Drivers celebrate toll-free ride into and out of Orange Beach on Foley Beach Express
ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (WKRG) — For the first time in more than 20 years, a drive across the bridge on the Foley Beach Express is free. The tolls lifted just before noon Thursday.
The Lost Resort in Spanish Fort: From ‘fancy’ to ‘forgotten’
For locals, this is a day they thought would never come, and they let their joy be known with honking horns and yells of gratitude to Alabama Governor Kay Ivey.
The state bought the toll bridge and made it free to travel into and out of Orange Beach.
“I’m so glad,” says Bart Pryor. “For so many years, I worked taking Canal Road to the toll bridge back and forth all the way to County Road 4. Just that small distance built up a lot of spending on a regular basis.”
A maze of barrels and cones helps direct drivers through the toll plaza, funneling them into one northbound lane and one southbound lane.
“I just hope we get it figured out to get people back and forth across the bridge,” says Orange Beach businessman Jeff Hardy.
Just before noon Thursday, signs replaced the toll workers in the toll plaza windows.
Thirty-five employees are now without a job.
“It’s a bittersweet day,” says Baldwin County Bridge Company President Neal Belitsky. “They (toll workers) have handled it well. We told them a month ago what was going to happen, and every single one of them stuck with us.”
The end of an era for some is a new beginning for most.
Motorcycle community comes together to escort 6th grader to school dance
“Hey, we can take the toll bridge today without paying five bucks,” says Leslie Runco from Gulf Shores.
Eventually, all of those barrels and cones will go away, and so will the toll plaza.
Demolition will take place at night starting next month.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.
