FAIRHOPE — The first day of school brought traffic snarls at the adjacent campuses of Fairhope Intermediate and Elementary schools. As a result, the Fairhope Police Department and city officials have changed the traffic routes to Fairhope Intermediate School.

Both lanes of Fairhope Avenue became gridlocked around the intersection of Fairhope Avenue and Bishop Road where both schools are located, Fairhope Police Department Assistant Administrator Cpl. Craig Sawyer stated in a press release. It is a problem, he said, that has been getting worse over the years as the area east of Greeno Road becomes more developed.

“Typically, by 3:05 p.m., all of our kids are gone, but not today (Thursday),” said FIS Principal Carol Broughton. The last student departed the campus at 3:45 p.m., she added. “It was so snarled on Bishop Road that the buses could not move,” she said.

According to Cpl. Sawyer, Mayor Tim Kant met with police officials about the problem. To alleviate the situation, they are altering the traffic route to the intermediate school during the morning drop-off (roughly 7:15-7:50 a.m.) and afternoon pick-up (roughly 2:30-3:10 p.m.) times.

During these periods, drivers will no longer be permitted to make a left-hand turn into the school driveway when approaching the school on Fairhope Avenue from the west, Sawyer said. Instead, drivers should take another route such as Morphy or Gayfer avenues to County Road 13 (Oberg Road) to Fairhope Avenue, which will result in approaching the school from the west. Using this route, Sawyer stated, will enable school traffic headed toward the FIS driveway to line up on the northern lane of Fairhope Avenue, leaving the opposing lane open to non-school traffic.

“We understand this will create a slightly longer route for some parents, but the need to keep the road open unfortunately must take priority,” Sawyer stated.

Principal Broughton agreed that parents coming from the west should take the Morphy or Gayfer route to County Road 13, but added that those coming from the south could travel north on State Highway 181 to Fairhope Avenue.

For parents who have children enrolled at both schools, Broughton suggested they drop-off the elementary student first. She acknowledged this would require more time and effort by parents.

“It’s not the safest procedure to drop off the little ones at the older school,” she said.

In this situation, after dropping off their elementary school student, parents can take Bishop Road north to Gayfer Avenue, then go west to County Road 13 and south to Fairhope Avenue where they can turn right and enter the drop-off line for the intermediate school.

Sawyer said that parents driving children to the elementary school will still be able to turn left onto Bishop Road from Fairhope Avenue.

“The elementary school driveway is far enough away from the Fairhope Avenue-Bishop Road intersection that it isn’t a problem,” he said.

Broughton expects things to smooth out in a few days. She said that 920 students attended the first day of school at the adjacent campuses: 450 at the intermediate school and 470 at the elementary school.

“The first days of school, we have more car riders, but later it all settles back down,” she said.

She added that the school works closely with the police department and thought the traffic department might be adding even more signage to help direct drivers around the school area roadways.

Sawyer stated the city and Baldwin County Board of Education officials are working on more long-term solutions.

“While we make these changes, we are asking for (the public’s) patience and understanding,” Sawyer said.