The Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization ventured to Washington, D.C. for a series of meetings with federal officials on Wednesday, May 1, in search of support for the I-10 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway Project.

ESMPO met with U.S. Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Katie Britt (R-AL), U.S. Reps. Jerry Carl (R), whose 1st District covers Baldwin County, and Barry Moore (R) of District 2, and members of the U.S. Department of Transportation to request additional aid for the new Mobile River Bridge and Bayway — the largest road infrastructure project in Alabama history. Due to overwhelming congestion where I-10 connects Mobile and Baldwin counties, the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) created a plan that would provide a new 2.5-mile-long, six-lane cable stay bridge over Mobile River standing 215 feet tall, as well as 7.5 miles of new bridges with eight lanes running across Mobile Bay above the 100-year storm surge level.

"Lower Alabama is growing like crazy, and our infrastructure needs to keep up and plan for the future," Eastern Shore MPO Vice-Chair and Daphne Mayor Robin LeJeune said, per a Thursday, May 2, press release. "Along with ALDOT and our counterparts at the Mobile MPO, we are doing all that we can to move this project forward. We have an urgent need and a plan to address it that is supported by the state, the Mobile MPO and the Eastern Shore MPO. Our delegation's continued backing is critical as we continue to press on the federal government for additional support."

Tolls will be enforced once this comes to fruition, with revenue helping pay down project debt, as previous proposals suggest a $5.50 toll for passengers without an ALGO pass, $2.50 for pass holders (with a $40 monthly discount also available) and $18 for trucks.

Overall costs for the project continue to skyrocket, as the 2019 estimate of $2.1 billion has now risen somewhere in the range of $2.8 billion to $3.5 billion, according to Thursday's release. These Washington meetings took place as ALDOT currently undergoes a 60-day review of project costs.

ESMPO members in attendance and involved in discussions included LeJeune, Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan, Spanish Fort Mayor Mike McMillan, Loxley Mayor Richard Teal, Baldwin County Commissioners Matt McKenzie and Billie Jo Underwood, ESMPO Director Sarah Hart Sislak and ESMPO Chair and Fairhope City Councilman Jack Burrell.

"This is a critical project, not just for Baldwin County but for the entire state and our country," Burrell noted. "These meetings are helpful in showing our commitment to this project and highlighting the need for the federal government to contribute in a meaningful way. This roughly 10-mile stretch of a 2,400-mile long highway has a national impact, and the federal government should take note."