HENAGAR — Despite facing perpetual statewide criticism and pending criminal charges for over a year, Alabama Department of Transportation director John Cooper still manages to hold on to the top post at ALDOT.
Cooper was first named ALDOT director in 2010, one of then-Gov.-elect Robert Bentley's first hires after winning the gubernatorial election over Democrat Ron Sparks.
Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth said it was time for Cooper to leave during an interview with Mobile radio's FM Talk 106.5 from the Sand Mountain Potato Festival in DeKalb County that is set to air on Monday.
"[I]'ve called John Cooper out for not doing a good job, you know?" he said. "I'm going to keep doing that because, you know, in my opinion, — we're in North Alabama. He has totally, in my opinion, disrespected North Alabama by the lack of infrastructure funding in comparison to the growth we've seen. And, I don't think he's done a good job. I'll say it again, he needs to be fired. Right? I mean, he does not do a good job as DOT director. He continues to neglect, major projects. And then he sits there and puts priority on projects like [U.S. Highway] 43 in southwest Alabama. That's fine if you want do that, but it's a horrible idea to do that project without getting federal funding."
"And so, you know, it's just not wise," he continued. "We're working on a plan right now that we're going to make sure that [Interstate] 65 gets widen, and it can be done. I talked to President Trump about it when he was in town a year ago. But if you look at it, you know, we can do that over, you know, probably take 8 to 10 years from Huntsville to Mobile, do it in stretches. Find out the areas of the state, you know, they're most congested. We're working on some of that now."
Ainsworth, the current 2026 gubernatorial front-runner, insists the federal government would put up the money for the project.
"We have the money," he said. "It's an 80-20 match from the feds on the interstate. So, you know, and that's my argument down there. Different estimates I've heard anywhere from $10 to $15 billion to do what I want to do on I-65. I think that, with me being in the construction business, I can probably negotiate that."
Jeff Poor is the editor in chief of 1819 News and host of "The Jeff Poor Show," heard Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-noon on Mobile's FM Talk 106.5. To connect or comment, email jeff.poor@1819News.com or follow him on Twitter @jeff_poor.
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