Waterways Bridge could be open by Memorial Weekend

Waterways Bridge could be open by Memorial Weekend

The anticipated early summer opening of the new Waterways Bridge is on schedule and could occur in time for Memorial Day Weekend, according to a recent ALDOT press release. One key milestone was reached in December, when crews completed the bridge decks.
Gulf Shores will fund a new connector road, a $1.2 million project to bypass Canal Rd. just north of the Orange Beach Water Treatment Plant on the Intracoastal Waterway to connect with Hwy. 59.
Both the new bridge and the existing Beach Express Bridge will each have two lanes. The Waterways Bridge will be southbound only upon opening, with the Foley Beach Express Bridge, located about a mile to the east, allocated to northbound only.
Thru traffic on Canal Rd. has already shifted into its final configuration. But a widening project on Canal Rd. from Beaver Creek to the Beach Express Bridge is scheduled for bid this summer. Construction is expected to begin after Labor Day. The right-of-way has been cleared from County Rd. 4 to the first low-level bridge site and work continues on a traffic circle on Foley Beach Express.
The $52 million state funded Waterway Bridge is designed to reduce congestion to Alabama’s beaches and improve safety for residents and visitors. The bridge project is paired with a new connector road to Rte. 161, creating a major new route to help traffic move more efficiently to and from the island.
Subcontractors are currently installing a protective concrete barrier wall on the bridge, while another crew is applying the final coat of paint to the steel girders to complete the superstructure.
Work also continues to add a third southbound lane to the Hwy. 59 bridge. That ALDOT project will eventually create three lanes going north and south on Hwy. 59 from Fort Morgan Rd. to County Rd. 8.