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Proponents of the toll bridge over the Mobile River were dealt a blow yesterday as the Mobile County Metropolitan Planning Organization decided to table a vote on the plan until after October 7th. That date is significant because it comes after a meeting of the Alabama Toll Road, Bridge and Tunnel Authority.
The MPO was meeting to discuss the Transportation Infrastructure Plan (TIP) submitted by ALDOT. The rest of the plan was approved.
If the MPO ultimately decides against the toll plan, it is unlikely to happen. The bridge can not receive federal funding without approval from the local MPOs. Baldwin County’s MPO will vote on the plan next week. A proposal to remove the toll bridge from the plan altogether is being considered in their meeting.
These votes come on the heels of growing opposition to the toll plan. As of now, the plan consists of building a bridge over the Mobile River and rebuilding the bayway. Both of these routes and the Wallace Tunnel would be then be tolled. The toll from Virginia Street in Mobile to Highway 98 in Daphne would be $6 one way, though fees could raise that amount to around $9.
Proponents of the plan, such as Governor Kay Ivey and ALDOT director John Cooper, claim the bridge can not be built without tolls. ALDOT has pegged the price tag for the project at $2.1 billion, though this price includes both the Mobile River bridge and the bayway.