Statement from Mayor Robert Craft on Supreme Court ruling to overturn injunction on ALDOT’s Waterways Bridge
August 25, 2023
"This is a great day for our residents and the millions of visitors to Alabama’s Gulf Coast. Today’s Supreme Court decision means the new, free bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway will be built. We have said all along that the Waterways Bridge will clearly serve the public’s
interest and improve the safety and welfare of residents and visitors in our local communities. Our support for this critical project never wavered, and our resolve to fight to make it a reality never weakened. When constructed, the Waterways Bridge will immediately improve traffic conditions on State Highway 59, provide an additional evacuation route off the island, and create a foundation of new transportation infrastructure to help accommodate the continued growth and success of Alabama’s beaches and state-wide economy.
I applaud the leadership of the Supreme Court and their clear reading of state and federal law in allowing this vital project to move forward so that we can make our communities safer. "
Key Points from the Supreme Court decision:
• Not a single Supreme Court Justice voted to uphold the injunction which stopped construction on the Waterways Bridge.
• Baldwin County Bridge Company’s “bad faith” argument is void and ordered to be dismissed.
• It is undisputed that BCBC has been aware that ALDOT was making plans to build a third bridge since at least 2015.
• ALDOT Director Cooper was “wrongfully enjoined” from continuing construction on the third bridge. In fact, he had the right all along to do what he was enjoined from doing.
• Construction on the Waterways Bridge is allowed to resume.