Governor Kay Ivey has formally authorized the start of construction on the Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project, clearing the way for a groundbreaking this week on the largest transportation infrastructure project in Alabama history.
The project carries a construction cost of $3.2 billion and is intended to support Alabama's Gulf Coast region and beyond, according to the Governor's Office.
"At long last, we are officially moving from talking about the need for the Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project to actually building it," Ivey said. "This project will transform travel through Baldwin and Mobile counties, strengthen a vital interstate corridor and benefit Alabama for generations to come. This is a win for the citizens in Baldwin and Mobile counties, a win for the state of Alabama and a win for the Gulf Coast region. It's time to build the bridge, y'all!"
To authorize construction, the Alabama Department of Transportation, on behalf of the Alabama Toll Road, Bridge and Tunnel Authority, issued a notice to proceed to the Kiewit Massman Traylor design-build team on Friday, September 25. The action followed the close of bond sales and federal financing earlier this month and marked the final procedural step before construction begins.
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will join Ivey and other dignitaries in Mobile on Friday, October 2, for a groundbreaking ceremony. The event is by invitation only due to space constraints, and additional information will be released in the coming days.