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Officials celebrate new I-10 bridge funding in Mobile

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — State and federal leaders gathered in Mobile Monday to celebrate the U.S. Dept. of Transportation’s $550 million grant that could finally make the 1-10 bridge and bayway project a reality.

The grant is the largest of its kind in Alabama history, according to Gov. Kay Ivey’s office.

The Alabama Department of Transportation has for years sought to build a new I-10 bridge over the Mobile River and replace the bayway connecting Mobile and Baldwin Counties. The current tunnel is a frequent traffic problem, both for local commuters and commercial traffic along the heavily travelled route.

But funding has always been an issue, from how to leverage tolls to finding federal funding. Two weeks ago, the funding problem became a lot more solvable with the announcement of the $550 million grant.

Ivey was joined by U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl, Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt, Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson and Fairhope City Councilman and Eastern Shore MPO Chair Jack Burrell.

The more than half a billion dollars were awarded to Alabama through the Bridge Investment Program, a grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation that was established under the 2021 Infrastructure Bill.

The project will see a six-lane bridge constructed over the river in downtown Mobile that would connect to an expanded and elevated Bayway to U.S. 98 in Daphne, along with some additional interchange improvements in Baldwin and Mobile counties.

The new grant brings the total federal investment in the project to $675 million, according to Britt’s office.

“This critical infrastructure will help tens of thousands of Alabamians commute to work and school every day, provide a safe route for communities to visit family, and enhance the ability of small businesses and local industries to sell their goods, products, and supplies far and wide,” Britt said in a written statement.

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