ORANGE BEACH, AL – The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) will begin the first phase of the SR 182 Median Improvements and Beautification project in Orange Beach from West Loop Road to the Cotton Bayou Beach Access on Monday, Oct. 17.

The project scope will include removing the center turn lane from the existing roadway and installing raised landscaped medians; implementing signalized median U-turns to reduce the number of intersection conflict points; creating designated pedestrian crosswalks at signalized intersections; and widening, restriping and resurfacing the one-mile corridor.

Landscaping of the medians will begin after the project is completed, which is scheduled for summer 2017, and will be performed by the City of Orange Beach.

Work will be restricted to the overnight hours of 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. Sunday through Thursday beginning March 5 through April 15, and will resume after May 25, to accommodate spring break and peak travel seasons.

For project updates, including lane closures, please visit www. SR182.com and follow the @ALDOTMobileArea Twitter account.

The $3.3 million contract was awarded to John G. Walton Construction from Mobile.