Gulf Shores, Ala. — (GSN) — At this week's Gulf Shores City Council meeting, municipal leaders officially approved Resolution 7193, authorizing Mayor Craft to execute a professional services agreement with Sawgrass Consulting, LLC.

Under the agreement, Sawgrass Consulting is tasked with performing extensive boundary surveys, subdivision platting, and drafting legal descriptions across approximately 360 acres of property. The primary objective of the survey is to establish a formal 140-foot right-of-way—matching the width of 20th Avenue—for a 1.5-mile roadway extension designed to permanently reroute Canal Road (State Route 180) around residential neighborhoods.

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The origins of the Canal Road reroute date back to the city's 2019 Major Street Plan and the development of the Waterway Village Pedestrian Bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. Construction of the pedestrian bridge required the city and the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) to close the sharp 90-degree turn connecting Canal Road East and East Second Street near Tacky Jacks.

To maintain east-west traffic flow during bridge construction, the city established a temporary detour routing vehicles through the Gulf Pines subdivision via East Third Street down to East 22nd Avenue. In response to resident feedback regarding traffic volume near Meyer Park and residential streets, Gulf Shores officials committed to acquiring land and designing a permanent bypass route located south of the Gulf Pines neighborhood.

Highway Redesignation and Disaster Evacuation Strategy

Beyond local traffic relief, the Canal Road reroute plays a vital role in regional transportation and emergency management.

Between the midterm and long-term phases (projected between 2027 and 2035), State Route 180 will be formally redesignated. Vehicles traveling from Orange Beach along Highway 180 will route through 10th Street, connect to the new roadway at 20th Avenue, and bypass local residential streets entirely. Once the new state highway alignment is complete, ALDOT will transfer the right-of-way for old Canal Road between 10th Street and 4th Street back to the City of Gulf Shores for local traffic management.

Additionally, city leadership is advocating for ALDOT to convert the Intracoastal Waterway bridge connection from a one-way configuration into a two-way system. Converting the bridge to two-way traffic would establish a vital secondary hurricane evacuation route past Highway 59 for residents of Fort Morgan and the surrounding coastal community.

By formally adopting Resolution 7193, the City Council has set the stage to move forward with what locals refer to as the Canal Road Bypass. This strategic step reinforces Gulf Shores' commitment to long-term infrastructure improvements, ensuring smoother daily commutes and safer evacuation options for the entire community.