GULF SHORES, AL — A new sidewalk project started the week of Jan. 18 in Gulf Shores even as the city is eying another grant to further improve and expand walkways in the city.

The project just funded partly by Gulf Shores and an Alabama Department of Transportation grant will make the improvements from the beach to Fort Morgan Road.

Also planned, again partly funded by the Transportation Alternative Program with matching money from the city, will make improvements north from Fort Morgan Road to the foot of the Intracoastal Waterway bridge.

Daniel Bond, the city’s environmental and grants coordinator, said it’s really one big project to enhance sidewalks all along Alabama 59, both sides, from the beach to the bridge.

“We’re doing it in sections and applying for grants to fund those different sections,” Bond said. “The overall project is going to go from Beach Boulevard all the way to 20^th Avenue, the improvements, the access management and the sidewalk improvements.

“It’s one big project. We’ve gotten grants to do the part below Fort Morgan Road, so now we’re applying for a grant to help fund the part going north.”

The scope includes constructing an eight-foot-wide multi-use path, along both sides of Alabama 59, and making slight modifications to various driveways and side streets on Alabama 59.

The phase from the beach to Fort Morgan currently has two components and both contracts were awarded to C Thornton LLC. One, worth about $600,000, was from the Alabama Department of Transportation bid for the work on access point improvements on driveways and sidewalks along the road way.

Gulf Shores awarded the nearly $900,000 bid for the sidewalk work itself on the beach to Fort Morgan Road portion.

Public Works Director Mark Acreman said there are other phases of the project started last week that have yet to be bid out.

“The bridge widening at the Oyster House, some streetscape elements such as benches, landscaping and lighting,” Acreman said. “We can’t bid out the bridge until ALDOT’s review of the plan is finished. Right now we have $950,000 in grant money. So we’ve got more work to be bid that grant will go toward.

“We’ve got about $900,000 in concrete sidewalks, about $300,000 in landscaping and benches and lighting and $600,000 for the bridge widening.”

According to a release from the city, Gulf Shores and ALDOT will complete work simultaneously in order to minimize any disruptions. The work is expected to begin from the south, working north in two block sections, with all work being completed prior to the contractor moving forward.

Officials said the majority of the work is expected to be completed by spring, prior to peak tourism season, and they said no work will be performed in the peak season.

The multi-use sidewalks will replace the existing narrow sidewalks and enable safer use by pedestrians and bikers. The access management portion of the project will help traffic flow along Alabama 59 by eliminating some existing conflict points.

The city of Gulf Shores and the Alabama Department of Transportation have worked with the adjacent property owners on the design of the new improvements.

The council was expected to approve the grant application for the work north of Fort Morgan Road on Monday. The same work will be done on sidewalk widening and improvement of access points along the road.

This project is a part of the city’s Master Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, and will enhance pedestrian and traffic projects already underway in the area.

Total costs for this portion of the project is about $740,000, with the TAP grant paying for $400,000 and the city’s match being $340,000.