Alabama's entire congressional delegation, a bipartisan delegation of U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives, will support the I-10 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project.

The delegation urged the U.S. Department of Transportation to approve the state's application for federal assistance through the Mega Grant Program, which supports large, complex infrastructure projects that are difficult to fund through other means. According to the Alabama Department of Transportation, this grant application, as well as other pending grant applications, is in addition to the recently announced TIFIA financing process that the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) launched in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Transportation.

“I-10 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway “While this project does not reach every district in the state, we stand united in emphasizing how important this transportation infrastructure is to our entire state, region and country,” the letter states.

“Spanning eight states, I-10 connects many of the nation's major cities and ports, serving as a major transportation artery for both travel and commerce across the United States, and a major evacuation route given the Gulf Coast's propensity for being in the path of major storms such as hurricanes.”

The project involves building a new, elevated, widened six-lane bridge over the river in downtown Mobile. Bayway to U.S. 98 in Daphne. Interchange improvements in Mobile and Baldwin counties are also included in the project.

RELATED: ALDOT begins considering cost-saving options for Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project

The delegation noted that Mobile's Wallace and Bankhead tunnels were built more than 50 years ago and handle three times the traffic volume they were originally designed for. Bayway It was built over 50 years ago and is over capacity.

“The new Mobile River Bridge and Bayway “This project will add much needed capacity for all travellers and divert a large portion of traffic, including hazardous cargo, away from Africatown onto the new infrastructure, creating a safer and more efficient route for all,” members of the delegation wrote in the letter.

The letter was signed by Senators Katie Boyd Britt, Tommy Tuberville, Jerry Carl, Barry Moore, Mike Rogers, Robert Aderholt, Dale Strong, Gary Palmer and Terri Sewell.

The Alabama Department of Transportation, Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization and Mobile Metropolitan Planning Organization recently completed a 60-day review of cost-saving measures for the project.

In a statement released earlier this week, ALDOT and both MPOs said, “barring any funding shortfalls due to inflation, the project is essentially ready to break ground. Method acquisition, securing necessary federal approvals and initiating the federal loan process – Mobile River Bridge & Bayway “This project is the most advanced of any similar project in the country. ALDOT and MPO remain committed to this project and will continue to seek additional federal funding needed to begin construction.”

Grayson Everett is the state and politics editor for Yellow Hammer News. You can follow him on Twitter. Grayson