Alabama pulled plug on bridge project a day before construction was to begin

Alabama pulled plug on bridge project a day before construction was to begin
By Fran Thompson
The permitting was in place. State funds were allocated more than three years ago. Construction was scheduled to be let for bid on July 30, just a month after Gulf Shores agreed to donate more than 26 acres to use as a right of way for a new spur road that would eventually link the Foley Beach Express to the emerging Waterway Blvd. and the Waterways Bridge that Alabama was committed to building near the city’s eastern boundary, about a half mile west of the Beach Express Toll Bridge in Orange Beach.
Gulf Shores City Engineer Mark Acreman said just last month that the bidding was on the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) schedule of July projects and work would start immediately on the first phase: A roadway from County Road 4 to Canal Road, with the bridge included in that first phase.
Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft said ALDOT had also committed to a connector from The Foley Beach Express to the emerging Waterway Blvd. and the new bridge.
ALDOT Southwest Region Assistant Engineer Brian Aaron said in April that the bridge would be built first and then work would start on the roads connecting the Beach Express to Cotton Creek Dr. and a roundabout on Canal Road at the south landing point in Orange Beach. He said that phase would take around two years.
On July 29, The State of Alabama pulled the plug on the day before construction bids were to be let, sending the entire project to the back of the room until at least December.
The decision came at the request of Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon. And amazingly, Gulf Shores found out about it the same way the Mullet Wrapper did – through a press release from Mayor Kennon.
“A few months ago, the Baldwin County Bridge Company (BCBC) approached me with several ideas as to how their existing bridge and additional lanes that they are willing to build might be used to allow the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) to avoid the expense of building an additional bridge.
“After obtaining from BCBC a pledge to allow Baldwin County residents to use the bridge for a minimal monthly fee and to make a substantial payment to Orange Beach if their ideas can be implemented, I approached Governor Kay Ivey and ALDOT Director John Cooper and sought their agreement to negotiate with BCBC,’’ Mayor Kennon wrote in his statement.
“I am pleased to announce that the parties have agreed to a three-month negotiating period, and ALDOT has agreed to temporarily suspend the process to take bids on the new bridge it is planning to build,’’ he added.
Mayor Craft was understandably fumed.
“The current owners of the Beach Express Toll Bridge have been negotiating with the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) on various alternative plans to ALDOT’s proposed free bridge since they purchased the toll bridge in 2018. ALDOT was scheduled to release bids on the new bridge today, Friday, July 30,’’ he wrote in his own statement.
“I am extremely disappointed to learn through a statement released by Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon that this project has been delayed, once again, after three years of fruitless negotiations with these new owners. The transportation issues we are working to solve impact Gulf Shores as much as any community and it is totally unacceptable that we are not directly involved when decisions like this are made.’’
Mayor Craft stated 50,000 cars cross the Intracoastal Waterway on the free Hwy. 59 bridge into Gulf Shores compared to 11,000 cars paying to cross the toll bridge in Orange Beach on average. He said ALDOT’s proposed free bridge will immediately relieve traffic congestion on Highway 59 and enhance public safety by providing a third access on and off the island that will also serve as an evacuation route.
“This proposal may be in the best financial interest of BCBC and the City of Orange Beach, but placing coastal Alabama’s transportation fate in the hands of a private toll bridge company is not a good deal for the people who live and work here or the millions who visit Alabama’s beaches each year,’’ stated Mayor Craft.
Mayor Kennon said in his statement that expanding the private toll bridge would include a substantial payment to the City of Orange Beach. (Orange Beach also receives 30 cents per car from bridge tolls).
But his main objection is not lost revenue for the city, but that traffic from the new bridge turning back east on Canal Rd. towards Orange Beach would make congestion at the southend of the Foley Beach Express nightmarish.
“I would prefer to have the situation right now than for us to have to deal with what that would create on that side with the quagmire. I can’t even imagine what an auto accident in the middle of one of the roundabouts would do to traffic congestion,’’ he said. “The city of Orange Beach adamantly opposes that bridge to the west. Anything Gulf Shores wants to do with their roadways we support them. But they should pay for them. Not the state of Alabama taxpayers.’’
ALDOT said in a statement that the new developments with the Foley Beach Express Toll Bridge owners are worth investigating.
