commissioner Mike Fox says they want to be able to start doing work in the Columbia River by late 2025 and early 2026.  To get there, they are in the process of evaluating bids for the major design construction contract with the intent of awarding the contract by April 1.  The federal funding announcement puts the bridge project at a little over 60 percent of the money needed, with more funding from the states of Oregon and Washington expected during the 2025 legislative session.