Local, state and federal officials were on hand Friday to break ground on the Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project.
In authorizing the project, Gov. Kay 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.”
The $3.2 billion project, which has been in the planning process for nearly three decades, will include a six-lane, cable-stayed Mobile River bridge, improvements to key interchanges and traffic flow and restriping the existing Bayway to provide six lanes of capacity across Mobile Bay.
Project plans call for a new Bayway structure in a future phase.
The Alabama Department of Transportation, on behalf of the Alabama Toll Road, Bridge and Tunnel Authority, issued a notice to proceed with the Kiewit Massman Traylor design-build team in late September.
In 2024, the state received a $550 million federal grant through the US. Department of Transportation’s Bridge Investment Program. On Sept. 18, 2026, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the Alabama Toll Road, Bridge and Tunnel Authority would receive a Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan of up to $2.52 billion from the Build America Bureau.
“The Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project will ease traffic congestion, boost the flow of freight and enhance safety for drivers,” said Duffy.
At the time of the loan announcement, Build America Bureau Executive Director Morteza Farajian said, “The Bureau is proud to help usher in the Golden Age of Transportation and partner with ALDOT and the Authority for their first TIFIA loan. By utilizing the TIFIA credit program, Alabama is embracing an innovative approach that saves taxpayer dollars and gets good projects built faster.”
Construction is expected to take up to five years to complete.
