DAPHNE, Alabama— Work is under way on the Gator Alley pedestrian bridge, a project made possible by an $80,000 grant administered by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.

The funds are made available to the state from the Federal Highway Administration’s Recreational Trails Program.

The pedestrian bridge will span D’Olive Creek, connecting near the Hampton Inn to the current Gator Alley boardwalk, which is part of the Eastern Shore Trail, a bike and pedestrian path that runs from the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park on the Causeway through the communities of Spanish Fort, Daphne, Montrose, Fairhope, Point Clear and Barnwell.

The Baldwin County Trailblazers started the petition for the Eastern Shore Trail in 1995. Current Trailblazer President Valery Wiseman De Laney said she is happy to see that Daphne has made Gator Alley its own.

“The pedestrian bridge isn’t complete yet, but it looks like everything is on target for the July 10 ribbon-cutting,” De Laney said. “The original intent of Gator Alley was for bikers to have a way to navigate across the Highway 98 road system. We wrote the initial grant and designed Gator Alley as part of the Eastern Shore Trail. It’s great to see that the city has really made that area their own.”

Public Works Director Richard Johnson said construction of the bridge is on schedule as of now.

“If this rain stops, we should have it completed in about 10 days,” Johnson said Monday. “Everything is on schedule.”