Tuberville, Britt, Moore Praise DoT Grant To ALDOT For Mobile River Bridge & Bayway

Alabama’s Republican Congressional delegation for Mobile and Baldwin Counties are united in their praise for the Trump administration’s decision to release $550 million in funding for the I-10 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway Project.

As ALPolitics.com reported yesterday, The U.S. Department of Transportation has finalized a $550 million grant to advance the project. This funding, part of the Federal Highway Administration's Bridge Investment Program, will modernize a critical easy-west transportation corridor with a new six-lane, cable-stayed bridge over the Mobile River and updates to the existing Bayway bridges.

U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) criticized previous infrastructure priorities, saying, "For four years, the Biden administration prioritized funding woke, climate initiatives while our roads and bridges collapsed across the country. I appreciate President Trump and Secretary Duffy for taking quick action to implement much-needed infrastructure improvements and allocating funds to the Mobile Bridge project in Alabama. I-10 is the gateway from the west to the east, and we want to ensure travelers reach their destinations safely and efficiently. I join Alabamians in celebrating this welcome news for our state and look forward to the project’s completion."

Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) expressed her gratitude for the support, stating, "I’m deeply grateful to Secretary Duffy and the Trump Administration for their continued support of this monumental project. This $550 million investment in the Mobile River Bridge and Bayway Project is a huge win for Alabamians and any American who drives along I-10. I’m also thankful for the leadership of Governor Ivey, ALDOT Director Cooper, Mayor Stimpson, the Mobile and Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organizations and other local officials, and my colleagues in Alabama’s congressional delegation who joined me in support of this competitive grant. This strategic investment is exactly how federal transportation and infrastructure funds should be spent, and I am proud we worked together to bring these Alabama taxpayer dollars home."

U.S. Representative Barry Moore (R-AL1) applauded the move, saying, “President Trump promised he would build a new I-10 bridge, and with the finalization of this $550 million grant from the Department of Transportation, he is delivering on his promise. The Mobile River and Bayway Bridge Project is a critical infrastructure need that has far reaching effects, not just in Alabama’s First Congressional District, but across the state of Alabama, the Southeastern region, and the nation. I look forward to working with President Trump and the Alabama delegation to get this project across the finish line.” 

U.S. Representative Shomari Figures (D-AL2) was not quite so effusive: “This funding was awarded by the Biden-Harris Administration nearly a year ago. It’s unfortunate that this funding was delayed because of President Trump’s funding freeze, but I’m glad to see this money is finally flowing to Mobile so that the I-10 Bayway Bridge Project can get underway.” 

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy, on announcing the agreement, stated, "America is building again. President Trump vowed to get Alabama the infrastructure it deserves, and since assuming office, my department has worked diligently over the last 100 days to make it happen. Now that the I-10 grant agreement is a done deal, the state can get shovels in the ground and start moving dirt. Promises made, promises kept."

The Trump Administration inherited a record number of 3,200 unobligated grants that had been announced by the previous administration but never obligated. This unprecedented backlog of unobligated grants delayed critical investments in communities across the country. Under Secretary Duffy’s direction, the Department is working diligently to accelerate the distribution of these long-overdue funds and address core infrastructure projects.

As part of this process, the Department has removed certain requirements that were not mandated by Congress, including social cost of carbon accounting, greenhouse gas emission reporting, and specific diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) language. According to the Department, removing these requirements will save taxpayers millions, noting that road construction costs increased approximately 70% under the last administration.

ALDOT’s project along I-10 is estimated to cost $3.5 billion and will include construction of a new six-lane, cable-stayed bridge over the Mobile River navigational channel and new bridges replacing the existing Bayway Bridges crossing Mobile Bay. The new Bayway will also raise the roadway above hurricane storm surge levels. The project corridor is just over 10 miles long.