Gov. Ivey has announced today that the State of Alabama is purchasing the Foley Beach Express toll bridge in Baldwin County for around $60 million. The entire beach express route from I-10 is now slated to become SR 161.
The state will drop the toll fee at noon on the closing date of the transation, sometime in May. The current owner and manager of the bridge will cease opening new toll accounts on April 30th.
Looks like ALDOT wants to keep the new Intracoastal Waterway Bridge and the Beach Express bridge and reconfigure the spans to carry northbound traffic on the existing bridge, with southbound traffic using the new bridge.
https://www.obawebsite.com/aldot-set-to-acquire-beach-express-bridge-for-60m?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0BMQABHT2evarS5CSy6b49ZIz_EXxDUT9ZRLiSX7TlBQ2iAqf6_DVwMxNqKl2jGw_aem_ATL4uoqF5Hh20IYXHZG7jQ1AEaes0_L9PrjK2xxQRUKSz2YHU3irPEy-LcmKmiLfCDU
https://www.wkrg.com/news/alabama-has-bought-the-foley-beach-express-heres-what-that-means-for-drivers/
Since there already is an AL 161 between AL 182 and AL 180 in Orange Beach, I assume the Foley Beach Express and the Baldwin Beach Express will simply become an extension of AL 161. Also, Google Maps shows the Baldwin Beach Express from CR 34/Lehman Rd. to Interstate 10 as CR 83. I assume that is an inaccurate labeling.
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on April 18, 2024, 02:03:52 PMSince there already is an AL 161 between AL 182 and AL 180 in Orange Beach, I assume the Foley Beach Express and the Baldwin Beach Express will simply become an extension of AL 161.
Or, instead of just assuming, you could could read the article Hemi linked to that confirms such will actually be the case...