Gulf Shores Pedestrian Bridge Redesigned, Going Out For Bid

The City of Gulf Shores has had Volkert Inc. redesign a planned pedestrian bridge to reduce its cost from $47 million to $24 million, AL.com reports. No longer to be made of steel, the prefabricated bridge will be adjacent to Highway 181 and Tacky Jack’s and serve as a connection of both sides of Waterway Village. The project will go out for bid in October, and Grant Brown, city spokesperson, said he is hopeful the city will be able to award a contract to a construction firm in early 2025. The project is set to be completed by September 2026, around the same time the entire Highway 59 widening project is to be finalized. Both projects are funded, in part, with a $14.4-million federal BUILD grant. The bridge is needed because pedestrian access will be eliminated on the W.C. Holmes Bridge that leads the Route 59 traffic into Gulf Shores. A future bridge also under construction in Gulf Shores will not have pedestrian access, either, leaving no access over the Intracoastal Waterway for joggers, walkers or bicyclists in Gulf Shores. Elevators will provide accessibility for wheelchair and bicycle users to the downtown area, which features popular restaurants and is within walking distance of Big Beach Brewing.