While traffic volumes on the Foley Beach Express increase, construction on the highway is progressing faster than planned.
Work to widen the Beach Express began earlier this summer. In May, the Alabama Department of Transportation purchased the bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway at the south end of the expressway. The state eliminated tolls that had been charged since the bridge opened in 2000.
Since the toll was abolished, traffic on the Foley Beach Express has increased, according to ALDOT reports.
The Foley City Council approved the expansion project in 2023. ALDOT officials approved the request for proposals for the project in spring 2024.
Foley officials had hoped to start work last fall, before the peak of the summer tourist season. The project is expected to take 250 work days. The schedule would mean that some work would take place during the tourist season, regardless of when the project began.
Mayor Ralph Hellmich said work on the busy highway had frustrated some drivers, but the project was progressing faster than planned.
“Our Foley Beach Express has tested the patience of people on that road, but the ALDOT/Foley contractor is ahead of schedule,” Hellmich said. “They’ve already widened the road. They’re now in the process of paving that portion.”
According to Hellmich, traffic on Alabama 59 has also decreased as the number of vehicles on the Beach Express has increased in recent weeks. He said reports from the Alabama Department of Transportation showed that the number of vehicles on the Beach Express increased significantly after the toll was eliminated.
He said the change helped reduce traffic in downtown Foley.
Since the tolls were lifted over Memorial Day weekend, ALDOT reports that 6,000 to 8,000 more vehicles have been using the Beach Express each day.
In June 2024, more than 2.3 million vehicles crossed the Intracoastal Waterway on the Beach Express and Alabama 59.
The Beach Express saw a 44% increase in vehicle numbers in June. During that month, Beach Express traffic increased by more than 257,000 compared to the same period in 2023.
The number of vehicles on Alabama 59 has declined. During the week of the July 4th holiday, about 47,000 fewer cars and trucks used the highway, according to ALDOT reports.
Under a contract with the City of Foley, crews are working to widen the Foley Beach Express by adding shoulders along the route through the city. The city will transfer ownership of the Beach Express to ALDOT when the project is completed.