“We are encouraged that with the support of Mayor Kennon and other local officials, there is an opportunity to explore these options,” said ALDOT spokesman Tony Harris, adding that ALDOT’s aim is to ultimately relieve traffic congestion on Highway 59.
“If this negotiation process does not yield an acceptable solution, we are prepared to place the ALDOT bridge project in a bid opening as early as December and move forward,’’ Harris stated. “Our goal at ALDOT remains the same: We want to safely reduce the traffic congestion that is a threat to residents’ quality of life and the area’s economy.”
Mayor Kennon further explained Orange Beach’s position in a 5,500 word, 33 minute address on the City of Orange Beach facebook page. (The presentation is transcribed at mulletwrapper.com).
He said ALDOT’s goal from the beginning was to alleviate traffic congestion on Hwy. 59, not necessarily to build a new bridge, and Orange Beach was tasked with doing that by finding a way to help move more traffic through the Foley Beach Express toll booth.
He said it is a misrepresentation to suggest that Orange Beach opposes the new bridge because of the toll bridge revenue it receives.
The bridge, which is privately owned, opened for business in 2000. Orange Beach loaned the BCBC $12 million back then. The loan has been repaid and the city expects to earn about $1.5 million for its general fund from its share of bridge tolls this year, according to Mayor Kennon. The contract between the city and BCBC runs through 2063.
“We didn’t care that we had to pay to go over it. We had a bridge. Everyone here was driving through to Gulf Shores over the Hwy. 59 bridge to go north anywhere. So, the bridge was well-received. There was no issue with the toll at that time,’’ he said.
“Gulf Shores may have $70 million laying around. That may be just discretionary fund money for them. But for us that’s serious money,’’ Mayor Kennon said. “And we have no intention of just walking away with that because of another project to the west that we don’t think is going to solve the problem or add to our need to move traffic. For $70 million, and that’s what that project over there will be – about $70 million plus, we could almost buy the bridge, turn around and charge the tourists and everybody else have a free bridge and move far more traffic with no obstructions. So, there’s a lot of ways to skin the cat.’’
Mayor Kennon said with his plan the toll booth would expand from five to 11 kiosks, including fly-throughs with electronic tolling. The queue lanes would be widened and shaped so traffic would be free-flowing on both north and south sides, with the BCBC also adding another span to the bridge.
Under that Orange Beach plan, Baldwin County residents would pay $10 a month per car for unlimited use of the toll bridge. Orange Beach and Gulf Shores residents would pay $5 per car monthly for unlimited use.
Mayor Kennon said tourists would not mind paying between $2.50 and $3.25 per trip, as neither he nor his staff have ever heard a single complaint about paying a bridge toll from a tourist.
Both cities’ mayors noted that Baldwin County is growing as a tourist destination, while also experiencing huge growth in the number of people moving here.
Mayor Kennon said moving tourist traffic in and out of Orange Beach in the summer season is definitely a quality of life issue for Orange Beach residents, who often feel trapped at home when the roads are clogged.
He said his main objection to the bridge the state had already signed off on was that it added three new intersections.
“The improvement of the toll bridge brings in no additional intersections or conflict points. It’s essentially free-flowing once you get through the bridge up to County Road 8, which is the first intersection,’’ he said.
Mayor Kennon said finding a way to move more traffic through the Foley Express toll booth was always the state’s preferred solution and the Waterways Bridge project was necessary only because Orange Beach was not even able to get the previous BCBC owners on the phone.
“Waterway Bridge was always a fallback position. It was never the primary objective. We always, from day one – Mayor Craft knew this, that (ALDOT) Director (John) Cooper essentially negotiated from this perspective. Improving traffic flow over the toll bridge and down the expressway was by far the most efficient and effective way to move traffic off and on the island,’’ he said.
He said Orange Beach was always willing to go along with a new bridge, as long as it was open to one way traffic only, reducing the number of intersection “conflict points.’’
“Unfortunately, Gulf Shores didn’t like that idea and they wanted a north-south. We’ve always disagreed. We do not support a north-south on that because you can’t move traffic. It’s an absurdity to think that two competing north-south bridges and roadways with three additional intersection conflict points that don’t flow as much traffic as singular, free-flowing bridge and toll booth.’’
Since the roundabout planned for the south landing of the proposed Waterways Bridge is in Orange Beach, dealing with it would be Orange Beach’s problem.
