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One of the key arguments for proponents of a toll bridge over the Mobile River and Mobile Bay has been the federal requirement that new bridges must be raised to the 100-year flood level. A bombshell report from Fox 10 News suggests that may not be the case.
Fox 10 spoke with a federal official who claims there is no mandate to meet the 100-year flood level, rather they must simply consider risk when building new structures. The official noted that ALDOT is using other specifications to address the risk that the federal government finds acceptable.
The $2.1 billion project is really two projects in one. First, there is the Mobile River bridge, which would alleviate congestion caused by the Wallace Tunnel. Initial estimates for that project were in the $850 million price range. The second part of the project would be a new bayway to replace Jubilee Parkway. Once that was added, the new estimate exploded to $2.1 billion.
If the project went through, the old bayway would be torn down after the new one was completed. This aspect of the project angered citizens, as it seemed they were being forced on to the new toll bridge. The only freeway across the bay would be the causeway. ALDOT claimed they had to do this, but that now appears to be false.
If the report is true, it raises some serious questions about ALDOT and the governor’s intentions. It appears the price tag was artificially inflated to make a toll seem to be the only solution. With opposition to the toll at close to 80% statewide, there are sure to be further inquiries into the matter. Citizens will want to know why the governor and ALDOT director John Cooper pushed a false narrative in order to get the project tolled?