$550 million finalized agreement will accelerate progress on largest bridge project to date

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Delivering on a promise made by President Trump in 2019 during his first administration, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy today finalized a grant agreement that will pave the way for the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) to break ground on its I-10 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway Multimodal Project. The $550 million project is part of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Bridge Investment Program (BIP), and is the largest grant delivered by the Trump Administration to date.

“America is building again,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “President Trump vowed to get Alabama the infrastructure it deserves, and since assuming office, my department has worked diligently over the last 100 days to make it happen. Now that the I-10 grant agreement is a done deal, the state can get shovels in the ground and start moving dirt. Promises made, promises kept.”

“For four years, the Biden administration prioritized funding woke, climate initiatives while our roads and bridges collapsed across the country,” said U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville. “I appreciate President Trump and Secretary Duffy for taking quick action to implement much-needed infrastructure improvements and allocating funds to the Mobile Bridge project in Alabama. I-10 is the gateway from the west to the east, and we want to ensure travelers reach their destinations safely and efficiently. I join Alabamians in celebrating this welcome news for our state and look forward to the project’s completion.”

“I’m deeply grateful to Secretary Duffy and the Trump Administration for their continued support of this monumental project,” said U.S. Senator Katie Britt. “This $550 million investment in the Mobile River Bridge and Bayway Project is a huge win for Alabamians and any American who drives along I-10. I’m also thankful for the leadership of Governor Ivey, ALDOT Director Cooper, Mayor Stimpson, the Mobile and Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organizations and other local officials, and my colleagues in Alabama’s congressional delegation who joined me in support of this competitive grant. This strategic investment is exactly how federal transportation and infrastructure funds should be spent, and I am proud we worked together to bring these Alabama taxpayer dollars home.”

“President Trump promised he would build a new I-10 bridge, and with the finalization of this $550 million grant from the Department of Transportation, he is delivering on his promise,” said U.S. Representative Barry Moore. “The Mobile River and Bayway Bridge Project is a critical infrastructure need that has far reaching effects, not just in Alabama’s First Congressional District, but across the state of Alabama, the Southeastern region, and the nation. I look forward to working with President Trump and the Alabama delegation to get this project across the finish line.”

Reminder:

The Trump Administration inherited a record number of 3,200 unobligated grants that had been announced by the previous administration but never obligated. This unprecedented backlog of unobligated grants delayed critical investments in communities across the country. Under Secretary Duffy’s direction, the Department is working diligently to accelerate the distribution of these long-overdue funds and address core infrastructure projects.

As part of this process, the Department has ripped out burdensome DEI, Green New Scam, and social justice requirements that Congress deliberately did not mandate. This includes social cost of carbon accounting, pointless greenhouse gas emission reporting, and discriminatory DEI language.

Removing these requirements will save taxpayers millions. Road construction costs skyrocketed roughly 70% under the last administration. The greenhouse gas reporting burden alone increased project costs and added months to the permitting process.

Additional Background:

The finalization of the ALDOT grant agreement, coupled with one for $175 million finalized in April with the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) to replace 55-year-old bridges on Interstate 95 over Lake Marion, builds on efforts by Secretary Duffy and President Trump to usher in the golden age of transportation. In just over 100 days, the Department has delivered results at an unprecedented pace, focused on its core mission of safety and efficiency, and is building again and forging a future with projects built to last.

ALDOT’s project along I-10 is estimated to cost $3.7 billion and will include construction of a new six-lane, cable-stayed bridge over the Mobile River navigational channel that bypasses two aging tunnels and new bridges replacing the existing Bayway Bridges crossing the Mobile Bay. The new bridges crossing the Mobile Bay will also raise the roadway above hurricane storm surge levels. The project corridor is just over 10 miles long. Bridge Investment Program funding provided under the finalized grant agreement will be used for the Bayway portion of the project.