Eastbound Wallace Tunnel Closure Tonight: I-10 Shut 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. for Maintenance

MOBILE, Ala. — Drivers heading east on Interstate 10 out of downtown Mobile tonight will need another way across the river. The eastbound Wallace Tunnel closure is set for Thursday, Oct. 22, from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Friday, so crews can carry out scheduled maintenance work.

Motorists traveling through the area during those hours should allow extra travel time, seek alternate routes and follow detour signs, according to the closure notice. Only the eastbound tube is included in the announced closure.

Closure at a glance

• What: Eastbound George Wallace Tunnel on I-10 closed
• When: Thursday, Oct. 22, 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
• Why: Scheduled maintenance work
• Detours: Cochrane–Africatown USA Bridge from Water Street, or the Bankhead Tunnel from U.S. 90/Government Street

The overnight work follows a similar two-night closure of the eastbound tunnel in late September, which also ran from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Overnight hours are typically chosen for tunnel maintenance because traffic volumes are far lower than during the day, which limits the disruption for commuters and freight haulers.

Recommended alternate routes

Two detour options are available for eastbound drivers while the tunnel is closed.

Cochrane–Africatown USA Bridge: Drivers on Water Street can use the Cochrane–Africatown USA Bridge to cross the Mobile River north of downtown. The bridge carries the U.S. 90/98 truck routes and can handle vehicles of all sizes, making it the practical choice for tractor-trailers and other large commercial vehicles.

Bankhead Tunnel: Drivers coming from U.S. 90/Government Street can use the Bankhead Tunnel, the older of downtown Mobile’s two river tunnels. The Bankhead has a vertical clearance of only about 12 feet and is limited to passenger cars and pickup trucks, so truck drivers should plan on the Africatown bridge instead.

Both routes lead back toward the Causeway and Blakeley Island, where drivers can reconnect with I-10 eastbound toward the Bayway and Baldwin County.

Tips for drivers tonight

• Allow extra time if you will be crossing the river between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.
• Watch for detour signs, lane shifts and work crews near the tunnel approaches.
• Commercial drivers should use the Cochrane–Africatown USA Bridge because of the Bankhead Tunnel’s height limits.
• Slow down in work zones and give crews plenty of room.
• Check ALDOT’s ALGO Traffic website for current conditions before heading out.

A key link on the I-10 corridor

The George Wallace Tunnel carries I-10 beneath the Mobile River, linking downtown Mobile with Blakeley Island and the Bayway across Mobile Bay. It is made up of two separate tubes, each with two lanes of traffic. The tunnel opened to traffic in February 1973 and was named for George Wallace, who was Alabama’s governor at the time.

Over the decades, the tunnel has become one of the best-known bottlenecks on the Gulf Coast’s stretch of I-10, particularly at rush hour, on holiday weekends and during the summer beach season. It is a daily route for people who live in Baldwin County and work in Mobile, a key link for tourists bound for Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, and a major path for long-haul freight moving between Texas and Florida.

That traffic is a major reason for the Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project now under construction just south of downtown. When the new six-lane bridge opens, projected for late 2031, it is expected to give through traffic and trucks an alternative to the tunnel. The new bridge will be tolled, while the Wallace and Bankhead tunnels, the Causeway and the existing bridges will remain free.

Until then, periodic maintenance closures like tonight’s are part of keeping the 1970s-era tunnel in service. The eastbound tube is scheduled to reopen at 5 a.m. Friday.