Gulf Shores, Ala. – (OBA) – A bridge debate continues in South Baldwin County but whichever bridge is built, Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft would like to see an improved connection from the new span to State Route 59 in the heart of his city.

“That is what we’re trying to work with ALDOT on now regardless of whether we get a the new bridge or improvements are made to the Foley Bridge Express bridge,” Craft said. “One of those two things are going to happen within the next couple of years and we need to be able to get to either bridge for evacuation or just for daily operations.”

Currently, traffic coming east from Orange Beach and any traffic coming of a new state bridge or improved toll span must face the gauntlet of the 90-degree turn. There is a dual stop sign where Canal Road ends and traffic turns south onto East Second Street or Fort Morgan Road near Tacky Jacks and Big Beach Brewing.

Gulf Shores has been eying a solution to take the road south of the neighborhood for some time and has RESTORE Act funding to help make it a reality. It will connect to Fort Morgan Road a little south of 20^th Avenue East where traffic will go left to a connection to State Route 59.

“That is a connection we’re talking about ALDOT taking that and making that 180 which Fort Morgan Road is 180, having it extend back around to whatever bridge is being built,” Craft said.

That route is one of eight or so roads (in red on the map above) Craft spoke about during a presentation Nov. 29 on how Gulf Shores would like to spend money from a proposed increase in the lodging tax. Gulf Shores had a lodging tax discussion during the special Nov. 29 meeting and the Dec. 6 meeting and will vote on the increase on Dec. 13 at 2021’s final meeting.

“Things we’re working on that are really in the planning process, we’ve got grant monies to do or design plans to do as soon as we can get it all done,” Craft said.

Among the roads in the planning or design stages beside the reroute of State Route 180 to south of the Meyer Park neighborhood are:

• Adding a third southbound lane on State Route 59 from County Road 8 to Fort Morgan Road

• Widening and other improvements of County Road 6 or Oak Road west of State Route 59

• A connection from East Waterway Village Boulevard North from near the Mariculture Center and across State Route 59 to West Waterway Village Boulevard North

• A north-south connector from County Road 6 across Coastal Gateway Boulevard to County Road 10

Future projects on Craft’s map included:

• The new ALDOT spur road from the Foley Beach Express south of Coastal Gate Boulevard to connect with East Waterway Village North Boulevard. The Baldwin County Bridge Co. has pledged $25 million for this roadway if the state doesn’t build its own bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway in Gulf Shores.

• A north-south connector from West Waterway Village North Boulevard to County Road 6 or Oak Road

• A north-south connector from County Road 6 or Oak Road to County Road 10 to Foley

“It’s parallel roads running north and south on the east and west sides of 59,” Craft said.

Gulf Shores is proposing a 3 percent increase in the lodging tax to make the city’s portion 10 percent with the intent of using generated revenue for infrastructure projects. That would make for a total of 16 percent within the city limits with the state getting 4 percent and the Baldwin County Lodging Tax District 2 percent. The Baldwin County tax is collected from the state line on the east to Fort Morgan on the west and the money is used for marketing beaches and other coastal attractions to a variety of audiences.

Both Gulf Shores and Orange Beach raised the lodging tax 2 percent in 2018 pledging the extra money toward infrastructure. Officials in Orange Beach say they are not considering another hike in the lodging tax and a total of 13 percent is collected on lodgings within its city limits. In the unincorporated areas of Ono Island and Fort Morgan 6 percent is collected and over the state line in Florida the bed tax is 12 percent.