Last week, U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., attended a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development hearing to review the U.S. Department of Transportation’s fiscal year 2026 budget request. During the hearing, Sen. Britt asked U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy to aid in two major infrastructure projects in Alabama: the expansion of Interstate 65 and the construction of the Mobile River Bridge.
In recent years, there has been a growing campaign to expand I-65 to three lanes in both directions as a way to address both traffic congestion and safety concerns, with Alabama Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth being one of the key advocates behind the expansion.
Britt brought the issue of expanding I-65 to Secretary Duffy’s attention during last week’s hearing, contending that the initiative directly aligns with President Trump’s transportation goals.
“When we’re talking about big, beautiful transportation projects that you mentioned, President Trump has made it a priority, he has said publicly that he wants to see I-65 widened. He wants to see it to be a [three] lane road there on each side. He said he was committed to making that happen,” Britt stated.
“Look, we know how important that is for our state. Anyone who wants to travel in Alabama gets stuck on I-65. However, all of these great people who during the spring and summer want to come to Alabama’s beautiful white sand Gulf Coast or maybe even the Florida Panhandle come right down 65,” the senator continued.
Currently, only 80 of the 366 miles of I-65 which run through Alabama have three or more lanes. After accounting for the expansion projects that have already been approved, approximately 277 miles remain in need of expansion in the state. Britt pushed Secretary Duffy and the Department of Transportation to aid Alabama in continuing those expansion efforts.
“[I] would just like your commitment to continuing to take a look at that. There’s no way that project happens without a partnership with the federal government, and [I] want your commitment to making sure that we take a look at what President Trump has promised, and we figure out how to make that happen,” Britt stated.
“I would just say the president’s priorities are also my priority. So, yes, I’ll take a look at that,” Duffy replied, indicating the Department’s commitment to assist in widening I-65.
During the same hearing, Britt also asked Secretary Duffy to review and approve the Alabama Department of Transportation’s application for a Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan for the Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project.
“One of my very top priorities is Alabama’s I-10 Mobile Bay River Bridge project. It’s a significant investment and it is critical to helping the state bring this to fruition to be able to partner obviously with the federal government,” Britt stated. “As you know the Mobile River Bridge is a critical piece of transportation infrastructure, not just for the state of Alabama, not just for the region, but literally the entire nation. I mean, it connects from California to Florida. You can’t get there without coming right across this bridge. And so whether it is moving people or moving commerce, it is a primary transportation artery that we must take a look at and we’ve got to upgrade.”
“So, obviously we’ve made a lot of progress in this area, but the one thing that we are waiting on is the TIFIA loan for the project, and I want to stress how absolutely important that is to completing this project and would love to ask you for your commitment to expeditiously taking a look and reviewing ALDOT’s application so that we can get this moving because the longer that this goes on, the more it costs, and then obviously the more challenges that we have from both a safety and a commerce perspective,” Britt continued.
Duffy replied that he would take a look at the status of ALDOT’s loan application and indicated his willingness to work with Sen. Britt to prioritize the project.
“Time is money, and by the way, it’s a great program. I’ll look and see what the status is, and I’ll get back to you as quickly as possible,” he stated.
“I’d say these are the kind of projects that also the President cares about — the big, beautiful roads and bridges that connect our country and move products, the important infrastructure,” Duffy added.
Currently, ALDOT remains hopeful that the groundbreaking for the Mobile River Bridge will occur before the end of 2025.
