Foley, Ala. — (OBA) —  Construction is set to begin soon on a major sidewalk project in the Mills Community in west Foley. The Foley City Council approved Trenchline Civil's bid to build the new sidewalk and complete additional work. The project will also include drainage improvements for the community. City officials say the effort has been in the works for years.

The project was approved and announced on Sept. 16, 2026. Trenchline Civil submitted the winning bid of approximately $1.62 million, the lowest of nine bids. That amount came in well below the city's engineering estimate of $2.37 million.

The project calls for constructing 8,700 feet of concrete sidewalk. The sidewalk will run along Mills Road, Little Rock Road, Airport Road, Dailey Lane, and Baldwin County 65 and will connect to the site of the new Mills Community Park, which is under construction.

Mayor Ralph Hellmich said the city and community members have spent several years working toward the park and sidewalk projects. He added that the work will improve pedestrian access between the Mills Community and other areas of Foley.

"This is a project that will tie the Mills Community into the rest of Foley," Hellmich said. "This will tie our community here into other areas of Foley with sidewalk and pedestrian ways to allow connectivity."

Drainage improvements are also a key part of the project. Hellmich noted that some older parts of Foley lack adequate drainage infrastructure, underscoring the project's importance.

"Some of the older areas of Foley just don't have drainage," Hellmich said. "That is a comprehensive sidewalk drainage project where there has not been drainage before. It was a challenging project because of the lack of rights-of-way. Working with the Mills Community Action Group over the last two and a half years, we've acquired all that."

Construction is expected to begin within a month. Once work begins, the contractor will have 200 calendar days to complete the project.