The Alabama Department of Transportation and its contractors hit a significant milestone last week in the construction of the new Intracoastal Waterway Bridge in Gulf Shores, setting the final steel girders across the waterway. The moment marked a major structural and visual step forward in the $52 million project, which remains on schedule to open by summer 2026.
“This is one of the moments you can see and feel the progress,” said ALDOT Southwest Region spokesperson James Gordon. “The pictures say it all.”
The new bridge will ultimately provide two lanes in each direction, running parallel to the existing Beach Express Bridge. When completed, the two structures will expand the total number of lanes crossing the waterway from seven to ten, offering critical congestion relief and capacity for the rapidly growing region.
Aerial photos from August show the sweeping scale of the project, with the steel framework now fully spanning the water. According to ALDOT’s latest update, the bridge’s substructure and steel girder work are now 100 percent complete. Crews are turning their focus to pouring the concrete bridge deck and building the barrier rail, with roadway approaches already 90 percent complete.
Gulf Shores, ALDOT, Intracoastal Waterway Bridge, Beach Express, Alabama infrastructure, road construction, traffic relief, SR-161 connector, summer 2026.
The new span is one component of a broader effort to modernize Gulf Shores’ transportation network. Construction continues on the $30 million State Route 161 connector, which will improve access between SR-180 and the Foley Beach Express. That project is also slated for completion by summer 2026. Meanwhile, plans are moving forward to widen SR-180 from Beaver Creek to the Beach Express Bridge—an effort aimed at supporting continued growth and improving evacuation routes.
When finished, the combined improvements are expected to reduce pressure on Highway 59, improve emergency access to the island, support faster hurricane evacuations and provide a lasting boost to local economic development.
From steel to concrete, ALDOT’s bridge project is rising over the waterway with purpose—and right on schedule.
