U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville visited the Alabama Port Authority Thursday as the Port of Mobile advances a major infrastructure expansion and reports strengthening financial performance.
Tuberville (R-Auburn), the Republican nominee for governor, joined the Port Authority Board of Directors for its monthly meeting in Mobile, where officials briefed him on the state-owned port system’s finances and continued growth.
The meeting comes as the Port Authority moves through one of the largest periods of capital investment in its history.
Its current projects include expansion of the Mobile container terminal, modernization of general cargo facilities, improvements at the McDuffie Coal Terminal and development of inland intermodal facilities connecting the Port of Mobile with other parts of Alabama.
The Port’s financial position has also strengthened.
Fitch Ratings upgraded the Port Authority’s docks facilities revenue bonds from BBB+ to A- in July, citing strong debt-service coverage, modest leverage and an increasingly diversified revenue base. S&P Global Ratings previously upgraded the authority to A in June.
According to S&P, fiscal 2026 net revenues available for debt service through April were approximately $25 million above budget and $23 million ahead of the same period in fiscal 2025. The Port Authority has a five-year capital improvement plan totaling approximately $735 million through 2030.
One of the largest projects underway is a new 1,300-foot berth at the Mobile Container Terminal. The $131 million expansion will increase berth capacity by 50% and ultimately allow the terminal to handle three ultra-large container vessels simultaneously.
The improvements follow completion of the Mobile Harbor deepening project, which brought the shipping channel to 50 feet and made Mobile the deepest container port on the Gulf.
The Port Authority says marine cargo activity at public and private terminals generated more than $415 billion in statewide economic value between 2019 and 2024 and supports roughly one in seven Alabama jobs.
Tuberville has also worked with U.S. Sen. Katie Britt to secure federal funding for Port-related projects. More than $49 million in federal funding and appropriations secured in fiscal 2026 is going toward projects including dredging, rail improvements and other infrastructure needs.
Sawyer Knowles is a state and political reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at [email protected].
