• First of two parts

ORANGE BEACH — One way or another, Mayor Tony Kennon says, there’s a new bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway in the not-so-distance future.

“By the middle of July we’re going to hear back from the bridge company as to whether they are going to partner with the City of Orange Beach including building another bridge right next to the current toll bridge,” Kennon said during a state of the city presentation on June 21.

“Two lanes north, two lanes south with a reduction in the toll to $2 and $1. That’s the proposal.”

But if that doesn’t work, there are other options Kennon told a packed house at Orange Beach Senior Center during a morning meeting. Kennon made the same presentation that night at the Orange Beach Community Center following the bi-monthly council session of a regular session followed by a work session.

“The reason that this is becoming real negotiation and not smoke and mirrors is because this road at the Orange Beach-Gulf Shores city limit to the west will be built,” Kennon said. “There will be a road that comes off the expressway in the County Road 8 area to down to right along the canal.”

While a state plan to put a bridge over the canal at this point has been shelved, Kennon and other island officials have yet another option made available by a new law sponsored by State Rep. Steve McMillan, R-Gulf Shores, to allow governments in Baldwin County form road and bridge commissions.

This proposed amendment to the state’s constitution requires voters in Baldwin County to vote on and pass the law, likely in the upcoming November election, McMillan said.

The law states the amendment’s purpose is “To authorize the Legislature by general or local law to provide for the incorporation of a toll road and bridge authority as a public corporation in the county for the construction and operation of toll roads and bridges in the county and to authorize the authority to issues revenue bonds to finance the projects.”

There is an amendment for the county commission and another regarding cities.

“This is a local constitutional amendment for Baldwin County and it should be on the ballot in November, McMillan said. “We can’t sit back and wait for the rest of the state. If we want something done we have to do it ourselves and be done with it. It gives them ability to do it.”

And, Kennon said, it gives island officials another card to play in dealings with the bridge company.

“My position will be if they don’t want to do business with us then we’ll build that bridge to the west,” Kennon said. “And we’ll put up signs ‘free bridge’ everywhere and do everything we can do to put them out of business.

“What the bridge company sees is it’s only $20 million more to build a bridge across that road. They know now there is a real option of a free bridge that can compete with their bridge so now they are willing to talk. Before there was no real option on the table to create any leverage.”

Kennon said dealing with the bridge company would bring about a quicker solution, but he’s willing to work with whichever option is available. A second bridge to the west would take much longer, he said.

“If they come back to the table and accept our proposal for $2 and $1 and build the bridge at The Wharf that can be done in two years,” Kennon said. “In my opinion if we can get that bridge in in two years, $2 and $1, we probably ought to jump on that. We’ll have more discussions after they come back with their proposal and see what we all think.

“Right now that’s the direction we’re going in.”

For years the talk was about a Wolf Bay Bridge from Doc’s Seafood Shack on the south to near Barber’s Marina on the north, but it appears to be out of the discussion at this point.

“It’s going to cost a lot of money, the money is not there and it’s not the best way to fix our traffic problems,” Kennon said.

Coming in the July 6 Islander: Details for future Canal Road, beach road and sidewalk projects from the state of the city presentation.