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Bridge between Orange Beach & Gulf Shores ready for bid

John Mullen • Jun 28, 2021

Gulf Shores donating 26 acres of right of way for new road

Waterway Bridge planned route to Baldwin Beach Express

(OBA®) – Gulf Shores, AL – During the June 28 session of the Gulf Shores City Council, the city agreed to the donation of more than 26 acres of land for right of way for a new spur road from the Beach Express south of Coastal Gateway Boulevard to a bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway onto Canal Road near the city’s eastern boundary.

 

This portion of the right of way is mostly for future work but City Engineer Mark Acreman said during the meeting that the first part of the project – construction of the bridge – will be on the Alabama Department of Transportation bid-letting list for July.

 

“The bridge itself is scheduled to let for bid July 30 of this year per ALDOT’S schedule of projects,” Acreman said. “We’re very excited about the prospect of the bridge coming in the very near future and the first phase would be to construct a roadway from County Road 4 all the way to Canal Road with the bridge included in that first phase.”

 

Although the right of way the city is giving up is on the portion from County Road 4, or Cotton Creek Drive, north to the Beach Express, Acreman said having the right of way in hand will be important to ALDOT’s pursuit of funding with the first phase of the project.

 

“It’s important that right of way be continuous from two major arterials for ALDOT to receive federal funds to go for the funding of the bridge project,” Acreman said. “This will be a future phase but they have to secure the right of way upfront because it creates the conduit for them to receive federal funds for the bridge construction.”

 

Acreman said he believes this project will be an important relief valve for burgeoning traffic all over the island.

 

“This right of way in this project will be built at a later phase but will eventually have a connection between the Foley Beach Express to Canal Road east,” Acreman said. “It will give a third bridge onto the island and help distribute some of the traffic congestion that we’re seeing at the Beach Express and Highway 59.”

 

Also, during the meeting, the city expanded its scope of work on the new gym being built at the high school after it was decided to make the new facility larger.

 

“When we entered into a contract to build the new gymnasium at the high school, we looked at that and increased the scope working with the finance committee and the school board from a half gym to a whole gym that can get full play now for two volleyball matches going in the gym, basketball and also wrestling,” City Administrator Steve Griffin said.

 

The council amended architectural/professional services contract with Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood to include an additional $60,000 for topographic/boundary survey, geotechnical, construction materials testing, inspection and commissioning which were inadvertently omitted from the original contract, city documents state. That pushes the total for this contract to almost $454,000.

 

“Because of the increased footprint we had to enlarge the geotechnical work that was necessary, the inspection work,” Griffin said. “What this contract does the council had previously authorized a cost not to exceed which of $393,897. This increase for the added footprint and work and geotechnical inspection is another $60,000. I’m asking the council to consider amending the contract for GMC in an amount not to exceed $453,897.”

 

During the regular session, the council:

 

  • Passed a resolution hiring Olsen and Associates to perform the annual beach monitoring survey and report in an amount not to exceed $51,900.

 

  • OK’d an agreement with Gulf Shores City Schools relating to the shared use of each entity’s public facilities.

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