Daphne awarded $8.1 million for County Road 13 safety upgrades

U.S. Senator Katie Britt, R-Alabama, celebrated Monday an $8.1 million federal grant awarded to Daphne for safety improvements along County Road 13 in Baldwin County.

The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program. Britt wrote a letter supporting the city’s application.

“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. “I was proud to support the City of Daphne’s application and advocate for this project, and I’m grateful to Secretary Duffy for recognizing how important this corridor is to the community. With three schools along this stretch and more than 130 crashes in just five years, these roundabouts, lights, sidewalks, and crosswalks will save lives. I’ll keep fighting to make sure Alabama communities have the resources they need to keep our roads safe.”

The $8,100,530 grant will fund improvements along 2.5 miles of County Road 13, from County Road 64/Daphne Road to Champions Way/Lawson Road. Planned upgrades include converting the intersections at Pleasant Road and Champions Way to roundabouts, adding lighting along the corridor, installing 8-foot sidewalks and adding crosswalks at school zones and the new roundabouts.

The corridor carries about 9,600 vehicles daily and is part of the city’s high-injury network identified in its action plan. From 2019 through 2023, the corridor had 132 crashes, including three involving suspected serious injuries. Twenty-seven percent of the crashes occurred in darkness or at dawn or dusk.

Daphne Mayor Robin LeJeune welcomed the funding.

“We extend our sincere appreciation to Senator Katie Britt for her continued support and collaboration with Secretary Duffy in securing an $8 million grant dedicated to improving safety for all travelers along the CR 13 corridor. This significant investment will help enhance transportation safety, improve quality of life, and benefit the residents of Daphne and communities throughout Baldwin County.

“We are grateful for Senator Britt’s continued commitment to Daphne, the Eastern Shore, and 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.

“Thank you, Senator Britt, for your continued partnership and dedication to the people of Baldwin County and the State of Alabama,” LeJeune said.

The improvements use measures included in the Federal Highway Administration’s Proven Safety Countermeasures initiative—roundabouts, lighting, sidewalks and high-visibility crosswalks—to reduce the risk of rear-end, angle, head-on and pedestrian crashes.

The project is expected to lower speeds, reduce potential collision points and create safer crossings near three schools. Estimates indicate the new roundabouts could reduce crashes at those intersections by 21.7 percent, while corridor lighting could reduce crashes along the route by 32 percent.

The funding is part of more than $37 million in grants awarded to projects across Alabama. Britt previously wrote letters supporting several of those road safety projects.