U.S. Senator Katie Britt, R-Alabama, recently attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Mobile River Bridge and Bayway Project, the largest infrastructure project in Alabama’s history, which promises to transform transportation around the Gulf Coast after years of delay.
Britt delivered remarks at the event, which also featured U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, members of Alabama’s U.S. House delegation and other state leaders.
“There are so many people who have helped make this happen. This event is a testament to what can happen when local, state and federal leaders work together as a team,” Britt said. “But this journey was not easy. As you’ve heard, it started quite some time ago. Back even before 1997, when people knew there was a need for this, tirelessly, people in this community have worked to elevate this to the highest level.”
Britt attributed the project’s progress to advocacy by her and Tuberville, which garnered support from the Trump administration.
“Every person played an important role in this, but I will say this would not have happened without President Trump,” Britt said. “If you look at where we are today, and that conversation that Coach Tuberville did such a great job of remembering, Coach, that’s how I heard it go down too. You and I sitting there saying, we need it, this one right here … [President Trump] knew our tactics, too. He called us out. He said, Katie, you’re going to call him, and then he’s going to call me and Coach, you’re going to play golf with him, and then he’s going to call me.”
“Secretary Duffy, without your willingness to listen and try to figure out what is a pathway forward—that’s what a servant leader is, is not someone who just immediately says no, but says, ‘let me hear what you need and let me see, is there a pathway forward?’” she continued. “Without you, without Susie Wiles, and without President Trump, we wouldn’t be standing here today. So, thank you so much, Secretary Duffy. You not only recognize the importance of the project, but you help us cut through the red tape. That’s what we have to do more and more.”
Britt also praised state and local leaders, including Ivey and former Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson.
“Today’s groundbreaking is yet another opportunity for us to remember the critical work of Governor Ivey,” Britt said. “Governor Ivey, throughout your tenure, you have secured record-breaking investments in Alabama. This is a game changer. You laid the foundation at the very beginning of your term as governor, and today we are seeing the fruits of that labor. Generations of Alabamians are going to have different things possible as a result of your service. And we all stand here today to say thank you for helping make this happen. Your decades of leadership have no doubt propelled Alabama into the future.”
“And obviously, we have to thank all of the local leaders here, from the NPOs to the mayors. But chief among them is Mayor Stimpson,” Britt continued. “Let me tell you something. I remember sitting there with him when I wanted to talk about a ton of different things, and he just wanted to talk about this. He was laser-focused because he knew that this would be a game changer, not just for Alabama and Mobile and Baldwin County, but for the region and for the nation. His tenacity has helped lead us here today. So, to everyone who’s played a role, our congressional delegation, our state elected officials, local elected officials, we say thank you. It’s truly a full-circle moment and decades [of] families, and commuters, and local businesses, and visitors are going to benefit from this long-awaited bridge that today we make a reality.”
The $3.2 billion project will transform Interstate 10 through the construction of a new six-lane, cable-stayed bridge over the Mobile River. The project will also make key interchange, intersection and traffic flow improvements in Mobile and Baldwin counties. It will seek to reduce congestion at the George Wallace Tunnel by providing trucks transporting hazardous materials with a direct interstate route to the port, preventing detours through downtown Mobile and local neighborhoods.
“This corridor is going to be a lifeline for Alabama, for the region and for the nation. It’s going to connect the Port of Mobile. It’s going to connect our shipbuilders, our military assets, our hard-working Alabamians and wonderful Americans who travel to visit our great state,” Britt said. “This investment will mitigate ongoing safety concerns and also strengthen our hurricane evacuation routes.”
“So today, I am thrilled to say we are finally here and thank everybody who played a role in making this happen,” she added. “What an incredible day and a milestone for our state. There is a lot more to come. God Bless.”
