Thorn Hollow bridge project fraught with delays

By Terry Murry on Friday, January 21st, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

MISSION – Hiring a contractor to fix the washed out bridge into Harris Park is prompting people to wonder why the Thorn Hollow Bridge isn’t fixed yet, almost two years since it was destroyed by flood. Umatilla County Board of Commissioners Chairman John Shafer wonders about it as well.

“That bridge is a $5 million dollar replacement,” he said. “Commissioner (Dan) Dorran is doing a really good job of making sure that funding is in place. We’re just waiting on permitting.”

Shafer said the county was notified last week of another delay in the permitting process and is sure it’s frustrating to the people who live on the far side of the bridge.

“Once the funding was there, in my opinion, fix the bridge,” he said. “We can’t. We’ve got to have this study done and that study done, and then go to this committee and go to that committee. It’s the speed of government, which moves at a glacier’s pace in my opinion.”