The $14.4 billion Interstate Bridge project received a federal record of decision on Wednesday, a major step that allows the project to move toward permitting, hiring a contractor and building the Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River.

The decision completes the project’s lengthy federal environmental review process, which encompassed not just air and water but also cultural resources, safety and freight mobility, among myriad other factors. A final environmental Impact Statement was published April 17.

Now, the real work begins.

The Interstate Bridge program is preparing a request for qualifications to be issued in coming weeks to begin selecting a contractor, setting up a high-stakes bidding process likely to involve major international contractors and local partners.

A request for proposals will be issued later this year, with a contractor expected to be hired in 2027, the Interstate Bridge Program office stated.

For the construction industry, the project will be the largest in the Portland region in decades and dwarfs even other major infrastructure builds such as the $2.15 billion Portland International Airport expansion.

Contractors groups, including the Associated General Contractors Oregon-Columbia chapter, hailed the federal decision, which came from the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration.

“AGC is very pleased with the decision to proceed with the Interstate Bridge replacement project,” said Josh Tompkins, CEO of the AGC Oregon-Columbia chapter, via text message.

“The project is critical for the future economic health of our region’s economy, will put thousands of Oregonians and Washingtonians to work and will inject very-welcome funds into our area,” Tompkins added.

The project comes amid a tepid time for the construction industry. Construction spending nationally fell 2.7 percent year to date through May, compared to the same period in 2025, according to Census Bureau data released Wednesday.

Highway construction held steady, with spending rising 0.6 percent in May to an annual rate of $150.6 billion.

The project involves not just the replacement for the aging twin-span Interstate Bridge, which was first built in 1917, with the second span added in 1958. It also calls for highway widening and expanding interchanges throughout a 5-mile corridor spanning Oregon and Washington. Construction will cause disruptions near Delta Park and Vanport and Hayden Island on the Oregon side, and the Vancouver waterfront and downtown on the Washington side. The work will require a massive influx of construction labor.

“With this approval, our focus is squarely on execution — advancing procurement and ensuring the systems and structures that mega-projects of this scale demand are in place as we transition to construction,” said Washington Transportation Secretary Julie Meredith.

Critics have questioned how the Oregon and Washington transportation departments will fully fund the project.

“What’s missing is still a plan to pay for the whole thing,” said Joe Cortright, an economist and founder of City Lab, a Portland-based think tank. “The project is moving ahead, they’re going to spend $5 billion, then they’re going to come back and say, ‘hey, you owe me another $10 billion to finish the job.’”

Cortright noted that the project is overwhelmingly planned by consultants for the Oregon Department of Transportation and Washington State Department of Transportation.

“They’re substantially independent from the two state DOTs, and they’ve designed a project that will go on for the next 20 years,” Cortright said. “As a semi-retired consultant, I have a sneaking admiration for the people who have lined up work for the next 20 years.”

Nevertheless, state leaders in Oregon and Washington lauded the federal announcement. After the failure of the Columbia River Crossing more than a decade ago, it’s looking increasingly likely that today’s state leaders may get this project built.

“Replacing the Interstate Bridge will have lasting benefits for our communities and region for decades,” Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said in a prepared statement. “From improving safety and resilience for the region to creating tens of thousands of jobs and supporting local businesses, this project is key to our region’s growth. This milestone is proof of what Oregon and Washington can accomplish when we work together toward a shared goal.”

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson also said the project is “essential to Washington and Oregon.”

Interim IBR Program Administrator Carley Francis said the federal amended record of decision reflects years of study. “We now get to go do the work of actually building this bridge,” she said.

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