Site work and paving for a civil project in Orange Beach, Alabama. Conceptual plans call for site work for a bridge / tunnel; and for paving for a road / highway.

New Gulf Coast bridge set to open ahead of busy summer vacations The span was once subject of a heated court battle. over Alabama's Intracoastal Waterway near Orange Beach should alleviate traffic congestion on the highways near the popular Gulf Coast resort, the state's transportation department said. This new bridge over Alabama's Intracoastal Waterway near Orange Beach should alleviate traffic congestion on the highways near the popular Gulf Coast resort, the state's transportation department said. Alabama Department of Transportation A new bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway in Alabama has been touted by some as a major infrastructure improvement for Baldwin County, home to the Gulf Coast resort towns of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, but derided as a boondoggle by others. Either way, it will provide a critical connection to key tourist destinations and be open by Memorial Day, according to the Alabama Department of Transportation. Pending separate ordinances by the two cities, the new bridge and a connecting road will be known collectively as Alabama Beaches Parkway, AL.com reported this week. The Foley Bridge Express, a former toll bridge in Orange Beach about a mile east of the new bridge, will switch from two-way traffic to northbound only when the new bridge opens, ALDOT announced, while the new bridge will carry southbound traffic. The department has yet to announce a specific opening date, but the process has not been without drama. Historically, the new bridge has been a point of contention between Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, with the former supporting it and the latter opposing until the Alabama Supreme Court intervened. Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are about eight miles apart. According to the state, the new bridge will reduce congestion on multiple coastal highways, including the main routes through Gulf Shores and Orange Beach; serve as an additional hurricane evacuation route; and improve access for emergency responders. ALDOT released a video last month explaining the new traffic flow to drivers. In May 2023, a Montgomery, Ala., judge sided with the Foley Bridge Express operators in their lawsuit against the state, ordering construction of the new bridge halted and calling the latter "a complete waste of over $120 million of taxpayer money to carry out the personal vendetta of The Alabama Supreme Court reversed the decision three months later. The next year, the state took over the existing bridge and removed the tolls.