Oregon & Washington Construction Activity: County-by-County Scan (September 2026)

September 13, 2026

TL;DR

Public infrastructure is the dominant growth engine across both states right now — WSDOT’s $2.83B Puget Sound Gateway (SR 167), the I-5 Bridge Replacement (Program uses a $14.4B planning figure within a $13.5B–$15.2B range), the North Spokane Corridor, and Oregon’s eastern data-center boom are where the biggest dollars and open bid opportunities sit — while private residential permitting is broadly soft, especially Portland multifamily, which HFO Investment Real Estate reports is down roughly 75% from its peak.
A handful of firms are consolidating the marquee public work: Guy F. Atkinson (SR 167 Stage 1b), Kraemer-Scarsella JV (SR 167 Stage 2b), Kuney Construction (North Spokane Corridor), Skanska (Vancouver Ops Campus), Hamilton/Sundt-Raimore JV (Rose Quarter), Sellen (Bellevue 600), Kirby Nagelhout (Bend civic), and Knife River (Medford Foothill Road).
The most actionable near-term bid pipeline: the I-5 Bridge Replacement RFP (RFQ open now, contractor hire 2027), the Vancouver Public Works Ops Campus GMP packages bidding through December 2026, the three North Spokane Corridor I-90 connection projects (2026–2027 ads), and the AWS Morrow County data-center buildout (construction starting Q3 2026).

Key Findings

Public/heavy-civil is booming; private housing is soft. Transportation megaprojects and hyperscale data centers dominate the funded opportunity set. Residential permitting is down or flat in most metros, with Portland multifamily the worst hit.
WSDOT’s earlier bidding freeze (fall 2024–spring 2025) delayed several Spokane-area lettings but work has resumed; the Legislature added $276M to close North Spokane Corridor cost escalation (per WSDOT Eastern Region Administrator Shar Kay’s testimony to the WA Senate Transportation Committee).
Cost escalation is the recurring theme across nearly every project — the I-5 Bridge estimate has climbed to a $13.5B–$15.2B range (from a $6B 2022 estimate, per Willamette Week); the Vancouver Ops Campus rose toward $225M; the Deschutes Courthouse rose to $46.8–47.5M.
Data centers are reshaping eastern Oregon — Amazon’s Morrow County plans include a potential “$8 billion, potentially as high as $12 billion” exascale campus, with new-building construction slated to begin Q3 2026.

Details by County/Region

Pierce County, WA — SR 167 Expressway

Project status: WSDOT opened the first 2-mile segment (Stage 1b) of the SR 167 Expressway between I-5 in Fife and SR 509 near the Port of Tacoma at 9 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. It’s part of the $2.83B Puget Sound Gateway Program. Tolling begins December 2026 ($1 each direction west of I-5 for Good To Go! passholders; higher for 3+ axle vehicles). The remaining 4 miles are scheduled to open June 2029.

Active contractors/firms:

Guy F. Atkinson Construction, LLC (Renton, WA; described in trade press as a division of Clark Construction) — sole design-build contractor for Stage 1b (the segment that just opened). WSDOT’s official contract record shows the award at $375,988,856 (executed 12/23/2021). Concrete Technology Corporation (Tacoma) fabricated the record-length precast girders (the world’s second-longest precast concrete girders).
Kraemer-Scarsella Joint Venture (Kraemer North America + Kent-based Scarsella Bros.) — won the $475M contract for Stage 2b, the final 2.6-mile section between North Meridian Avenue in Puyallup and I-5 in Fife. Groundbreaking was July 15, 2026; scheduled to open September 2029.

Open bid opportunities: Puget Sound Gateway is largely awarded across its seven projects (all complete, under construction, or in final design). Watch WSDOT’s contracting portal for subcontract packages on Stages 2a/2b.

Permit trend snapshot: Per FRED/U.S. Census data, Pierce County new private housing units authorized: 6,072 (2021 peak) → 4,730 (2022) → 3,135 (2023) → 3,207 (2024, per the May 2025 FRED release). Trend is moderated but stable. FLAG: 2025 and 2026 YTD county permit totals could not be confirmed from official sources.

