Alabama plans new I-10 bridge over Mobile Bay, but MS drivers will have to pay
Construction on a more than $5 billion Interstate 10 toll bridge over the Mobile River could begin this year, pending loan approval, Alabama Department of Transportation officials said.
The project is meant to ease worsening congestion in Mobile’s George Wallace Tunnel. Rising costs and federal requirements stalled plans for decades, leading officials to split the project into two phases.
State leaders praised the Trump administration for selecting the project to qualify for a federal pilot program that will allow toll revenue to finance construction.
The new bridge will open around 2031, according to ALDOT officials. However, the project’s second phase is not yet finalized, leaving the existing I-10 Bayway’s future uncertain.
“This project is essential to Alabama’s future and represents one of the most important infrastructure investments in our state’s history,” Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said in a press release. “This transformative project will strengthen our economy, improve safety and ensure we are better prepared in times of emergency.
Construction in phases
ALDOT’s move to a two-phase approach comes after regulatory requirements, construction inflation and engineering challenges skyrocketed the project’s budget.
Construction costs for phase one alone nearly exceed the $3.5 billion price tag placed on the project several years ago. Costs for phase two could exceed $1.8 billion.
“Any delays will only increase the cost, so I think it’s quite important that we skip to the start and get it done because the cost won’t reduce in the future years, it will get higher,” Rep. Sam Jones said in a video release.
Phase one includes a five-year construction plan for a 215-foot-tall cable-stayed bridge over the Mobile River. All other existing routes, including the George Wallace Tunnel, will remain in operation and toll-free.
Shoulders on the existing Bayway will be removed, and the roadway will be restriped both ways to add another lane in each direction.
In the second phase, a new Bayway will be constructed, and the existing structure will be demolished. Official timelines and costs have not been finalized.
Tony Harris, chief of communication and government relations at ALDOT, said phase one will be financed through toll revenue, which will also pay for the Bayway’s replacement.
Drivers with toll tags from out of state will pay $7.70 to cross, while Alabama motorists will pay $3 per trip.
Monthly unlimited passes will be available for $60, an increase from the $40 rate proposed in 2021.
Financing the project
A few steps remain before groundbreaking can occur on the largest infrastructure project in Alabama’s history.
Officials are awaiting approval for federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loans that would account for nearly half of the project’s budget. Toll revenue will finance the low-interest loans.
“This project is critical not only for Alabama, but for the entire Gulf Coast and every community that depends on Interstate 10 for commerce, travel, hurricane evacuations and national security,” U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville said in a press release.
State leaders said the Trump Administration chose the project as the first ever to qualify for the Interstate System Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Pilot program. The federal initiative allows officials to use toll revenue for transportation construction costs.
Much of the project’s federal grant funding was awarded in 2024 by a $550 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant. $250 million in state funding will also support the project, along with a $125 million federal grant secured by former U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby in 2019.
The Bayway’s future
Harris said the existing Bayway structure was built in 1977 and designed to carry 35,000 vehicles per day. Now, the roadway holds more than 100,000 motorists during peak traffic hours.
“We continue to see congestion and we’re not seeing our population increase slow down at all so it’s imperative that we get this project started,” Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan said in a video release.
In a 2019 ALDOT storm analysis, the aging structure was shown to be vulnerable to strong hurricanes, particularly Category 3 storms or higher.
Phase two of the project includes the demolition and reconstruction of the Bayway, but a timeline and budget have yet to be finalized.
