Daphne Lands $8.1 Million Federal Grant for County Road 13 Safety Upgrades Near Three Schools
An $8.1 million federal grant will help pay for roundabouts, lighting, sidewalks and crosswalks on 2.5 miles of County Road 13 in Daphne, where 132 crashes were recorded from 2019 through 2023.
DAPHNE, Ala. — Daphne will receive more than $8.1 million in federal money for County Road 13 safety improvements, funding roundabouts, lighting, sidewalks and crosswalks along a busy 2.5-mile stretch that passes three schools and saw 132 crashes in five years.
U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Alabama, and the city announced the award Monday, Nov. 2. The grant, $8,100,530 in all, comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program. Britt wrote a letter supporting the city’s application.
Daphne Mayor Robin LeJeune and Councilman Ben Hughes both welcomed the news at that evening’s City Council meeting at City Hall in Olde Towne Daphne.
“There really are a lot of positive things going on as far as infrastructure goes,” LeJeune said at the meeting. “We really appreciate everyone’s support there (on this project).”
What the project includes
The work runs from County Road 64 and Daphne Road to Champions Way and Lawson Road. Planned improvements include:
- Roundabouts in place of the existing intersections at Pleasant Road and at Champions Way.
- New lighting along the corridor.
- Eight-foot sidewalks.
- Crosswalks in school zones and at the new roundabouts.
The city has said the roundabouts would replace traffic lights, and it has described the first location as Whispering Pines and Pleasant Road.
According to the city, the $8.1 million award and another $2 million in local money will pay for a project of about $10 million. LeJeune has described the work as the first phase of a multi-phase plan aimed at improving safety for more than 2,000 children who travel to three nearby schools. No construction timeline was included in the announcements.
Why County Road 13 was chosen
About 9,600 vehicles use the corridor each day, and it is part of the high-injury network identified in the city’s action plan.
From 2019 through 2023, the corridor recorded 132 crashes, according to the figures released with the grant. Three involved suspected serious injuries, and 27% happened in darkness or at dawn or dusk.
Project estimates released through Britt’s office say the new roundabouts could cut crashes at those two intersections by 21.7%, while corridor lighting could reduce crashes along the route by 32%. The project is also expected to lower speeds, reduce the points where vehicles can collide and create safer crossings near the schools.
The planned measures are drawn from the Federal Highway Administration’s Proven Safety Countermeasures initiative, which includes roundabouts, lighting, sidewalks and high-visibility crosswalks. They are intended to lower the risk of rear-end, angle, head-on and pedestrian crashes.
“Every family in Daphne deserves to get to work, school, and home safely, and this investment will help make that a reality on one of Baldwin County’s busiest roads,” Britt said in a statement. She said she advocated for the project with U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and that, given the schools and the crash history, “these roundabouts, lights, sidewalks, and crosswalks will save lives.”
Mayor thanks Britt; statewide awards top $37 million
In a written statement, LeJeune thanked Britt for working with Duffy to secure the money and said the investment would improve transportation safety and quality of life for Daphne residents and communities throughout Baldwin County.
“Her leadership and continued success in securing critical infrastructure funding is making a meaningful difference in our communities and strengthening the future of Alabama,” LeJeune said.
The Daphne grant is part of more than $37 million awarded to projects across Alabama, according to Britt’s office. The senator also wrote letters supporting several of the other road safety projects.
The award adds to recent changes along the same road. In August, Daphne opened a roundabout at County Road 13 and Milton Jones Road, with city officials saying at the time that it would improve traffic flow in a fast-growing part of the county.
