The City of Gulf Shores plans to open bids for a new pedestrian bridge later this month.
The Waterway Village Pedestrian Bridge will be necessary due the addition of a southbound lane to the Highway 59, W.C. Holmes Bridge. It will connect the north and south sides of the Waterway District from the new Medical Village area to East 20th Avenue, improving safety for joggers, walkers and bicyclists.
Bids were initially scheduled to open in October but the city delayed to clarify plans. The project will now go to bid on December 13.
City officials hope to keep construction costs under $20 million. Funding will come from the city and a BUILD grant from the Federal Transit Administration.
The bridge will include vertical towers and an elevator. The city's original plan for ramps instead of towers was not financially feasible, so engineers designed a more affordable bridge.
Construction on the bridge is expected to begin in spring 2025 with a target completion date sometime in winter 2026.
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