Labor/materials/permitting notes: SR 167 required specialty precast girder fabrication and 165 acres of wetland restoration (300,000+ native plantings; new channels for Hylebos Creek). Puyallup Tribe coordination was central to delivery.

Multnomah County, OR — I-5 Rose Quarter & Portland permitting

Project status (Rose Quarter): Current cost estimate $1.96B–$2.08B. Phase 1A construction (stormwater, bridge work near I-5/I-84, southbound auxiliary lane extension) began summer 2025 and concludes late 2026. The Oregon Transportation Commission aligned on $167.5M in construction plans for 2027. Future phases remain unfunded.

Active contractors/firms (Rose Quarter): Hamilton/Sundt Joint Venture in association with Raimore Construction LLC is the lead construction team. LiUNA Local 737 is providing labor.

Open bid opportunities: Federal Reconnecting Communities & Neighborhoods grant — $67.5M for design and utility relocation obligated. Future-phase work depends on securing funding; contractors should watch for 2027 construction packages.

Permit trend snapshot (Portland/Multnomah): New apartment permitting in Portland is down roughly 75% from its peak, per an HFO Investment Real Estate analysis (Aaron Kirk Douglas, compiling City of Portland data, May 18, 2026): 1,515 units (2024), 1,461 (2025), and 1,299 YTD through May 12, 2026 — with nearly two-thirds still in review. Certificates of occupancy peaked at 5,446 units (2020); 4,476 were delivered in 2024. Statewide, Oregon permitted only 4,800 multifamily units in 2024 — the lowest in 12 years. HFO forecasts a “completions crash” for 2026–2028 as the empty pipeline works through.

Labor/materials/permitting notes: Portland issued 338 fewer housing permits in the first five months of a new program vs. the same period 2024 (OPB). Multnomah County’s homeless population rose 25% between Jan. 2025 and Jan. 2026. Portland adopted the 2025 OSSC (effective Oct 1, 2025; mandatory April 1, 2026).

Clark County, WA — I-5 Bridge Replacement & Vancouver Ops Campus

Project status (I-5 Bridge/IBR): Federal agencies issued an Amended Record of Decision July 1, 2026, completing NEPA review. The Program is now in procurement — an RFQ for the Columbia River Bridge Replacement was posted Aug 24, 2026; an RFP follows later in 2026; contractor hire is expected 2027; construction start 2028. Per the IBR Program’s March 2026 estimate, the formal cost range is $13.5B–$15.2B, and “the Program will use $14.4 billion, as there is a 70% chance the cost is that number or lower” — up sharply from a $6B 2022 estimate (Willamette Week). First funded phase is backed by $5.7B. Delivery is progressive design-build with WSDOT as lead agency.

Project status (Vancouver Public Works Operations Campus): ~$225M total (per the August 2026 cost estimate). 32-acre site at 8713 NE 94th Ave. Construction fall 2025–fall 2028; the majority of major work begins fall 2026. Final GMP is established after bidding closes on the remaining scope in December 2026.

Active contractors/firms:

Skanska USA Building, Inc. — GC/CM for the Vancouver Ops Campus. City Council accepted a $63.5M contract amendment Aug 4, 2026 (Skanska’s own release cited a ~$64M order booking). TCF Architecture is architect.
I-5 Bridge: Pre-completion tolling contract (WSDOT lead, design-bid-build, $20M–$24M, 2026); main bridge package (progressive design-build, $3.3B–$3.9B). TriMet leads $25M–$30M transit design (2027).

Open bid opportunities (very active):

I-5 Bridge RFQ open now (posted Aug 24, 2026); RFP later in 2026.
Vancouver Ops Campus subcontract packages through Skanska via Building Connected and the Builders Exchange of Washington (bxwa.com). Recent packages: MACC 07 (BP 03B Superstructures, BP 22A Underslab Mechanical/Plumbing, BP 31D Final Sitework); MACC I (BP 23A Ground Source Geo-exchange, BP 32A Tree Planting/Irrigation, BP 32B Fencing). Remaining scoped items bid closing December 2026; OMWBE business-equity goals apply.

