Long before construction crews break ground, Mobile residents are already arguing over what to call the proposed Interstate 10 bridge across the Mobile River, a roughly $850 million project that would reshape the city’s skyline and its daily commute.
The Alabama Department of Transportation has scheduled its first public hearing on the project for late September at the Alabama Cruise Terminal, where officials will walk through an environmental impact study and possible routes for the structure. No route has been finalized, let alone an official name, but that has not stopped local voices from staking out early positions.
Mobile City Councilman Fred Richardson has been among the most vocal, proposing that the roughly 215-foot span be called the Gateway Bridge. Richardson has said he intends to press the idea with the region’s congressional delegation, arguing the name reflects the bridge’s role as an entryway to the city and the wider Gulf Coast.
Other suggestions floated around town lean on Alabama football rivalries and local celebrity, with names honoring legendary coaches, current University of Alabama football leadership, and homegrown musician Jimmy Buffett all making the rounds in early conversations. Some residents have suggested a nod to Mobile’s Mardi Gras traditions, reflecting the city’s status as home to the oldest Carnival celebration in the country.
Not every idea is purely sentimental. Ralph Adkins, longtime owner of Southern Fish & Oyster Co., has raised the prospect of naming the bridge after himself in exchange for a multimillion-dollar buyout of his property, should the final route require the government to acquire his business.
Whatever name eventually sticks, it will ultimately be up to state transportation officials and, in some cases, federal lawmakers to make it official. The naming conversation nonetheless offers residents an early, informal way to weigh in on a project expected to dominate discussion in Mobile for years, from environmental review through construction financing questions.
Local leaders say the coming public hearing will be the first real opportunity for residents to speak directly to ALDOT about route options, even as the debate over what to call the eventual span continues to play out informally across the community.