MOBILE, Ala. (NBC 15) —

After years of planning and delays, the Mobile River Bridge is moving into construction, with a groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for Friday.

The Alabama Department of Transportation issued a notice to proceed with construction last Friday, following the closing of bond sales and federal financing.

Gov. Kay Ivey welcomed the development, calling it a win for residents in Mobile and Baldwin counties, as well as the Gulf Coast region.

“This is a win for the citizens in Baldwin and Mobile counties, a win for the state of Alabama and a win for the Gulf Coast region. It’s time to build the bridge, y’all!” Ivey said in a statement.

As construction moves forward, a separate debate has emerged over what the new Interstate 10 river bridge should be called.

According to AL.com, U.S. Rep. Barry Moore floated the idea of naming the bridge the “Gateway to the Gulf of America, the Donald J. Trump Bridge.” Other Alabama Republican lawmakers have also expressed support for naming the bridge after President Donald Trump.

Local officials, however, say the name is less important than getting the project built and improving the commute across Mobile Bay.

The bridge is part of the roughly $3.2 billion first phase of the Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project. It also received a $2.52 billion federal TIFIA loan through the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Mobile City Councilman Ben Reynolds said he would be open to naming the bridge after Trump if doing so somehow resulted in the federal loan being forgiven and eliminated the need for tolls.

For now, tolls remain part of the project’s financing plan.

Trump is also expected to return to Mobile on Friday for a midterm rally at the University of South Alabama. It remains unclear whether he will attend the bridge groundbreaking ceremony.

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The project is expected to be a major transportation development for the Mobile and Baldwin County areas, with construction now officially getting underway.