GULF SHORES, Ala. – Mark Acreman has list of projects in his mind he’d like to see completed to add improvements to the city’s infrastructure.

When the public works director got ready to apply for a grant to apply toward completion of one of those projects, he said the first choice was an easy one.

“I gave a list of projects to the mayor and council and they all agreed this would be a worthwhile project to try,” Acreman said.

The city applied for and received construction money from federal highway department through a grant program administered by the Alabama Department of Transportation. The official name is an Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program grant.

“You can’t use it on state highways so we tried to look at what’s our most heavily traveled city-maintained, city-owned road and County Road 4 by far fits that description,” Acreman said.

The road has become increasingly busy over the years and needs the improvement, Acreman said.

“We have seen a pretty substantial increase in traffic over the years as that becomes another one of our gateways,” he said. “We’ve got multiple gateways and County Road 4 is rapidly becoming a gateway, as well, especially with the addition of the Pelican Place subdivision.

“A lot of people will take the Foley Beach Express and they’ll peel off before they get to the toll plaza and come through County Road 4 and Highway 59. So there’s a lot of factors that funnel traffic down that road.”

After it’s all said and done, hopefully by the end of 2013, the city will have the road widened to three lanes and will include bike lanes on both sides of road. The estimated $2.5 million project could cost the city around $720,000, or even half that if the county agrees to match the city’s contribution.

ATRIP grants will fund 80 percent of a road project provided the applicant pays for the design and engineering up front.

“There’s $500,000 worth of construction cost match and then there’s $200,000 in professional fees,” Acreman said. “Surveying, right of way, utilities coordination, design fees.”

Acreman said the Baldwin County Commission has been asked to split the estimated $720,000 for the project in exchange for the city taking over maintenance of part of the improved road.

Using the grant to obtain 80 percent of the funding is just good policy, Acreman said.

“If Baldwin County splits it’s about $360,000 apiece to do $2.5 million worth of work,” he said. “We think it’s a good deal. Anytime any government agency can extend their dollars, get more bang for their buck through a grant, it’s always a good deal. We’re just trying to take our dollars and make them go as far as we can.”

Currently the city maintains the road from Alabama 59 to Robinette Lane. It has offered to take up maintenance from Robinette Land to the Cotton Creek Bridge if the county would split the matching funds.

“From Robinette Lane to Cotton Creek Bridge is still currently maintained by Baldwin County highway department,” Acreman said. “We have sent a letter through County Engineer Cal Markert to the county commission requesting consideration ... of maybe splitting the cost of the design fees and our match of the construction and in exchange the city would be willing to accept the portion of County Road 4 from Robinette Lane to Cotton Creek Bridge for maintenance for in perpetuity. Not including the bridge itself.”

Parts of the road now have some center turn lanes, but there are no bike lanes anywhere on the road.

“There are portions of both segments that have a center turn lane when there are subdivision entrances and all, but it’s not continuous on either part of it,” Acreman said. “It would be a three-lane highway and have bike lanes on the outside of that. It’s a substantial amount of work.”

On Feb. 21 a bicyclist, Michael Hoeft, a retired firefighter from Wisconsin living near the area, was struck and killed in a hit-and-run accident on County Road 4. Melvin Dennis Hutcheson was arrested in the incident and is out on bond pending presentation of the case to the grand jury sometime this fall.

“There are a lot of people who use that for biking and jogging and we think this will improve traffic flow and traffic safety at the same time,” Acreman said. “Plus, this will give us the ability to overlay all of County Road 4 from Cotton Creek Bridge back to Highway 59.”

Acreman said parts of the road are in need of upgrading and the widening will take care of some of those problems.

“It’s due for some maintenance and this will help address all those at one time,” he said. “Timing could not have been better.”