New Ala. bridge, tolls & commuters

MOBILE, Ala. – Alabama is planning to charge tolls - as much as $6 each way - to finance construction of a $2B bridge that would reroute Interstate 10 over Mobile River and Mobile Bay and avoiding the Wallace Tunnel. The bridge would be one of the nation's largest. State officials say tolls are needed to finance construction. About 75,000 vehicles per day currently use the Wallace Tunnel. Transportation Director John Cooper says the state can't afford to finance or pay for the entire project. Opponents say tolls would cost more than $1,000 a year for the thousands of commuters who cross the bay each day, especially for Baldwin County residents working in Mobile. Construction is slated to start in 2020. The tolls won't start until work is completed, tentatively in 2025. (Source: WKRG 07/20/19)