FOLEY, Ala. — The city of Foley is one step closer to having a pedestrian bridge over Alabama Highway 59.

During its regular meeting Monday, the Foley City Council selected McCullough Architecture Inc. of Orange Beach to draw up plans for the project.

In December, Volkert presented the Council with a set of criteria for the foot bridge, which included a $1 million budget for the total package with $500,000 in the structure and the remainder for aesthetics.

As previously reported, in September he city won a $4,728,507 Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) 2013 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for its transportation regional infrastructure pedestrian system.

The city of Foley was the only municipality in Alabama to receive the award and one of 52 municipalities in 37 states to do so.

The city is using that award to fund the improvement and addition of 29 miles of sidewalks and biking trails in Foley, as well as $750,000 project to place a pedestrian bridge over the municipality’s main highway.

Upon winning the grant last fall, city officials explained that they have wanted such a bridge for the last 20 years.

With this week’s selection, plans will be finalized for the structure. However, the city already developed its concept during the creation of a master plan with Volkert several years ago.

McCullough Architecture was selected from five candidates for the job of finalizing the bridge’s design.

“I think we’ve got five good plans,” Councilman Rick Blackwell said prior to Monday’s vote.

During that discussion, the Council expressed their desire that the bridge not overpower the Centennial Plaza, which will celebrate the city’s 100th anniversary in 2015.

With Monday’s selection made, the city will hold a public hearing on the pedestrian-bridge project at 5 p.m. in the Foley Civic Center.