ORANGE BEACH, AL  – Taking away the center turn late from the east footing of the Perdido Pass Bridge to the state line is not a popular idea among residents and property owners.

It is currently included in an Alabama Department of Transportation proposal for safety and landscaping enhancements along Alabama 182 or beach road.

“If you’ve never lived on Perdido Pass east you cannot respect what happens every weekend, and every project the Flora-Bama has,” resident Gary Malin said.

Malin lives in and owns units in Vista Bella, a 58-unit condo building on the north side of beach road about a half mile east of the Ono Island Bridge.

The Flora-Bama is a party every weekend during the busy season and it also has several off-season events that draw huge crowds. Coming up is the Interstate Mullet Toss billed Gulf Coast’s Greatest Beach Party and it’s one of the biggest weekends at the iconic roadhouse. This year it’s April 22-24. 

The project calls for landscaping the medians but adds 16 points where traffic can U-turn to gain access to businesses and accommodations on the opposite side of the road. There would be 16 of those and 14 with traffic signals, according to the current plan, and two are under the Perdido Pass Bridge.

There would only be three from the east footing of the Perdido Pass Bridge to the Flora-Bama, and one of those is under the bridge’s east side.

“That backs up, and right now the police and fire department can get through in that center lane,” Malin said. “We will be blocked for hours and hours trying to get to our homes. It’s silly to think about that.”

Malin and others who spoke at during the public comment portion of the program found an ally in Mayor Tony Kennon.

“They have a great point about east of the bridge,” Kennon said. “Flora-Bama traffic is a nightmare. Flora-Bama traffic backing up is because of pedestrian crossings in front of the Flora-Bama. I’ve observed it ad nauseam because I know how difficult it can be on that side of the bridge.”

Kennon said he would talk with ALDOT Southwest Engineer Vince Calametti about residents’ concerns, and also wanted to meet with residents to discuss a plan.

“It may be we want to reevaluate that portion because the folks over there already live a nightmare, and that traffic backs up every weekend significantly and they would be sitting in a line,” Kennon said. “That is a legitimate concern we need to address. We also need to address it with owners of the Flora-Bama. They need traffic control in front of the Flora-Bama.

“I would appreciate if all you guys on the east side come together help me formulate a group of folks to have a talk with them at the Flora-Bama there.”

Malin was not against the plan west of the bridge and said he is hopeful it helps with traffic issues in the city. He mentioned the extra westbound lane ALDOT is putting in between Alabama 161 and The Wharf.

“Traffic backs up from the toll bridge all the way to the Perdido Pass Bridge,” Malin said. “And we’ve lived with that here for a while on Sunday mornings. I hope it’s going to help. I’m not really expecting it because we’re still not looking at really unloading all that traffic.”

Malin said a real fix would be another north-south route on the island, and he’d like to see money go toward that project.

“That’s where I’d like to see the project go, getting us another access getting people out of here on the weekends,” he said.

Kennon agreed the north-south route is needed, but it needs a push from the state’s highest levels.

“The cross-island parkway is always on the radar screen, but that is absolutely a project that will have to be carried by the governor,” he said. “Until the governor decides to make that happen it’s going to be very difficult to make that happen. Directors under him will have to carry out the necessary tasks to make that happen.

“We stay on that constantly. We all know the cross-island parkway is probably the greatest cure for our ills considering all the alternatives.”