Foley, Ala. — (OBA) —  Motorists traveling along Miflin Road in Foley should expect delays as crews close one lane to construct turn lanes and complete roadway improvements. The closure will affect Miflin Road, also designated County Road 20, between the Foley Beach Express (SR 161) and Frank Cole Lane. The lane restriction will be in effect Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Officials asked motorists to use caution, watch for workers and equipment, and allow extra travel time through the work zone.

Work is scheduled to begin today, Thursday, Nov. 12, and continue through Friday, Dec. 4.

During recent Foley City Council meetings, officials outlined separate municipal actions and noted that broader corridor upgrades will accompany the area's growth. The council previously approved the first phase of the Miflin Road Access Management Plan, authorizing the construction of a median between Alabama 59 and Juniper Street. According to city records, Riviera Utilities is scheduled to install street lighting along that median as part of the capital project, which municipal staff estimate could take up to four months to complete.

Miflin Road will remain open to through traffic during construction, though individual lanes may be restricted at times, city officials said. City Engineer Taylor Davis told council members that individual closures would be limited to maintain access along the corridor.

While this short-term lane closure between the Foley Beach Express (SR 161) and Frank Cole Lane is limited to localized turn-lane construction through Dec. 4, it coincides with broader, independent infrastructure upgrades planned along the Miflin Road corridor. In separate municipal actions, the Foley City Council previously approved the first phase of the Miflin Road Access Management Plan—a project between Alabama 59 and Juniper Street that includes median construction and up to four months of street lighting work by Riviera Utilities.

The new signals will connect to the state's Regional Traffic Operations system, known as RTOP, which already coordinates more than 20 traffic lights on Alabama 59, U.S. 98, and Alabama 161 in Foley. The system uses traffic cameras, radar, and cellular equipment to link signals and adjust timing based on traffic conditions.

Mayor Ralph Hellmich said the city's work with ALDOT on signal coordination began more than a year ago and is part of a broader effort to improve traffic flow throughout Foley. "It's an incremental increase, but every time we make another step, it helps fix those complaints that you get about how that signal is turning red, and nobody is there," Hellmich told council members. "This is really a good thing."