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With a five-year federal spending bill approved to provide some certainty for infrastructure projects, the Oregon Transportation Commission will next decide how it should spend its share.

Last month, Congress passed the $305 billion Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act 鈥� the first long-term funding authorization after years of shorter fixes. FAST replaces MAP 21, a two-year funding plan that expired in late 2014.

The five-member commission will hold a hearing at its next monthly meeting, Jan. 21, to discuss the allotment of additional federal money in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP).

鈥淲e should start to get some clarity this month,鈥� said Trevor Sleeman, federal affairs adviser for the Oregon Department of Transportation. 鈥淎nd we could start to see decisions in March.鈥�

Projects already programmed by ODOT will still move forward, but a number of proposed projects on the back burner also could get funding, Sleeman said.

The meeting will start at 9 a.m. at 355 Capitol St. N.E. in Salem. The STIP is scheduled to be discussed in the afternoon.