The multi-billion-dollar I-10 Mobile River bridge and bayway project would address critical congestion in Mobile, Alabama, where traffic has reached double the designed capacity.
The Port of Mobile’s container traffic has doubled over the past 10 years, further straining infrastructure.
The massive development has a large scope, potentially creating substantial opportunities for contractors focused on civil infrastructure.
The Interstate 10 Mobile River bridge and bayway project remains in preconstruction, waiting for groundbreaking. The development would create a critical new crossing between Mobile and Baldwin County, addressing congestion that has constrained movement through the region.
Interstate 10 serves as a critical transportation artery through the southern United States, connecting eight states and 17 major metropolitan areas from Florida to California.
The Mobile, Alabama, corridor has become a bottleneck, constraining movement through the region due to overuse of the Wallace Tunnel.
The tunnel, which opened in 1973, was designed to carry around 35,000 vehicles daily but now services 65,000, according to the Mobile River Bridge Project. Operating at nearly double its intended capacity on average creates significant congestion that can disrupt the region.
This congestion compounds as the Port of Mobile expands operations following major capacity investments. Container traffic more than doubled between 2015 and 2025 at the Port of Mobile, according to the American Association of Port Authorities, increasing truck volume on the already congested stretch of interstate.
Rendering of the Interstate 10 Mobile River bridge and bayway project. Image: HDR Inc.
The project carries an estimated $3 billion price tag, making it the most expensive infrastructure development in Alabama’s history. While the state has secured bipartisan federal support from both current and previous administrations, the scale and complexity of financing and development have likely slowed progress.
If the project advances, construction will center on a cable-stayed bridge with a minimum vertical clearance of 215 feet to accommodate shipping vessels serving the Port of Mobile. The accompanying bayway features dual three-lane bridges elevated even further above wave-impact zones, an important design consideration given the Gulf Coast’s exposure to extreme weather.
Firms specializing in bridge construction, marine foundation work, and highway development could find substantial opportunities as the project advances through preconstruction. The project spans multiple miles of bridges, several interstate reconstruction projects, and road redevelopment, creating a diverse potential pipeline of civil infrastructure projects.
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