FOLEY, Ala. — West Fern Avenue between Highway 59 and North Alston Street is closed to traffic, with the restriction running Mondays through Fridays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Sept. 19.
The city said crews will be completing storm drainage improvements and constructing a new right turn lane during the closure.
What the work involves
Two distinct projects are being handled in a single closure window. Storm drainage improvements typically involve excavating and replacing or upsizing underground pipe, adjusting inlets and restoring the roadway above — work that cannot be done under traffic. The new right turn lane requires widening the roadbed, which likewise demands full access to the corridor.
Bundling both into one closure is the more disruptive option on any given day but the less disruptive option overall, since it avoids returning to the same stretch of road twice.
Planning around it
The weekday-only schedule is a meaningful accommodation. West Fern Avenue reopens each evening at 6 p.m. and stays open through the weekend, which preserves access for weekend errands and evening traffic while giving crews full daytime working hours.
Drivers who normally use West Fern between Highway 59 and North Alston should plan alternate routes during business hours through Sept. 19. Motorists are advised to watch for signage, reduce speed near the work zone and give crews room to operate.
Part of a broader pattern
Drainage work has become a recurring feature of construction schedules across Baldwin County, where rapid development and intense rainfall events have put pressure on stormwater systems that were sized for a considerably smaller population. Projects like this one address capacity before the failures become visible in the form of flooded intersections.
The closure remains in effect through Sept. 19.