Alabama state officials are moving forward with a study to determine the feasibility of a toll system for the proposed $850 million Interstate 10 Mobile River Bridge.
The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) has teamed up with Illinois-bases CDM Smith Inc. to examine different tolling options to figure out if a pay-to-use system is realistic.
Kathryn Hamlett, spokeswoman with ALDOT's Southeast Region, said the state's hope for the study is to determine "how much revenue a tolling system will generate."
CDM Smith has requested access to the Baldwin County Highway Department, the Mobile Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Eastern Shore MPO’s travel models.
ALDOT’s study of a future toll system may be a possible solution to financing the bridge construction project.
"Congressman Byrne has said repeatedly that he does not support tolling the I-10 Bridge, and he has expressed concerns over whether tolling would even be feasible," Byrne spokesman Seth Morrow said. "That said, the Congressman understands that the decision ultimately rests with Governor Bentley, and he has no objection to the state doing appropriate research."
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has publicly expressed an openness to determine whether or not a toll system would be the best way to pay for the project.
About a dozen businesses and its employees will be directly affected by the bridge route and a possible future tolling system, ALDOT reports.