Permit trend snapshot: A third-party aggregator (PermitGrab) logged 100 Clark County building permits in the trailing 7 days through June 27, 2026 (down 75.6% from 409 the prior week; $260,945 declared value) — treat as directional. FLAG: official Clark County 2026 YTD vs 2025 permit totals not confirmed.

Labor/materials/permitting notes: I-5 Bridge cost escalation is attributed to inflation and market conditions. Vancouver councilors voted 5-2 on the Ops Campus amendment amid concern about escalating costs.

Spokane County, WA — North Spokane Corridor & downtown towers

Project status (NSC): 10.5-mile corridor; seven of eight highway miles open; ~$650M of construction completed to date. The Legislature added $276M for cost escalation (per WSDOT’s Shar Kay; Gov. Bob Ferguson characterized it as “another quarter billion dollars” securing the final three phases). Stage 3 (Sprague to Alki) construction began Sept. 2025, running through 2027. Stage 2 (Mission-to-Alki, part of Sprague-to-Spokane River) was awarded to Kuney Construction in February 2026 and — at $224 million per WSDOT spokesman Joe McHale to the Spokesman-Review (Apr. 27, 2026) — is “the most expensive in Eastern Washington history.” Three I-90 connection projects are planned for 2026–2027 ads, first construction ~2027, completion into 2028–2030. Full corridor completion ~2029–early 2030s.

Active contractors/firms:

Max J. Kuney Co. (Kuney Construction), Spokane — GC for NSC Stage 3 and Stage 2, plus the Spokane River Crossing vehicle and pedestrian bridges.
Bouten Construction Co. (Spokane) — GC on Koz on West 4th; the Spokane office of DCI Engineers (D’Amato Conversano) is project engineer.
Recent City of Spokane awards (early 2026 and 2025): Selland Construction, Corridor Contractors, Apollo Inc., Cameron-Reilly LLC, Inland Asphalt Company.

Project status (downtown residential):

Koz on West 4th — $50M, 210-unit (revised from earlier scope), six-story, ~80,700 SF over a 108-space parking structure at 307 W. 4th. Developer Koz Development LLC + Catalyst Opportunity Funds; $33M construction financing (Cushman & Wakefield/Greystone). Completion/lease-up fall 2026.
Spokane Falls Tower — L.B. Stone Properties’ 12-story luxury condo tower at 630 N. Lincoln. Completion Q2–Q3 2026. (Sources conflict on unit count: 38 vs 48.)
Peyton Building — 7-story, 96 units (part of ~1,000 downtown units announced by the Spokane Business Association).

Open bid opportunities: NSC Stage 2 bids opened Feb 25, 2026; three I-90 connection projects advertising 2026–2027 (watch WSDOT Eastern Region). NSC Trent Interchange utility relocations. The Spokane and Spokane Valley builders exchanges are primary channels.

Permit trend snapshot: City of Spokane multifamily permitting is strong. Per the City’s July 2026 Building Permit Activity Summary (via Spokane Journal of Business, analyst Ryan Thompson): 27 multifamily permits (3+ units) and 561 housing units approved through July — the third-highest through-July total in over 20 years. Units in 5+ unit buildings are up 77% YoY; 3–4 unit buildings up 23%. Large multifamily valuations exceed $110M (up 57% from $71M a year earlier). County-wide (FRED): 3,626 units (2024), 3,621 (2023), 3,745 (2022). The City permitted a record 1,433 residential permits in 2024.

Labor/materials/permitting notes: The WSDOT bidding freeze (fall 2024–spring 2025) delayed several NSC segments and threatened contractor jobs/revenue. NSC challenges cited by WSDOT: limited laydown/contractor space, new project labor agreement requirements, and unknown utility conflicts in built urban environments. Spokane River Crossing completion slipped to early–mid 2026 due to a labor strike. The City’s housing boom is tied to a multifamily affordable-housing property-tax exemption and zoning reform (units on every residential lot, no parking minimums, no downtown height limits).

