One of the largest federal grants ever received for an Alabama project will boost efforts to construct a $3.5 billion bridge across Mobile Bay.

The $550 million grant, announced by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, is the largest ever for a project in the state and marks a critical milestone in the longstanding effort to build a new Interstate 10 bridge and Bayway, now known as the Mobile River Bridge and Bayway Project.

The grant comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bridge Investment Program, part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This competitive program focuses on improving existing bridges to reduce the number of bridges in poor or at-risk conditions. Governor Ivey hailed the grant as a “game-changer,” emphasizing the appropriate use of infrastructure dollars.

Ed Austin, chief engineer at the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT), stated that the funding will propel the project forward, potentially allowing ground to be broken as soon as next year. Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson, who chairs the Mobile Metropolitan Planning Organization, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the project’s importance along the entire I-10 corridor, from Florida to California.

Plans for the project include a six-lane, cable-stayed bridge with 215 feet of clearance over the Mobile River navigation channel, and the construction of a seven-mile Bayway with two two-lane bridges and two three-lane bridges. The project also involves reconfiguring seven interchanges to increase I-10’s capacity for current and future traffic, while minimizing impacts on the region’s maritime industry and providing a direct route for hazardous materials transport, which currently requires a detour through Mobile’s Central Business District.

ALDOT has been securing funding from various sources to supplement toll revenues, including a $125-million Infrastructure for Rebuilding America grant, $250 million in state funds, a $1.1-billion Federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan, and $1.2 billion in senior financing. The federal grant comes at a crucial time, as inflation has pushed project costs from $2.7 billion to $3.5 billion, prompting a temporary review of cost-saving measures.

The project is nearly shovel-ready, with all rights of way acquired and necessary federal approvals secured. As ALDOT finalizes the TIFIA loan process, local and state authorities continue to seek federal support to ensure the project’s success, highlighting its national significance.