At a length of 4,000km and running from California all the way to Florida, the 1-10 interstate is the southernmost cross-country interstate in the USA. But traffic on the highway grinds to a halt when it reaches the river crossing in Mobile, Alabama, where hour-long delays are not uncommon, and can be double that at peak times. Currently most highway traffic on the 1-10 uses the George Wallace Tunnel to cross under the river, but not only does it no longer have sufficient capacity, it cannot be used by all vehicles. The tunnel which goes under the Mobile River was built in the 1970s and designed to carry an average daily traffic of 35,000 vehicles. Alabama DOT project director Matt Erickson reveals that at peak hours, and for most of the day during the summer months, it is carrying in excess of 100,000 vehicles. Back ups of one or two hours are commonplace for motorists during the peak periods.
展开▼