Deschutes County, OR — Bend civic projects

Project status:

Bend High School (Bend Senior High Modernization) — the largest single project of Bend-La Pine Schools’ $250M 2022 bond. Phased June 2024–August 2028. Per Cascade Business News’ project listing: Phase 1 ($72,182,600, completion July 2026); Phases 2/3 ($81,758,832) and Theater ($40,818,807), both completing July 2028. The Bulletin cites a ~$175M–$180M overall figure.
Deschutes County Circuit Court expansion — $46.8M–$47.5M; new 3-story, ~51,000 SF addition doubling the courthouse. Timeline May 2024–summer 2026 (most work wrapping by end of March 2026). Delayed six months by permitting/design and unstable soils (~$2.9M overrun).
Central Library at Stevens Ranch — $137M, 100,000 SF; timeline Jan 2024–May/June 2026.

Active contractors/firms:

Kirby Nagelhout Construction Company (KNCC) — GC on both Bend High School (all phases; architect BBT Architects) and the Central Library at Stevens Ranch (CM/GC selected fall 2021; PM Greg Holcomb; design architect Miller Hull; local architect Steele Associates; structural KPFF; civil HWA). Board authorization for the KNCC library GMP ran up to $74,856,784.
Pence Construction — GC on the Deschutes County Courthouse expansion (GMP capped at $37M; architect LRS Architects; owner’s rep/CM Cumming Group).

Open bid opportunities: These three anchor projects are largely subcontracted. FLAG: no active county-issued RFPs tied to these specific projects were identified as open in September 2026.

Permit trend snapshot: Deschutes County’s Community Development Department (funded by permit fees) eliminated 14 positions over 15 months and proposed cutting eight more amid a slowdown in land-use applications (2024 reporting). Permit fees were raised ~10–16%. 2026 residential plan-review turnaround runs 6–10 weeks; the county transitioned to Oregon ePermitting in 2026. FLAG: precise 2026 vs 2025 county permit counts not confirmed; the qualitative slowdown is confirmed.

Labor/materials/permitting notes: Unstable soils and a longer permitting process drove courthouse cost overruns. CDD staffing cuts signal a cooling private-development market driven by cost-of-living, inflation, and interest rates.

Jackson County, OR — Foothill Road (Medford)

Project status: The $62M Foothill Road Improvement Project — the largest transportation project ever undertaken by the City of Medford — is complete. It converted a 4-mile, two-lane country road (Delta Waters Road to Hillcrest Road) into a four-lane arterial with turn lanes, bike lanes, sidewalks, and lighting. It was a partnership of the City of Medford, Jackson County, and ODOT, with a $15M federal grant (Sens. Merkley/Wyden). Paving finished six months ahead of schedule.

Active contractors/firms: Knife River / Knife River Materials (Central Point) — contractor on both the Jackson County and City of Medford portions.

Open bid opportunities: Foothill Road is complete. Future related work: a potential I-5/Highway interchange study (a federal grant is being pursued for an over-crossing/underpass/interchange). Medford Regional Water Reclamation Facility site work/grading appeared in June 2026 county permits. FLAG: no specific open Foothill-related bids identified.

Permit trend snapshot: Jackson County (unincorporated) June 2026 permits: 14 new dwelling (“101”) permits totaling ~$6.06M in value that month; some rebuilds are still tied to Almeda Fire recovery. Medford’s residential permit turnaround is ~14 days. FLAG: county-wide 2026 YTD vs 2025 totals not compiled from an official source.

Labor/materials/permitting notes: South/east Medford growth (Centennial Golf Club area, N. Phoenix Road) is expected to continue driving residential/commercial demand. Almeda Fire rebuilding still generates replacement-dwelling permits.

Crook County, OR — Prineville data centers

Project status: Prineville is one of Oregon’s three established data-center hubs (with Hillsboro and Boardman). Meta (since 2010) and Apple operate hyperscale facilities. Oregon’s Department of Land Conservation and Development reports the industry is growing exponentially, with operational buildings doubling; statewide, communities are eyeing 9,100 acres of new data-center development — quadrupling the footprint.

