End of Tolls Coming for Alabama’s Foley Beach Express Bridge
[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.]
A toll-free ride across the Foley Beach Express Bridge in Orange Beach, Ala., will be a reality for the first time in more than 20 years now that the state has reached a deal to purchase the span while also working on a new bridge that will ease both commercial and vacation travel to the Alabama coastline.
Gov. Kay Ivey, Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon and the Baldwin County Bridge Co. jointly announced an agreement under which the state will acquire the bridge and hand operations over to the Alabama Department of Transportation, at which point tolling will cease.
The span will carry southbound and northbound traffic while ALDOT continues building the new Intracoastal Waterway Bridge. Once construction is completed, the Beach Express Bridge will handle northbound traffic, while the new bridge will carry southbound traffic. The Intercoastal Waterway Bridge is slated for completion in 2026.
RELATED: Port of Mobile to Build Container Facility in North Alabama
“I appreciate Mayor Kennon, the Baldwin County Bridge Co., the Alabama Department of Transportation and all those involved in this agreement that will lead to significant progress for our coastal communities,” Ivey said, noting that future investments will help support the region’s role as an economic driver for the state. “Alabama’s Gulf Coast continues to experience record growth and success, and I am proud we are making needed infrastructure improvements in the area that will help alleviate traffic congestion for Alabamians and those visiting our beaches.”
Ivey
Trucks are also vital to the beaches’ success, said Mark Colson, CEO of the Alabama Trucking Association.
“More than 95% of all goods come to the island — Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan — in Baldwin County on a truck, so for those communities to thrive, there has to exist reliable, safe and affordable infrastructure. Fortunately, Gov. Ivey has a proven track record of delivering these types of infrastructure improvements for Alabamians,” he said.
Colson
Colson continued, “Improving Alabama’s infrastructure remains a top issue for the trucking industry, which funds more than one-third of roadway taxes despite trucks only representing 9% of the miles traveled in the state. While the Foley Beach Express primarily serves tourism traffic, this purchase by the state and the proposed future expansion efforts will benefit all of the motoring public and will hopefully alleviate traffic on other corridors that are used more frequently by commercial trucks.”
Under the sale, ALDOT will contribute $57 million to the Baldwin County Bridge Co. for the bridge itself and $3 million to the city of Orange Beach to cover local road improvements.
The area of the Foley Beach Express Bridge. (Google Maps)
“This agreement is the result of collaborative efforts between ALDOT, the city of Orange Beach and the Baldwin County Bridge Co. and was made possible by the city’s willingness to forgo annual financial benefits in order to achieve improved traffic flow for Orange Beach and Gulf Shores citizens and visitors,” Kennon said. “On behalf of the Orange Beach City Council, I would like to thank Gov. Ivey for working with us to eliminate tolls and improve traffic flow and efficiency to and from our Alabama beaches.”
Kennon
An alternative to the heavily traveled Alabama state Route 59, the toll bridge currently provides a 13.5-mile limited access four-lane route from the city of Foley to Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and Perdido Key.
Baldwin County Bridge President Neal Belitsky said, “Since 2000, the Baldwin County Bridge Co.’s staff have been honored to serve the community and are proud to have provided a safe and reliable route to the beach for nearly a quarter century.”
Want more news? Listen to today's daily briefing below or go here for more info:
