BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. (WPMI) Traffic headaches as you head to the beach are about to get some relief. Work will begin next week on a new I-10 interchange at County Road 68 in Baldwin County.
The new interchange and the future Baldwin Beach Express will create an additional four lane route to and from the beaches. Governor Robert Bentley was in Baldwin County Friday for the groundbreaking.
"It will bring jobs. It's going to bring people. And in times of difficulty, in times of disaster, it's going to help us with evacuations," said Bentley.
The new corridor will stretch from the Foley Beach Express to I-10. A total project cost of nearly $87 million.
Construction will begin next week on the fourth and final phase of this project, the new I-10 interchange, which should be completed by Fall of 2014.
"We live off Highway 90 about a mile and a half from here, and we're looking forward to having, you know, an easier way to get to the gulf. When we're in town, traffic is horrible," said Martha Phillips of Robertsdale.
And a bigger picture is brewing. Officials hope to one day extend the Baldwin Beach Express from Interstate 10 to Interstate 65.
"Let me say this as long as I'm here I'm going to work hard to get this accomplished," said Governor Bentley.
Making it easier to get to and from the state's sugar white beaches is just part of the plan to revitalize Baldwin County. The governor is also pushing hard for a new lodge at Gulf State Park.
"Instead of going to Florida to have conventions, they can come to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama," said Bentley.
