Two articles recently published in the Mobile Press Register highlight road projects pertaining to the Orange Beach area of south Baldwin County. Baldwin County, Alabama’s largest and fastest growing, includes the beach resort communities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Opened in June 2000, the Foley Beach Express created a controlled access route around downtown Foley from Alabama 59 south to Alabama 180 in western Orange Beach. Initially the route resembled an expressway with just a handful of signalized intersections…

Recent suburban sprawl type growth throughout southern Baldwin County includes large scale developments centered around the Foley Beach Express corridor. Included are the Bama Bayou Resort complex, The Wharf, Bayou Beach Water Park, and Foley Crossroads among other developments slated near or along the four-lane divided highway.

Development such as the Bama Bayou resort community, pictured here behind the Foley Beach Express toll bridge, are converting the Expressway into more of a commercial arterial.

The February 20, 2007 article entitled “Toll to grow on Foley Beach Express” highlights a toll increase on the two-lane Intracoastal Waterway Bridge (Portage Creek) from $1 to $1.50 for Orange Beach residents and from $2 to $3 for all other motorists. Alinda Roads LLC, a private entity that owns the toll bridge and roadway, also announced plans to build a parallel span to double the capacity to four overall lanes over the Portage Creek along with an expansion of the existing toll plaza. The estimated $15-20 million in construction may begin in 2008 if all goes well.

This work leads to eventual expansion of the Foley Beach Express northward to the future Baldwin County 68 interchange with Interstate 10. The original developers of the Foley Beach Express envisioned a connection with Interstate 10; Alinda Roads LLC plans to honor that and is advancing the study with an initial $500,000. New to the expansion idea, at least to AARoads, is a southern extension of the Foley Beach Express to Alabama 182 through Gulf State Park. That roadway is expected to cost $2 million. Timetables for the southern extension is unclear at this time.

As for the northern extension, A new Interstate 10 interchange with Baldwin County 68 will accommodate the northern terminus of the Foley Beach Express. Alabama will contribute $11.8 million for the new interchange.

Baldwin County 64 east after its intersection with Baldwin County 83. The Foley Beach Express extension will curve northwest from this stretch of roadway to the existing crossover of Baldwin County 68 of Interstate 10, where a likely diamond interchange will be built.

Baldwin County will cover the remaining $42.2 million of the $54 million project northern extension project. Engineering work should be completed by spring 2007 with road work breaking ground by late 2007 or early 2008. For those with maps, trace a line straight north along Baldwin County 28 South, to the northeast of Foley and southeast of Summerdale, and continue that line northward to Baldwin County 83 at Baldwin County 36 (Greenwood Road). Baldwin County 83’s path is that slated for the Foley Beach Express extension. At present Baldwin County 83 exists in two segments: between Baldwin County 36 and Silverhill Avenue east of Robertsdale, and again from U.S. 90 north to Baldwin County 64 to a point less than a mile south of Interstate 10. The County will four-lane existing segments of the county road and construct new roadway in the gaps.

Looking west on the Foley Beach Express northbound at its intersection with Baldwin County 28 South. Here the four-lane highway will turn north and follow a short segment of Baldwin County 28 South onto a new roadway linking it with Baldwin County 83 at Baldwin County 32.

Second on the horizon for south Baldwin roads is the Wolf Bay Bridge proposed from Alabama 161 & 180 northward to recently annexed lands by Orange Beach near Sapling Point. Proposals continue the new roadway from the Sapling Point area north to the junction of Baldwin County 20 and 95 west of Perdido Beach and east of Miflin. Following Baldwin County 95 to its end at Baldwin County 32, the proposed expressway will follow a new roadway seven miles to Interstate 10, with long range expectations of a link northward to Interstate 65. The bridge itself is slated to cost $60 million and is one step close to reality with the March 6, 2007 vote to condemn 2.5 acres of land north of the Alabama 161 & 180 intersection for the new bridge.

Alabama 161 (Orange Beach Boulevard) northbound at the intersection of Alabama 180 (Canal Road). The proposed Wolf Bay Bridge will begin here and head northeast to Sapling Point on the Baldwin County mainland.

The proposed expressway linking the Wolf Bay Bridge and Orange Beach with U.S. 98 and Interstate 10 will tie into the existing intersection of Baldwin County 20 and 95. Pictured here is County 95 north at County 20, a presently undeveloped area of farm fields and forest.

If there is any interest in maps of these proposals, I can work on some crude ones. Leave a comment and let me know!

Additional Sources:

“City moves to condemn land for bridge launch.” Mobile Press Register, March 7, 2007.

“Interstate connection proposed
Officials seek public input on plans for Baldwin County 68 interchange.” Mobile Press Register, July 30, 2006.

“City to get study, plans for Wolf Bay bridge by year end.” Mobile Press Register, September 13, 2006.