Foley is moving forward with plans to add a new north-south route that will link U.S. 98 with Gulf Shores.
The Foley City Council approved the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wetland delineation proposal to continue developing roadway plans needed to extend James Road south from Brinks Willis Road to Gulf Shores.
Mayor Ralph Hellmich said the city is working with Baldwin County and the city of Gulf Shores to develop the route.
“Gulf Shores did a mile. The county’s doing a mile, we’re doing a mile roughly,” Hellmich said. “We’re working very closely with the county and Gulf Shores to align it the best we can, to impact as little as possible on either wetlands or people’s properties.”
He said the route is also being planned to save as many trees as possible.
“We moved it over one time to save a row of oak trees,” Hellmich said. “So we’re doing everything we can to make it the least intrusive that we can.”
The mayor said the joint project will allow traffic to move through Foley to Gulf Shores.
“When this is done, this will create connectivity all the way from Highway 98 down to the Gateway Road, County Road 8,” Hellmich said.
He said the city is also developing plans to extend the route farther north.
“Ultimately, when we’re able to open up North Pecan then you’ll be able to get on to Gateway and go all the way to the Baldwin Beach Express,” he said. Now it’s not going to be an expressway. It’s not even going to be a high-speed road. It’d be a lot of stop signs and red lights, but it is another connectivity effort that we’re doing with the county and with local people to give our people an alternative and a way to stay off 59 and the Beach Express.”
The project will extend James Road south from Brinks Willis Road, across Keller Road to Gulf Shores where it is scheduled to link with a new road to be constructed near the Rocky Road Loop.
The James Road extension is part of the “30-Cubed” program approved by the Baldwin County Commission.
The commission approved $30 million to be spent on joint projects with Baldwin County municipalities by 2030. The cities and towns will provide the same amount of funding to take part in projects.
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