The Alabama Department of Transportation on Thursday announced that construction on a new Interstate 10 bridge across the Mobile River is expected to begin this year, a development officials say will finally ease chronic congestion through the George Wallace Tunnel and improve evacuation routes for the Gulf Coast region.
Project basics and timeline
State transportation leaders described the first step of a phased approach that separates the long-planned Mobile River span from a later replacement of the nearby Bayway Bridge. Key details released by the department include:
- Six lanes across the new bridge, designed to carry I-10 traffic.
- A vertical clearance of 215 feet so cruise ships and oil rigs can pass beneath.
- An estimated construction cost of roughly $3 billion.
- A projected opening date of around 2031.
“This project is critical,” Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville said. “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.”
Why the project changed course
The state acknowledged the plan differs from earlier proposals that bundled construction of the Mobile River Bridge with a Bayway Bridge replacement. Those prior ambitions stalled amid disagreements over tolling and rising costs for labor and materials, which pushed earlier estimates to about $5 billion, according to Tony Harris, Alabama DOT’s chief of communications.
To reduce the immediate price tag and accelerate delivery of congestion relief, officials said the department will build the Mobile River span first and apply temporary measures to the Bayway — including repainting lane markings to add an extra lane in each direction on the existing bridge.
Regional consequences for Mobile
For Mobile residents, the long-sought bridge is aimed at addressing routine bottlenecks that form around the George Wallace Tunnel as population and traffic volumes on the Gulf Coast grow. Transportation leaders stressed the structure’s value goes beyond daily commutes: it is also intended to improve evacuation flow during hurricane threats and maintain a reliable corridor for freight moving along I-10.
The department credited new momentum for the project to support from President Donald Trump and a federal program that has recently funded large infrastructure projects. Officials did not release a detailed construction schedule in the announcement beyond the target start window this year and the approximate 2031 opening.
Data snapshot
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Number of lanes | 6 |
| Vertical clearance | 215 ft |
| Estimated cost | $3 billion |
| Projected opening | About 2031 |
What comes next
Officials say the phased approach should allow work to begin sooner on the Mobile River crossing while postponing the more expensive simultaneous replacement of the Bayway Bridge. In the near term, residents should expect planning and permitting activity, design releases and eventual construction staging in and near downtown Mobile. The department also indicated interim changes to the Bayway’s striping will be used to squeeze additional capacity out of the existing structure.
Local drivers, business leaders and emergency planners will watch closely for further announcements that detail construction sequencing, traffic impacts during work and how funding will be allocated between the two phases through completion.
