G.S. gives state 26 acres for spur rd. from Beach Express to new bridge

G.S. gives state 26 acres for spur rd. from Beach Express to new bridge
“The bridge itself is scheduled to let for bid July 30 of this year per ALDOT”
By John Mullen
During the June 28 session of the Gulf Shores City Council, the city agreed to the donation of more than 26 acres of land for right of way for a new spur road from the Beach Express south of Coastal Gateway Boulevard to a bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway onto Canal Road near the city’s eastern boundary.
This portion of the right of way is mostly for future work but City Engineer Mark Acreman said during the meeting that the first part of the project – construction of the bridge – will be on the Alabama Department of Transportation bid-letting list for July.
“The bridge itself is scheduled to let for bid July 30 of this year per ALDOT per ALDOT’S schedule of projects,” Acreman said. “We’re very excited about the prospect of the bridge coming in the very near future and the first phase would be to construct a roadway from County Road 4 all the way to Canal Road with the bridge included in that first phase.”
Although the right of way the city is giving up is on the portion from County Road 4, or Cotton Creek Drive, north to the Beach Express, Acreman said having the right of way in hand will be important to ALDOT’s pursuit of funding with the first phase of the project.
“It’s important that right of way be continuous from two major arterials for ALDOT to receive federal funds to go for the funding of the bridge project,” Acreman said. “This will be a future phase but they have to secure the right of way upfront because it creates the conduit for them to receive federal funds for the bridge construction.”
Acreman said he believes this project will be an important relief valve for burgeoning traffic all over the island.
“This right of way in this project will be built at a later phase but will eventually have a connection between the Foley Beach Express to Canal Road east,” Acreman said. “It will give a third bridge onto the island and help distribute some of the traffic congestion that we’re seeing at the Beach Express and Highway 59.”
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 Drive in Gulf Shores on the northside of the Intracoastal and a roundabout on Canal Road at the south landing point of the new bridge.
“The city property is the last tract to clear on the roadway portion between the Beach Express and County Road 4. All of rights of way have been acquired,” Aaron said. He added thaat the bridge part of the project would take “roughly two years.”
Part of the new road the state from the Beach Express to Cotton Creek will cross the city’s future education campus at the Beach Express and Coastal Gateway Boulevard. Plans for this long-delayed project include connecting to Waterway Village Blvd. East and the bridge across the Intracoastal Waterway near the Orange Beach Water Authority’s treatment plant.