DAPHNE — A pair of grants will assist two Eastern Shore cities with $130,000 in state funding.

The city of Daphne will use $80,000 to build a pedestrian bridge over D’Olive Creek at Gator Alley. Fairhope will get $50,000 to help secure new playground equipment and make needed repairs and upgrades at Fairhope Municipal Park.

In Daphne, the bridge will cross the creek near the Hampton Inn and connect the west side of Highway 98 with the existing Gator Alley walkway that goes under the four-lane highway and connects with the Eastern Shore Trail. That series of paths runs along the eastern side of Mobile Bay through the communities of Spanish Fort, Daphne, Montrose, Fairhope, Point Clear and Barnwell.

“The coastal areas of Baldwin County are among Alabama’s greatest assets,” Gov. Robert Bentley said. “Completing these recreational trail projects will make our scenic treasures even more accessible and enjoyable for visitors and residents.”

For Daphne parks director David McElroy, the bridge will offer a safe passage for pedestrians and possibly reduce traffic along an already busy stretch of highway.

“Say someone is staying at the Hilton Garden Inn (on Highway 90) and they want to eat at the Compleat Angler restaurant (on the west side of Highway 98),” said McElroy. “With a pedestrian bridge, they would be able to get there on foot, without having to get in their car.

“And someone at the Hampton Inn would be able to walk all the way to the Jubilee Mall Shopping Center, if they wanted to.”

The design for the bridge is completed. The city is only waiting for the go ahead from the state to start the bid process. McElroy hopes the project can be completed and open for foot traffic by next spring.

“We’re ready to go,” said McElroy. “The existing boardwalk is 10-11 years old, so we intend to replace any worn or damaged boards at the same time.”

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grant from funds made available to the state by the Federal Highway Administration’s Recreational Trails Program.

Fairhope

A long wait is finally over for Fairhope officials.

“It’s been a two-year project,” said mayor Tim Kant. “We’ve been waiting all summer on the money. We hoped we would get it in the spring.”

The Land and Water Conservation Fund grant will allow the city of Fairhope to purchase new playground equipment, replace damaged fencing and add new bleachers and scoreboards for the ball fields.

“With a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities, local parks are a great way for Alabamians to enjoy the great outdoors close to home,” Bentley said. “These additions to the playground and the ball fields will make Fairhope Municipal Park even more enjoyable for residents.”

Kant said the grant was actually the result of Fairhope Youth Baseball looking for ways to help fund improvements. League president Erik Cortinas located the grant and alerted the city. The hope was to have the money in time to make improvements before hosting the 2012 Alabama Dixie Youth Baseball Ozone Tournament in mid-July.

The city provides the fields and the league does all the planning, scheduling of games and hiring officials. The league offsets coasts with concessions and limited gate proceeds.

“It’s a great partnership,” said Kant. “They raise money to make improvements. Not only did they find the grant, the league is putting up $20,000 of the matching money.”

That means that taxpayers will only pay $30,000 to get $100,000 in equipment and repairs.