Contaminated Soil Found at Mobile River Bridge Site
Lead and other pollutants found at a former shipyard; ALDOT says cleanup costs are covered and no construction delay is expected
TL;DR: Contaminated soil at a former Mobile shipyard will require cleanup for the new bridge project. ALDOT says the work is covered in the project budget and should not delay construction.
Contaminated soil at a former shipyard slated for the Mobile River Bridge’s western approach will require cleanup. State transportation officials say the work should not delay the long-awaited project.
An assessment of the former Bender Shipbuilding property found lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury and PCBs, according to NBC 15. Consultants warned of risks to workers and people using possible future green space unless the site is properly cleaned up.
Lead in surface soil reached 15,000 parts per million — 75 times the federal residential screening level used in the report. Consultants found that roughly 90% of the property’s surface area could pose exposure concerns for workers disturbing the soil. Those findings came from sampling conducted in 2024.
Potential safeguards include removing contaminated soil, covering affected areas, controlling dust and limiting access. The documents reviewed by NBC 15 did not state a final cleanup price or how much soil would need removal.
ALDOT, however, told FOX10 News that its design-build team had prepared for the issue and included the costs in the overall project budget.
“There is no anticipated impact on the construction timeline,” an ALDOT spokesman said.
The Alabama Department of Environmental Management’s public notice identifies the parcels as 265 Old Water Street and 257 Royal Street. ADEM has reviewed ALDOT’s proposed voluntary cleanup plan and found it adequate under the program’s rules. The property will also carry controls governing its use.
The notice, issued Oct. 14, allows 30 days for written comments. Residents may submit comments to ADEM at permitsmail@adem.alabama.gov. The agency says comments must provide relevant technical information to affect its final decision.
The cleanup comes as construction begins on Alabama’s largest transportation project. As ALPolitics.com reported, officials broke ground Oct. 2 on the $3.2 billion first phase. It includes a new six-lane bridge and changes to the existing Bayway to provide three lanes in each direction. A full Bayway replacement is planned for a later phase.
Federal support includes a $550 million bridge grant, whose release drew praise from Sens. Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt and Rep. Barry Moore. Phase One is expected to open in late 2031, easing the I-10 bottleneck between Mobile and Baldwin counties.
