How long does it take to get from SR 14 to the water at Bingen Point? Until this summer, the answer depended partly on whether a train was coming. Drivers heading down to the harbor had to cross the railroad tracks. When a train came through, it could block that crossing for several minutes, and traffic backed up onto the highway. The Washington State Department of Transportation now gives a different answer. On Thursday, Aug. 27, WSDOT joined the city of Bingen, the Port of Klickitat, BNSF Railway and elected officials at a ribbon-cutting marking the functional completion of the SR 14 Bingen Access Improvements.
The trip to the waterfront no longer depends on the rail schedule. For anyone in White Salmon or Bingen headed to the river this October, the crossing with a schedule to check is now the Hood River–White Salmon Bridge.
The Route, Turn by Turn
The $34.3 million project took nearly 12 years of planning and coordination and one year of construction. It built a new road beneath the BNSF tracks and a roundabout at SR 14 and Elm Street. Here's how the pieces connect if you're coming from the highway:
- Enter the new roundabout at SR 14 and Elm Street. The centerpiece is a historic pond boat, the kind once used to move logs near the mills, placed there to honor the area's timber history.
- Take Juniper Street, which now runs under the railroad tracks and links SR 14 and Steuben Street with Bingen Point.
- Come out on the Port of Klickitat side, where the harbor, the boat ramp and the shoreline parks are.
Kerr Contractors, WSDOT's contractor, built Juniper Street, the underpass and the roundabout. WSDOT calls the August milestone "functional completion." Its announcement doesn't mention any remaining fall detours or closures, and none had been announced as of Sept. 30.
The road changes who has to wait. In WSDOT's words, road and rail traffic are now separated, "allowing both to keep moving." WSDOT Southwest Region Project Engineer TJ Prendergast said it most plainly at the opening:
"For years, people had to wait for trains to pass before they could get to Bingen Point. Now, travelers and freight can keep moving and emergency responders have a direct way in when every second matters."
The emergency-access part of that quote matters as much as the convenience. The old crossing could delay ambulances and fire crews as well as boat trailers.
What's at the End of Juniper Street
The Port of Klickitat runs three public waterfront spots at Bingen Point, and each one does a different job. The details below come from the Port's own pages, which are the best place to check before you go.
| Spot | What the Port lists | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Marina Park | 1.75 acres beside Bingen Harbor and the marina, with shade trees, lights, parking, picnic tables and seasonal restrooms | The restrooms are seasonal, so fall visits may not have them |
| Bingen Boat Ramp and Basin | Public day-use access to the Columbia, with a two-ramp launch, trailer parking and restrooms | No overnight moorage or parking, and no swimming in the basin |
| Sailboard Park | 1.75 acres of Columbia River shoreline, with accessible river access, parking, picnic tables and limited portable toilets | The Port calls it a favorite for beginning windsurfers |
The boat ramp gains the most from the underpass. A truck towing a trailer is the hardest vehicle to stop at a rail crossing and the slowest to clear one, and SR 14 is where the line used to back up. Coming from the White Salmon side, a launch is now a straight drive from the highway to the ramp.
Marina Park benefits in a quieter way. It is the most ordinary of the three: shade, picnic tables and a view of the harbor. A short lunch break or an evening walk is easier to plan when the road there doesn't depend on the train.
At Sailboard Park, the Port asks visitors to use its two signed paths to the water. If you're carrying a board or a kayak, look for the signs before cutting across the shoreline.
The Other River Crossing This October
With the train no longer a factor at Bingen Point, the Hood River–White Salmon Bridge is the crossing on the north shore that needs a schedule check this month.
On Sept. 29, the Port of Hood River announced that the contractor had postponed steel and coating maintenance on the bridge, and that all overnight closures scheduled for that week were canceled. The Port said the delay may run into the following week, possibly moving the overnight work to Oct. 12–16. Those dates are tentative, and the Port will announce confirmed closure dates and times once the schedule is set. More work requiring single-lane closures is expected after the overnight work, with its dates to be announced separately.
For anyone who crosses to Hood River for work, appointments or an early flight out of Portland, this is the schedule to watch. The Port of Hood River's update page is the place to check for the current version. The Port also has a mailing list for these notices.
The bridge closures and the underpass are linked. One removed a wait on the Bingen side. The other is a temporary wait that you can see coming if you check the Port's notices. In both cases, the trip to the river works better when you know whose schedule controls it.
A Mid-October Weekend Built Around Both
The calendar puts these crossings right next to each other. On the Saturday before the tentative bridge work, downtown White Salmon hosts Mountain Town Throwdown on Saturday, Oct. 10, from 3 to 10 p.m.
Everybody's Brewing presents the event, and the White Salmon Business Alliance organizes it. The Alliance currently operates under the Mt. Adams Chamber of Commerce and plans to become its own nonprofit, White Salmon Main Street, later this year. For 2026, the Northshore Community Foundation is the fiscal sponsor. After expenses, proceeds go back into the White Salmon community, possibly toward downtown beautification, public art and community spaces.
The event page lists:
- The Gold Souls, a funk and soul band from Sacramento, headlining
- Sam Humans, a local favorite, premiering a new rock opera called The Great Beyond
- DJ Charlie Kittens keeping the dancing going between sets
- 30+ artisan vendors throughout downtown
- The return of the Mountain Town Throwdown Stein Competition
The live music in the big tent is ticketed and 21+. Tickets cost $20 in advance or $25 on the day. Skyline Health and Riverview Bank are keg sponsors, and the City of White Salmon supports the event with lodging tax funds.
The day before, there's a reason to head the other way on SR 14. Washington State Parks says the Swale Canyon section of the Klickitat Trail reopens Friday, Oct. 9, after its annual fire-danger closure, which runs June 21 through Oct. 8. During October, cleanup trucks will be using the northern part of Swale, from the Wahkiacus trailhead to about three miles south, so visitors should use caution there. The park's burn ban is still posted: no fires at any time.
Here's the stretch in one place:
| Date | What | Status as of Sept. 30 |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., Oct. 9 | Swale Canyon section of the Klickitat Trail reopens | Posted by State Parks, with cleanup trucks on the northern section during October |
| Sat., Oct. 10 | Mountain Town Throwdown, downtown White Salmon, 3–10 p.m. | Scheduled |
| Oct. 12–16 | Overnight steel and coating work on the Hood River–White Salmon Bridge | Tentative, with single-lane closures to follow |
| Ongoing | Juniper Street underpass and Elm Street roundabout to Bingen Point | Open since the Aug. 27 functional completion |
The underpass took about 12 years from planning to ribbon-cutting. It is the one item on this list with no date attached, because it is simply open now, at any hour and whether or not a train is passing.
At CB Cascade, we track changes like this one because a new road to the water changes daily life on the Bingen and White Salmon shoreline. If you'd like to talk through what the new access means for a property near Bingen Point or along the SR 14 corridor, connect with a local expert today.
