A Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) project in the works with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) for 11 years is on track to be completed late this year.
The State Route 14 Bingen and Port of Klickitat Access Improvement Project is designed to make travel safer and faster and to aid development of the small town of Bingen set in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge, WSDOT spokeswoman Sarah Hannon-Nein told Construction Equipment Guide.
"To reach Bingen Point and the Port of Klickitat, drivers must cross railroad tracks that run along the south side of State Route 14," Hannon-Nein said. "When trains pass through, or stop on the tracks, traffic backs up, causing long delays. For some, these delays can be frustrating. In an emergency, they can be critical.
"The city of Bingen has grown quickly in recent years. As the town has grown, traffic on SR 14 has also increased. That makes this project even more important. It addresses today's traffic concerns and prepares the community for future growth."
The $34.25 million project involves a new railroad bridge, a new street and a new roundabout. Talks about the project with the state, city of Bingen and BNSF began in 2015, followed by engineering plans and right-of-way acquisition.
Washington State Department of Transportation photo
"Before construction began, project designers studied the area near the train tracks," Hannon-Nein said. "Their goal was to improve travel, reduce congestion and delays and increase safety. They decided that building a new road next to the underpass would give the community more direct access to the port."
BNSF built the new rail bridge in 2025.
In September 2025, Kerr Contractors of Oregon began work on the new road, which will pass under the railroad separating the Port of Klickitat and SR 14.
The primary challenge is managing traffic, Hannon-Nein said.
"Certain parts of this work do require us to close a lane of the SR 14 corridor during work hours," she said.
About 181 miles long, SR 14 is Washington's east-west connection spanning Vancouver, Wash., to the Tri-Cities area.
"SR 14 is a high-speed corridor, so we're making sure that we're flagging traffic and doing that safely and moving traffic through the area while crews are working," Hannon-Nein said.
Washington State Department of Transportation photo
The other challenge is working with the residents.
"This is right near the city of Bingen, so there are residents nearby," Hannon-Nein said. "We're working with them and making sure we're considering our noise and any impacts that we may have."
WSDOT also worked with city residents to name the new street.
"In 2023, WSDOT and the city of Bingen attended the annual Huckleberry Festival," Hannon-Nein said. "Keeping with Bingen's tradition of naming streets after trees, they invited residents to help name the newest street. The winning name is Juniper Street."
The new roundabout also is expected to help keep traffic moving smoothly, Hannon-Nein said.
"They're safer and more efficient for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists," she said. "By slowing down, yielding and moving when it's safe, drivers reduce backups, lower the risk of serious collisions and improve travel time."
Bingen, which has a population of about 1,000, is located in Klickitat County and historically sustained by the lumber industry. But it is also known as the gateway to recreation in the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area, including windsurfing, kayaking, skiing, snowmobiling, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, fishing and hunting.
In honoring the city's history with the lumber industry, the new roundabout will feature at its center a piece of public art — a historic pond boat donated to the city by the SDS Lumber Co., which once used the boat to move logs along the Columbia River.
"This is a project the community has been asking for," Hannon-Nein said. "They are excited, and we are also excited about delivering it in the fall of this year."
