Dauphin Island Causeway Restoration To Begin This Fall

The Mobile County Commission has approved a contract to begin construction for the Dauphin Island Causeway Restoration Project, which will restore tidal habitat along the 3.3-mile stretch of Dauphin Island Causeway from Mobile County’s Bayfront Park to Cedar Point. The project is funded by grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Emergency Coastal Resilience Fund and the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund with the goals of protecting infrastructure and creating habitat injured by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, respectively. No matching funds will be required from the commission. Carter Contracting Services, Inc. was awarded the contract to construct the rock breakwaters for $26,685,698. The rock breakwaters will be placed roughly parallel to the causeway at variable offshore distances to recreate known historic shoreline proportions. It is to protect both the causeway and nearly 300 acres of healthy, productive salt marsh habitat to the west of the causeway. Work is expected to begin this fall and conclude by summer 2024.