Orange Beach, Ala. – (OBA) – Orange Beach is poised to add more 10-foot-wide sidewalks along the north side of Canal Road in East Orange Beach and a second on the west.

“There’s site one which is Commercial Avenue to The Wharf,” City Administrator Ford Handley said. “ We bid out both projects at the same time to save some money and its $1.2 million Commercial to The Wharf. Part two is Wilson to Bay La Launch $2.4 million or $3.6 million for the combined projects. I would expect them to start within the next 30 to 40 days.”

Handley said he wasn’t sure which of the projects would start first or would begin simultaneously.

“As of right now we obviously can’t tell them to start on this one or the other one because there would be political ramifications of that,” Handley said. “They know that we want both done and they are working through all the legal documents. We had asked that they put crews on both sides but we don’t know exactly which side will start first.”

Wiregrass Construction won the bid for the dual project, which is expected to be completed before the end of next year.

“It’s a 365-day project so hopefully it finishes sooner but they do have a year to complete,” Handley said.

Another project to do another portion on the west end of Canal Road is planned for 2025, and the city is looking for a Transportation Alternatives Program, or TAP, grant to help with the costs.

“The other thing that we will do is we have a TAP grant that will connect Gulf Bay to Captain’s Cove,” Handley said. “That won’t start until 2025. There’s already the access road there so we’re working on a grant to get some funding for that project.”