“Any traffic inefficiencies, traffic issues, traffic auto accidents and backups created by these three intersections is on us,’’ Mayor Kennon said. “We’re the ones that have to deal with it. The city of Orange Beach residents have to deal with the backup. They have to deal with the problems that coming north and south cause. Doesn’t change anything for anybody else except us. That’s unacceptable.
“But let’s be clear. The desired result was not to create or impede traffic flow for a local convenience or result. And, that’s exactly what the Waterway Bridge and roadway is. That is a locals bridge with a local roadway to local schools that has nothing whatsoever to do with improving the ability to move traffic north and south or get traffic off of 59. I promise you ladies and gentlemen that has nothing to do with what we are trying accomplish or what the people in Gulf Shores probably want to accomplish,which is getting cars off of 59 to make their life better and over to the Expressway.
“We don’t want $70-$80 million wasted on something that’s going to make our life worse. That’s going to slow down and create greater bottlenecks. And, that’s exactly what this is going to do.’’
Mayor Kennon suggested that he and Mayor Craft hold a public forum. But it is very clear that Orange Beach residents will be in favor of their mayor’s plan and the rest of Baldwin County’s residents would prefer the state to go ahead and build the bridge it has already approved and set aside funds for.
“I really don’t want this social media banter going back and forth, I don’t want myself and Mayor Craft putting out a social media blurb. What I want to do is get on the stage, Mayor Craft and I, City of Gulf Shores – I don’t care who it is – and lay this out for everybody,’’ Mayor Kennon said. “Anybody can ask any question about anything. I don’t care if it’s a road or not. We’ll answer any question you guys wish to ask. But we need to come up with a solution that moves traffic, because if we do that the City of Orange Beach wins, the City of Gulf Shores wins because now you reduce your congestion on 59.
“Now, I don’t know what y’all’s time is worth but to come here and drive 30 minutes around, my time is worth more than that. And, I don’t think anybody’s doing that. Again, I think that is a red herring, that is smoke and mirrors, that’s nonsense. This is the best option, it’s the only option.’’
Mayor Kennon said American Roads, the company that owns the toll bridge, has been bought by a larger company that specializes in managing toll roads.
“Prior to this it was a shell game with the previous owners, as they were just passing it on trying to flip it. It’s very hard to get anywhere or see customer service as a result. Now we have a real toll bridge company that wants to function as a customer-service oriented company and wants to work with us. Now, that doesn’t mean they won’t sell. But if we do this right, we’ll have it in contract form and we’re taken care of no matter who owns it.
“What we’re trying to do is work with them and come up with a great plan so that we don’t have to build a bridge to the west to compete with them and may make the problem worse,’’ Mayor Kennon said.
Mayor Kennon said he is well aware that more people are moving to Baldwin County every week.
“As crazy as this world is getting more and more people are looking for a sanctuary such as Baldwin County to move to. And, we’re seeing that over and over. People are coming to Orange Beach from all over the country, cash money in hand. All of their plans have accelerated and changed because of what’s happening in this country. We would just like to be able to manage to some degree how that grows and develops.
“But in today’s world I don’t know how you get major projects built if you don’t have some degree of toll unless you have some real political connections. Most of it’s going to be public-private partnerships going forward. That rubs most of us the wrong way because we pay enough in taxes, we shouldn’t have to pay a toll. I understand that. But at the same time, pragmatically, do I want to wait 10 years to 20 years hoping politically we can get somebody in a position to get us the money to do it? Or am I willing to pay a $2 toll to make my life easier and a whole lot less in time I spend going around on the current route.’’
Gulf Shores, a city with twice the population and half the collections in ad valorem taxes, is growing even faster than Orange Beach.
Mayor Craft said that with escalating tourist and resident populations and a traffic count on the Hwy. 59 bridge that is almost five times that of the Foley Beach Express, there is no better time to take advantage of Alabama’s willingness to set aside funds to improve the quality of life for those living in South Baldwin County and those that everybody agrees are going to move here.
“ALDOT’s new bridge is designed, the right-of-way has been acquired, permits are in hand and the funding is in place,’’ Mayor Craft said. “The time for negotiating has passed. It is time for ALDOT to build the new bridge. Our residents, visitors and Alabama’s beaches are depending on it.’’
Pictured: A rendering of the proposed additional kiosks and traffic flow improvements to the Foley Express Toll Booth.