Active contractors/firms: FLAG: specific GCs/subs currently active on Prineville data-center construction in 2026 could not be confirmed from available sources. National data-center GCs were not verified for Prineville specifically.

Open bid opportunities: Data-center work is largely private/negotiated, not public-bid; opportunity is via hyperscaler/GC subcontractor relationships. FLAG: no public bids identified.

Permit trend snapshot: FLAG: Crook County 2026 permit data not obtained. The data-center economy transformed Prineville from near-20% post-recession unemployment to growth (per city manager Steve Forrester).

Labor/materials/permitting notes: Power capacity is the binding constraint region-wide (see AWS’s PacifiCorp complaint). Urban-growth-boundary/land-use expansion is the enabling mechanism.

Morrow & Umatilla Counties, OR — AWS/Amazon data-center boom

Project status: Amazon is the dominant force:

AWS Morrow County “Exascale” campus — Amazon bought ~1,300 acres near Boardman (Threemile Canyon Farms land, ~$37M) for a potential “$8 billion, potentially as high as $12 billion” exascale campus of 16–20 buildings, ~4M SF, ~1 GW power, with 560 full-time employees averaging $110,000 (GeekWire/The Oregonian, confirmed late March 2026). DCPulse lists it as “Under Construction (March 2026).”
PDX 154 — the Morrow County Planning Commission approved (March 31) a 4-building campus (816,000 SF total; each building 190,000–218,000 SF) east of Boardman Airport, plus water/stormwater/wastewater infrastructure.
Five new data centers — Amazon (per TechRadar) intends to spend almost $12B on five new Morrow County data centers, each ~$2.37B, buildings ~20,000 sq m; construction set to begin Q3 2026 and hiring Q4 2026, creating 600 tech jobs averaging $75,000. (Note: this “five centers” framing and the “1,300-acre exascale” framing are reported with different job/wage figures — 600 jobs at $75,000 vs. 560 at $110,000 — reflecting distinct developments/sources.)
AWS also acquired a shovel-ready solar-plus-storage facility in Morrow County (Jan 2026), is pursuing Arlington acreage, and is suspected behind the $4.8B, 16-building Walla Walla (WA) campus.

Active contractors/firms: FLAG: specific GCs/subs on the Boardman/Morrow AWS builds not confirmed from available sources. Amazon uses owner’s-rep and negotiated-GC models.

Open bid opportunities: Private/negotiated; subcontractor opportunity via AWS’s GC network, with construction ramping Q3 2026.

Permit trend snapshot: Amazon represents close to half of Morrow County’s taxable property value (per assessor Mike Gorman). FLAG: Morrow/Umatilla residential permit counts not obtained.

Labor/materials/permitting notes: Amazon received ~$161M in tax breaks over five years (per Oregon Live, via TechRadar). Power availability is the key bottleneck (AWS’s Nov 2025 PacifiCorp complaint: one campus “insufficient power,” another “no power at all”). Land-use/UGB expansion and water-impoundment mitigation are the dominant permitting themes.

King County, WA — Bellevue 600 (Amazon)

Project status: Bellevue 600 (Amazon) — a 43-story, 600-ft, ~1.0–1.04M SF office tower at 600 108th Ave NE. Construction started 2021; topped out Sept 2024; estimated completion 2027. Amazon had paused several Bellevue office towers but filed permits in Jan 2026 to restart work (Tower 1 at Bellevue 600 at 633 110th Ave NE; the West Main towers; The Artise interior build-out; 788 106th Ave NE renovations).

Active contractors/firms:

Sellen Construction — GC for Bellevue 600. Team: NBBJ (architect), Magnusson Klemencic (structural), McKinstry (mechanical/plumbing), Stantec (electrical), Gustafson Guthrie Nichol (landscape), Seneca Group (owner’s rep/developer management). Amrize/Stoneway supplied low-carbon concrete.
Turner Construction — was directed by Amazon to hold interior work at the nearby 555 Tower during the pause.

