The Foley City Council unanimously approved an ordinance at Monday’s council meeting that will not allow trucks with more than four axles to turn in any direction at the Alabama 59 and U.S. 98 intersection in downtown Foley.

Councilman Rick Blackwell Jr. asked at the meeting if the city has received any feedback, and City Engineer Butch Stokes said he has not contacted the Alabama Department of Transportation yet because the council officially had not approved the ordinance.

The council heard the “first read” of the ordinance at the April 4 meeting, and it had to come before the council a second time before it was approved under proper procedure of Robert’s Rules of Order.

“It’s not affirmed until the second reading,” Foley Mayor John Koniar said. “It’s a technicality. We could’ve suspended the rules but chose not to.”

The ordinance could take another month or two before it is approved and can be enforced.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes another 30 to 60 days,” Koniar said. “The wheels of progress sometimes move slowly.”

One of the reasons why it will take a while is because ALDOT wants to see the final ordinance.

“It has to go back to ALDOT,” Koniar said. “They want to see the final ordinance.”

Council members stated in past meetings that one of the reasons for the ordinance is to protect the curbs and flowers at the intersection from being damaged by large vehicles trying to make a turn. The ordinance will not restrict vehicles from crossing the intersection and going north and south or east and west; it will only affect turns, Stokes said.

Stokes also said there are alternate routes in place for the vehicles in question, and each option includes the truck turning onto the Foley Beach Expressway. If a truck is heading north on Alabama 59 and wants to turn east or west on U.S. 98, then it could turn east onto County Road 20 and turn north onto the expressway and then make the desired turn at the expressway and U.S. 98 intersection. If a truck is coming south on Alabama 59, it could turn onto the expressway and head south to the intersection to make the desired turn.

If a truck is heading east or west on U.S. 98 and wants to turn onto Alabama 59, it could go to the U.S. 98 and expressway intersection and turn depending on whether it is headed north or south. If the truck is heading north, it could turn north on the expressway and connect to Alabama 59. If the truck is heading south, it could turn south at the expressway and then west on County Road 20, which connects to Alabama 59.