I-10 Project Targets Hazardous Material Truck Routes

Alabama I-10 Bridge Project Advances With $2.52B Loan

A major I-10 project in Alabama is moving forward with new federal financing. The project could bring big changes for commercial trucks that travel through Mobile.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced on September 18 that Alabama will receive a federal loan of up to $2.52 billion. The money will help fund the Mobile River Bridge and Bayway Project along I-10.

For truck drivers, the project could improve travel through a major Gulf Coast freight route. Plans include a new bridge, more highway capacity, better access to the Port of Mobile, and a new route for some hazmat trucks.

Federal Loan Supports Major I-10 Project

The loan comes through the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, known as TIFIA. The Build America Bureau, which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, manages the program.

The money will help pay for the Mobile River Bridge and Bayway Project. Alabama officials have called it the largest infrastructure project in state history.

The Alabama Department of Transportation will build and manage the project. The new financing follows a separate $550 million federal bridge grant announced for the same I-10 corridor in May 2025.

New I-10 Bridge Will Add More Capacity

A major part of the project is a new six-lane bridge over the Mobile River. The bridge will use a cable-stayed design.

The project will also make changes to the Bayway. About one mile of the existing Bayway will be rebuilt. The full 7.5-mile section will also be restriped from two lanes to three lanes in each direction.

Other work is planned at nearby interchanges, intersections, and roads in Mobile and Baldwin counties. These changes are meant to improve traffic flow and support the new bridge.

Hazmat Trucks Could Avoid Current Detour

One of the biggest changes for truck drivers involves hazardous materials freight.

Hazmat trucks are not allowed to travel through the George Wallace Tunnel on I-10. Because of that rule, hundreds of trucks each day must leave the interstate and use other roads through Mobile.

The new bridge is designed to give those trucks another I-10 route across the Mobile River. That could reduce the need for hazmat trucks to travel through downtown streets and nearby neighborhoods.

The change could be especially useful for tanker drivers and carriers that move regulated materials through the area. It could also make route planning easier for some fleets.

I-10 Project Targets Heavy Congestion

The project is also meant to reduce traffic delays for other commercial vehicles.

Federal officials describe the George Wallace Tunnel area as Alabama’s worst traffic bottleneck. The Transportation Department says the completed project could cut travel times by as much as 30 minutes.

For truck drivers, that could mean more reliable trips through Mobile. Heavy traffic can slow deliveries, increase idle time, and reduce the number of miles a driver can cover during available driving hours.

A larger bridge and more Bayway capacity are meant to improve traffic flow along I-10.

Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said the project is expected to ease congestion, improve freight movement, and increase safety.

Port of Mobile Freight Access Could Improve

The project is also designed to improve truck access to the Port of Mobile.

More I-10 capacity near the port could help trucks move in and out of the area with fewer delays. Federal officials say the project will support freight movement across the region.

That could matter to drayage carriers, regional fleets, and long-haul drivers serving the port. Trucks moving containers and other cargo could benefit from a more direct and less crowded route.

The changes may also help connect Port of Mobile freight with other markets along the Gulf Coast.

Safety Is Another Part of the Project

Moving hazmat trucks away from local streets could also improve safety.

Under the current system, trucks that cannot use the George Wallace Tunnel must take alternate roads through Mobile. The new bridge is meant to keep more of that freight on I-10.

Federal officials say this would remove hazmat freight from city streets. That could reduce truck traffic in areas that were not designed to handle as much heavy commercial freight.

The project also includes changes meant to improve hurricane evacuation routes. Better traffic flow could help during emergencies as well as normal travel.

I-10 Truck Routes Will Not Change Right Away

The $2.52 billion loan does not change truck routes through Mobile today. Drivers must still follow all current rules, including the hazmat ban in the George Wallace Tunnel.

Still, the financing marks a major step for a project that has been discussed for many years. The new bridge and related I-10 work could bring lasting changes to freight movement in the area.

Once complete, the project is expected to add highway capacity, improve access to the Port of Mobile, and give some hazmat trucks a direct interstate route. For the trucking industry, those changes could make one of Alabama’s busiest freight corridors easier to use.