City of Gulf Shores To Advance Plan of Linking Airport Road To New Expressway
John Mullen • February 2, 2026
New roadway could have several benefits
What if one short connecting roadway could make it easier for people living north of the canal to access their flights out of Gulf Shores airport? What if that same connector could offer some traffic relief for Roscoe Road and Cotton Creek Drive? That option may come true during discussions at the Gulf Shores Council work session.
Gulf Shores is making moves to connect its new roadway, Waterway East Boulevard, to the state bridge under construction at the city’s eastern limits. The new road will connect to the state’s road – what is now being called State Route 161—just north of the Orange Beach Water Treatment Plant on the Intracoastal Waterway.
City councilors will discuss funding for the final piece of the road at a work session on Feb. 2 at 4 p.m. in council chambers at City Hall.
“SR-161 is the designation of the new road/bridge that ALDOT is currently building,” Construction Manager Clint Colvin said. “This project will connect Waterway East to 161 leading up to the new bridge. It does not connect to any property on the east side of the ALDOT road/bridge.”
A 47-home subdivision is planned for the east side of the bridge, so that project will likely be accessed by an improved Geno Road.
The road connects to the currently planned southbound roadway over the waterway.
“When we originally started designing the Waterway East project, 161 was anticipated as being a two-way road,” Colvin said. “So, we would've had a connection on the east and the west side so that you could go north or south.”
Drivers wishing to go north from this connection would have to go south over the new bridge, then east to the former toll bridge, or west to the State Route 59 bridge to continue north.
But also,” Colvin said, “people heading southbound on 161 will be able to exit onto Waterway East.”
There is $1.2 million set aside for the project, funded by a RESTORE Act grant.
During the work session, the council will also discuss:
- Authorizing a storage system for the new justice center to house lockers, guns, evidence, and shelves for ammunition and other equipment. The system will cost $666,355 from Patterson Pope, a regional supplier for Supersaver.
- Granting a liquor license for Tap and Still going in the space formerly occupied by High Tide Daiquiris west of State Route 59.
- Reappointing Erin Kaiser to the Board of Zoning and Adjustments for three years through Jan. 7, 2029.
- A request for a taxi franchise for A Wave We Go.
- Awarding the bid for seven Honda UTVs for beach rescue to Gulf Shores Power Sports for $115,681.
- Accepting a $10,000 grant from the Gulf Coast Resource Conservation and Development Council to build a small greenhouse for the Gulf Coast Eco Center.
- Authorizing a conditional use permit for Crystal Village cottages to access the beach on the property line of Ocean House I condominiums. Developers plan to build a 17-lot subdivision on the north side of the road, with beach access adjacent to the Gulf-front Ocean House I. The request received a favorable recommendation from the planning commission, but all CUP requests must be heard before the city council. Since this is a work session, a vote is not expected until the next regular session.
- Banning alcohol on the beach for spring break 2026 from March 1 to April 28. This is the 11th year of the proposed ban, following an unruly start to the 2016 spring break that prompted a special council meeting to ban alcohol on the beach. It has been renewed annually.
- An agreement with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Department to have deputies work during large festivals and spring break, with a budgeted amount of $70,000.
- An assembly permit for the Beach Wars Volleyball Tournament on Feb. 22-23 at the west end of Gulf Place.
- An assembly permit for Papa Rocco’s annual St. Paddy’s Day Pub Crawl on March 17.
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