Alabama drivers heading to the coast are getting closer to a smoother trip.
The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) continues advancing construction on the new Intracoastal Waterway Bridge in Baldwin County, a $52 million project designed to ease congestion to Alabama’s beaches and improve safety for residents and visitors.
The bridge is paired with a connector road to State Route 161, creating what officials describe as a “major new route” to help traffic move more efficiently to and from Pleasure Island, home to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.
When finished, the new structure and the existing Beach Express Bridge will each carry two lanes of traffic, doubling the number of travel lanes across the Intracoastal Waterway along the Baldwin County coast and adding much-needed capacity during peak travel periods.
Construction has already passed several key milestones. The bridge decks were finished in December 2025, one of the last big steps in construction. The foundation and steel beams are now fully complete, with the rest of the bridge about 95% done and the roadwork around 90% finished, according to the Alabama Political Reporter.
Crews are now moving into the final phases of construction. Subcontractors are scheduled to install a protective concrete barrier wall on the bridge, and another crew is preparing to apply the final coat of paint to the steel girders to complete the remaining superstructure tasks.
Workers are also preparing to begin final paving on the south side of the bridge along State Route180, or Canal Road, and will soon shift traffic into its final configuration, according to The Bama Buzz.
Beyond the bridge itself, ALDOT plans to widen a portion of SR-180 from Beaver Creek to the current toll-free Beach Express Bridge. That project is scheduled to go out for bid in summer 2026, with construction expected to begin after Labor Day.
Work is also continuing on the SR-161 connector project, where right-of-way has been cleared from County Road 4 to the first low-level bridge site and utility relocation and roadway construction are ongoing, according to the Alabama Political Reporter.
Additional improvements are planned in nearby Gulf Shores. Following completion of a new pedestrian bridge and the widening of State Route 59, the city plans to add a third southbound lane along the Holmes Bridge corridor, creating six total lanes to further improve traffic flow.
Combined, these projects are expected to bring major benefits to Coastal Alabama. The improvements will help ease traffic on state routes 59, 161 and 180, make it easier for emergency crews to respond, strengthen hurricane evacuation routes and support the region’s growing economy, according to The Bama Buzz.
As work continues, ALDOT is encouraging motorists to remain alert for periodic traffic shifts during paving and barrier installation. For beachgoers and local residents alike, the steady progress signals that relief from heavy coastal traffic may soon be in sight.
