Construction on a new Interstate 10 toll bridge spanning Mobile Bay could begin as early as 2023, according to a news release from Mobile and Baldwin County leaders.
The chairs of the Eastern Shore and Mobile Metropolitan Planning Organizations outlined a plan for a new Mobile River Bridge and a new Bayway, including how much it would cost drivers to use the bridge. Before the project moves forward, the MPOs will vote on the plan at their summer meetings, with public comment opportunities and hearings to be announced on the MPO websites.
A response to congestion
Both MPOs agreed in December that a new toll bridge across Mobile Bay was the only solution to congestion. The Alabama Department of Transportation, which backed the toll bridge concept in January, prepared the plan for the south Alabama MPOs.
The current system of bridges and tunnels crossing Mobile Bay and the Mobile River was designed to carry about 35,000 vehicles a day. On peak days, nearly 100,000 cars and trucks now use that route, the planning organizations said.
How it would be paid for
All toll revenue would go toward paying for the project, and tolls would end once the debt is paid off, according to the MPOs. The State of Alabama would contribute at least $250 million, with another $125 million from a federal Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects (INFRA) grant.
The State of Alabama — not a private concessionaire — would own, operate and maintain the infrastructure. To keep the Wallace Tunnel toll-free, toll gantries would be placed at the Mid-Bay interchange so that only vehicles using the new bridge are charged.
New construction costs are estimated at $2.7 billion, up from a $2.1 billion estimate in 2019, a change the MPOs attributed to inflation affecting highway projects statewide.
An “ALGO Pass” transponder would be available for a nominal fee, with the lowest toll rates for users. A $40 monthly unlimited rate would cover most two-axle vehicles under 7.5 feet tall, bringing the average one-way toll for a typical Mobile-to-Baldwin County commuter to under $1, planners said.