Orange Beach, Ala. – (OBA) – With four months left in the year, 4.1 million cars have passed through the Baldwin County Bridge Company’s toll bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway in 2023.

If the traffic volume matches or surpasses 6 million cars for the year, the bridge company would meet one of the stipulations for building a second span. The second stipulation says during that same year, the traffic volume has to surpass 2 million in the months of June, July and August. During those three months of 2023, 1.7 million vehicles used the bridge.

During 2022, nearly 5.6 million cars used the toll bridge and in 2022 in the months of September through December nearly 1.7 million cars went through the toll booth. If the same amount goes through the toll in the final four months of 2023 the total for the year would be just under 5.9 million. Every month of 2023 through August had higher traffic volume than every month in 2022.

Through August, the city has collected $1.24 million in its share of the toll which is 30 cents per car. These numbers are per the finance director’s report on the Oct. 3 city council regular meeting agenda.

On Aug. 30, the bridge company raised the toll to $5 for many cars. Electronic rates for prepaid account holders, which are the rates paid by many local residents of South Baldwin County, will be increased by $0.20 to an average rate of $2.22. The discounted electronic rate for Orange Beach residents will not be increased and will remain flat at $1. The cash and debit/credit card rate will be increased to $5.

September numbers for traffic volume are not yet released so there’s no data yet available to see if the increased tolls are having an effect on toll traffic volumes.

Bridge company President and CEO Neal Belitsky said the recent increase had nothing to do with trying to slow the volume so it doesn’t reach the threshold to trigger construction of a second span.

“I refer you to my statement of Aug. 30, 2023, which explains in detail why BCBC was forced to increase rates,” Belitsky said in a reply to an email inquiry from the OBA Community Website.

In that statement, Belitsky said: “BCBC had proposed to build a new span and provide a four-lane bridge for the citizens of Baldwin County to use for free, but (ALDOT) refused to even consider that proposal. Now, as a result of the actions taken by Director (John) Cooper, BCBC has been forced to increase the toll rates on the Beach Express Bridge.”

The increase came after the Alabama Supreme Court struck down a stop-work order on a new bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway and allowed work to resume. Montgomery County Judge Jimmy Poole ruled ALDOT and Director John Cooper in particular displayed “bad faith” in negotiations with the bridge company to find an alternate plan to the state’s new bridge.

“(This)sends an unfortunate message to businesses across this nation – come to Alabama on notice that anything an unelected government official chooses to do to you, he can do and you are powerless to stop him even if he is acting in bad faith,” Belitsky said after the Supreme Court’s ruling.

ALDOT’s statement praised the ruling in a statement. “We respect the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling that the bad faith claim made by BCBC has failed,” the agency’s statement says. “We look forward to restarting construction of the new, free bridge as soon as possible to help reduce traffic congestion and provide an additional evacuation route. With regard to BCBC’s choice to increase their tolls, the new bridge being constructed will operate toll-free for everyone forever. This is a much better deal for the people of Alabama than granting BCBC a 50-year monopoly with the ability to raise tolls on non-Baldwin County residents without limit. Today’s announcement by BCBC reaffirms that ALDOT made the right decision to decline the toll company’s proposal.”

During negotiations with the state, the bridge company not only offered to add the two lanes and make it free for all Baldwin County residents, but it also offered to give Orange Beach $10 million upfront and $1 million a year for 50 years. It also offered $25 million toward the construction of the road from the Beach Express to Cotton Creek Drive in Gulf Shores. At the end of 50 years, the company would have turned over ownership of both spans to the state.