Gulf Shores City Council members have signed off on nearly $408,000 in additional spending to add decorative lighting to the pedestrian bridge now under construction over the Intracoastal Waterway just east of Highway 59, adding another line item to one of the city’s most closely watched infrastructure projects.
The council approved the lighting package unanimously in June. The system will give the bridge and its towers a customizable look, with 30 available color options that can be used to mark holidays, events or simply change the bridge’s nighttime appearance. With the addition, the total cost of the pedestrian bridge project now stands at roughly $24.7 million.
In a separate but related expenditure, the city plans to spend $3.6 million from a Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) grant on plazas at each end of the bridge. Those spaces are expected to include shade trees, restrooms, seating, sidewalks, viewing areas and room for community events, effectively creating new public gathering spots at both landings. The north plaza will sit near East 25th Avenue and East 2nd Street, while the south plaza will be located at East 2nd Street and East 22nd Avenue.
The current version of the bridge represents a significant cost reduction from an earlier design. That original concept, which included spiraling ramps on both ends, drew a lowest bid of $47 million, prompting the city to pursue a simpler and less expensive structure.
Construction crews are expected to begin work on the bridge’s superstructure soon, with the span set to be placed on its substructure over the Intracoastal Waterway in the weeks that follow. Once the structure is in position, workers will lay the final asphalt surface on the north side of East 2nd Street and complete the remaining roadway sections near 25th Avenue.
Harrison Construction, the contractor overseeing the project, has until January 14, 2027, to substantially complete the work, though city officials have said there is a reasonable chance pedestrians and cyclists could be using the bridge as early as this Christmas.
The pedestrian bridge has taken on added importance because the existing bike and pedestrian lane on the Highway 59 bridge is expected to be removed once a third southbound travel lane opens as part of the broader Highway 59 widening project, which is funded largely through a federal BUILD grant. City leaders have pointed to the new bridge as the long-term replacement route for cyclists and pedestrians crossing the waterway.
Once complete, the lighting system will include 50 individual fixtures spread across the bridge and its two towers — 12 fixtures on each tower and 13 on each side of the span.