Three projects in the Columbia Gorge are in line to receive funding through a pair of bills that have passed the Senate Appropriations Committee with bipartisan support.  Senator Jeff Merkley’s office says the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, or THUD, bill includes $4 million to help replace the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge to cover early-phase costs of the project, including right-of-way acquisition and mitigation for impacts to tribal fishing access during construction.  The THUD bill also contains $3 million for Columbia Cascade Housing Corporation to develop 75-untis of affordable housing in The Dalles on Chenowith Loop to provide housing and services to veterans, families, and households experiencing severe and persistent mental health issues.  In addition, the Energy and Water Development bill features $500,000 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and The Dalles Lock and Dam to fund continued work toward the creation of a Villages Development Plan for multiple sites along the Columbia River.  The two bills now go to the Senate floor for a full vote before they can be conferenced with its counterpart bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.