The State of Alabama continues to work on a finance plan for the Mobile River Bridge & Bayway project and waits for word from the federal government.
State Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Range) has been a part of those conversations.
"The difficulty we're faced with that right now is, as you know, what the feds are going to provide, if any, at this juncture," Albritton said. "That's undetermined."
Albritton said he has been in regular talks with Gov. Kay Ivey, the Finance Department and the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT).
ALDOT has committed $250 million, and the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded a $550 million discretionary grant for the project.
The federal government has already committed $125 million, but the state is waiting to hear if more is on the way. The state applied for a Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan for 49% of the project costs.
"We've got to wait to see for that TIFIA loan," Albritton told 1819 News. "We're waiting to see if we have that grant here in the next little while. I think maybe it'll happen. It needs to happen. It certainly needs to happen."
Once funding sources are settled and the exact cost of the project is known, Albritton said it will be easier to outline details.
However, Albritton has been skeptical of the project's estimates since 2019, when estimated costs were just over $2 billion. More than half a decade later, basic funding sources are still unclear, and estimations have ranged from $3.2 to $4 billion.
The new bridge will have a toll, but Albritton remains skeptical about the amount and whether it will be enough to finance the project.
"We also [have] to make sure and see if we have the funds to make the payments," he said. "Now, that's going to also look at what and if tolls come in and by how much. But the longer we wait on it, the more the costs increase."
As the state moves forward on the project, ALDOT recently parted ways with the contractor on the job and will have to hire another company to finish the work. ALDOT said it is waiting on the TIFIA loan but also needs a guaranteed maximum price.
Ivey, ALDOT and the Eastern Shore and Mobile Metropolitan Planning Organizations are working to identify and lock down funding sources.
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