Open bid opportunities: Largely private/negotiated (Amazon + Sellen). Renewed permit filings signal restarting subcontract scopes.

Permit trend snapshot: King County new private housing units (FRED): 19,549 (2021) → 18,830 (2022) → 10,601 (2023) → 10,564 (2024) — a sharp drop-off after 2022. Nationally, July 2026 permits ran at a 1,443,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate (up 5.0% MoM, 3.1% YoY). King County’s median sold price was down 4.2% YoY (Sept 2026). Active categories: infill townhomes, smaller detached subdivisions, and transit-oriented mixed-use. FLAG: King County 2025/2026 YTD permit totals not confirmed from an official source.

Labor/materials/permitting notes: Amazon’s office-tower pause and restart is the defining local dynamic — a signal that Eastside commercial demand is recovering. Land, utility, labor, and financing costs are shaping what gets built. King County school impact fees changed Jan 1, 2026.

Recommendations

Chase the public-infrastructure pipeline first — that’s where the funded work is. Immediate priorities: (a) I-5 Bridge Replacement — get prequalified now while the RFQ is open (posted Aug 24, 2026) ahead of the 2026 RFP and 2027 contractor hire; (b) Vancouver Ops Campus — bid remaining Skanska subcontract packages before the December 2026 GMP close via Building Connected and bxwa.com; (c) North Spokane Corridor’s three I-90 connection projects advertising 2026–2027 through WSDOT Eastern Region.
For subcontractors, position with the incumbents winning the marquee awards: Atkinson and Kraemer-Scarsella (Pierce), Kuney (Spokane), Skanska (Clark), Hamilton/Sundt-Raimore (Portland), Sellen (Bellevue), Kirby Nagelhout (Bend), and Knife River (Rogue Valley). These firms control the largest current backlogs.
Data-center subs: build relationships now, not bids. The AWS Morrow County buildout (construction Q3 2026, hiring Q4 2026) and Prineville expansion are negotiated/private. Approach hyperscaler owner’s reps and their national GCs; power/electrical, mechanical (cooling), and sitework/water-infrastructure trades have the most runway.
Reprice residential exposure. Portland multifamily (down ~75%, with a 2026–2028 completions crash forecast by HFO) means OR/SW WA residential subs should pivot toward Spokane (multifamily units in 5+ unit buildings up 77% YoY) and toward public/institutional work.
Benchmarks that would change this guidance: A rebound in Portland multifamily permitting above ~2,500 units/year, a King County permit recovery above 12,000 units, confirmation of AWS Boardman GC awards, or a second WSDOT bidding freeze would each materially shift where subcontractors should focus.

Caveats

Time-sensitivity: Permit and bid data are highly perishable. Several county-level 2026 YTD permit totals could not be confirmed from official dashboards and are flagged throughout; do not present flagged items as current without verifying against county building-department dashboards, ODOT/WSDOT bid-letting systems, and local builders exchanges.
Third-party aggregators (PermitGrab, FRED, Jaspector, Oreate AI) were used where official figures were unavailable; FRED reflects U.S. Census permit data with a lag (latest annual = 2024, released May 2025). Treat aggregator weekly figures as directional.
Contractor lists are not exhaustive — major subcontractors were generally not named in public sources for most projects; only GCs and design teams are confirmed. Prineville and Boardman data-center GCs remain unconfirmed.
Conflicting figures noted: SR 167 Stage 1b contract ($264M/$367M/$375.99M — WSDOT authoritative at $375,988,856); Spokane Falls Tower unit count (38 vs 48); Deschutes Courthouse cost ($46.8M vs $47.5M); Bend High budget ($175–180M vs ~$194.7M in listed phase budgets); AWS Morrow County jobs/wages (600 at $75,000 vs 560 at $110,000, reflecting different developments/sources).
Speculative/forward-looking items (I-5 Bridge final cost, AWS exascale scope, future Rose Quarter phases) reflect estimates and announced plans, not completed work or executed contracts.