State governor Robert Bentley has announced that Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) will move forward with the preliminary design process for the ‘B Prime’ route of the proposed Mobile River Bridge and Bayway widening project.
ALDOT is finalising the preliminary design scope and advertising for design consultants is expected to begin in the next few weeks, with a view to selecting a consultant this summer.
“By starting the design process ALDOT will be able to fully analyse issues like the construction vibration concerns, bicycle and pedestrian issues, effects of storm surge on the ‘Bayway’ bridge, and other items that we need to resolve for the final environmental impact statement,” said southwest region engineer Vince Calametti. “Additionally, with Federal Highway Administration approval to begin preliminary design, the time frame for pre-construction work is significantly reduced. Our goal is to have a set of plans complete as soon as possible and to continue the discussions of how to fund this project.”
The ‘B Prime’ route was the preferred alternative corridor named in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), which was approved by the FHWA in July 2014.
