Foley drivers can expect smoother pavement on several city streets over the coming year after the City Council formally approved the municipality’s annual road improvement plan. The program authorizes city officials to seek contractor bids for resurfacing work across more than four miles of roadway, part of an ongoing effort to keep Foley’s street network in good repair as the city continues to grow.
Under the approved plan, the city will solicit bids to resurface 4.76 lane miles of streets. Officials will also request pricing on an additional 1.54 lane miles of resurfacing as an alternate, elective project that would move forward only if funding allows once the primary bids come in.
Which Streets Are Included
Two of the more notable roadways slated for resurfacing are Lakeview Drive, from Carnoustie Drive to Baldwin County Road 12, and West Peachtree Avenue, from North Cedar Street to Alabama 59. Both corridors see regular local traffic, and resurfacing is intended to smooth out wear and extend the pavement’s lifespan before more costly repairs become necessary.
The plan also designates one alley as an alternative project. That stretch runs between West Orange Avenue and West Myrtle Avenue, connecting South Pine Street and South Alston Street. Because it falls under the elective portion of the program, work on the alley would depend on how bid pricing compares to the funds the city has set aside.
City Turns Attention to Alley Conditions
Beyond this year’s resurfacing list, Mayor Ralph Hellmich said Foley intends to broaden how it tracks the condition of its infrastructure. The city already uses a rating system to evaluate the condition of its streets, helping officials decide which roads need attention first and prioritize spending accordingly. Hellmich said the city now wants to apply a similar approach to its alleys.
“We want the alleys to be part of this,” Hellmich said. “We’re looking at multiple alleys all over the city. Some of them are in worse condition than others. We will be creating this alley grading system as a subset.”
Developing a grading system specifically for alleys would give city staff a clearer, more consistent picture of where those narrower passageways stand compared with Foley’s main streets. Many alleys serve as secondary access points for businesses and residences, particularly in older parts of the city, and their upkeep can be easy to overlook without a formal evaluation process.
Why Regular Resurfacing Matters
Road resurfacing programs like Foley’s are a routine but essential part of municipal budgeting in growing Baldwin County communities. Repaving before pavement deteriorates into potholes and structural damage is typically far less expensive than full-depth reconstruction, and it helps maintain safer driving conditions for residents and visitors alike. Foley’s approach of ranking projects by pavement condition, then building in elective add-on work when funding allows, gives the city flexibility to stretch its road maintenance dollars further each budget cycle.
With the plan now approved, the city’s next step will be advertising for contractor bids on the primary resurfacing list, with the elective mile-and-a-half of paving and the alley project to follow depending on the results. City officials did not provide a specific construction timeline, but resurfacing projects of this scope are typically scheduled in phases over the following months once bids are awarded.