OFFICE OF LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

ALABAMA STATE HOUSE

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 36130

_______
WILL AINSWORTH
11 SOUTH UNION STREET
SUITE 725
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 36130
PHONE: (334)261- 9590

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jess Skaggs

August 28, 2019 (334)261-9590

STATEMENT BY LT. GOV. WILL AINSWORTH REGARDING TODAY’S

VOTE OF THE EASTERN SHORE MPO

Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth on Wednesday released the following statement regarding today’s vote
by the Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization that effectively killed the I-10/Mobile
River toll bridge that was proposed and promoted by Alabama Department of Transportation
Director John Cooper.

Ainsworth is one of nine statutory members of the Alabama Toll Road, Bridge, and Tunnel
Authority, and recently announced his opposition to the toll project.

His statement reads:

“Daphne Mayor Dane Haygood and the members of the Eastern Shore MPO should be
commended for listening to the citizens they represent, giving voice to their concerns, and voting
to end the ill-conceived and fatally-flawed toll bridge project connecting Baldwin and Mobile
counties.

The strong stand taken by the MPO today should reaffirm all citzens’ belief in representative
government and the power of public opinion.

The fact remains, however, that Alabama’s Gulf Coast region is experiencing explosive
population growth and traffic congestion throughout the area will only worsen with time. I urge
Director Cooper and his ALDOT staff to go back to the drawing board and come back with a
more sensible and scaled down bridge proposal that releases traffic pressure without the need for
tolling the hardworking residents of our state.”