Alabama issues notice to proceed for the largest transportation project in state history, clearing the way for a new six-lane Mobile River bridge and major I-10 improvements
MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday formally authorized construction of the $3.2 billion Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project, moving one of the state's most consequential infrastructure projects from decades of planning toward full-scale construction.
The Alabama Department of Transportation, acting on behalf of the Alabama Toll Road, Bridge and Tunnel Authority, issued a notice to proceed Sept. 25 to the Kiewit Massman Traylor design-build team, according to the governor's office. The authorization follows the completion of bond sales and federal financing and represents the final procedural step before construction begins.
A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 2, in Mobile, with U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy expected to join Ivey and other officials. The event will be invitation-only because of space limitations, according to the governor's office.
The project represents a major overhaul of the Interstate 10 corridor connecting Mobile and Baldwin counties and is described by state officials as the largest transportation infrastructure project in Alabama history.
“At long last, we are officially moving from talking about the need for the Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project to actually building it,” Ivey said in announcing the authorization.
$3.2 billion first phase fully financed
The construction authorization comes less than two weeks after the Alabama Toll Road, Bridge and Tunnel Authority completed financing for the project's $3.2 billion first phase.
That financing includes a $2.52 billion Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Build America Bureau, as well as bonds marketed to investors. Federal support also includes a $550 million Bridge Investment Program grant and a $125 million INFRA grant, according to ALDOT.
The first phase calls for construction of a new six-lane cable-stayed bridge across the Mobile River. The existing Bayway will be modified to carry three lanes in each direction, while approximately one mile of the Bayway will be reconstructed to connect with the new bridge. The plan also includes improvements to interchanges, intersections and traffic flow along I-10 in Mobile and Baldwin counties.
A second phase envisions construction of a new Bayway structure as additional funding becomes available. Future toll revenue is expected to help finance that work.
Project targets congestion, freight movement
The bridge is intended to address a longstanding transportation bottleneck along I-10 while improving freight movement to and from the Port of Mobile.
The new crossing will also provide an interstate route across the Mobile River for hazardous-material freight, which cannot travel through the Wallace Tunnel and currently must use local roads. State transportation officials say the project is designed to improve regional mobility, reduce congestion and strengthen access to the port.
The project has undergone years of revisions as Alabama officials confronted escalating construction costs, engineering challenges and disagreements over financing and tolling. An earlier development effort was terminated in 2019 before the project was revived in 2021 following action by the Mobile and Eastern Shore metropolitan planning organizations.
More recently, Alabama shifted to a phased construction strategy after updated engineering and cost estimates made simultaneous construction of both a new bridge and an entirely new Bayway financially difficult.
What drivers would pay
Drivers will not pay tolls during construction. Toll collection is scheduled to begin only after the new bridge and first-phase improvements open to traffic, currently projected for late 2031.
Under the current plan, passenger vehicles using an ALGO Pass would pay $3 per trip, while frequent commuters could purchase a $60 monthly unlimited-use option. The Wallace Tunnel, Bankhead Tunnel, Africatown Bridge and Causeway are expected to remain toll-free alternatives.
Early work, including geotechnical investigations, test piles, site preparation and procurement of long-lead materials, was already underway before the notice to proceed. The latest authorization clears the design-build team to advance into full construction.
Friday's groundbreaking will therefore mark more than a ceremonial milestone. It represents the transition of a decades-debated Gulf Coast transportation project into the construction phase, backed by billions of dollars in state, federal and bond financing.
======
-- By James W. Thomas
© Copyright 2026 JWT Communications. All rights reserved. This article cannot be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten, or distributed in any form without written permission.
No comments:
Post a Comment