$107 million in projects debut in Gulf Shores as new bridge, RV park open together

More than $107 million in state-funded projects opened within days of one another in Gulf Shores, creating what officials called a rare moment and a “win‑win” investment along the coast. The nearly $82 million Intracoastal Waterway Bridge and a new $25 million RV resort at Gulf State Park—neighbors along Canal Road—weren’t planned to debut at the same time, but their back‑to‑back openings underscored what state leaders described as a surge of high‑demand improvements for beachgoers. “You cannot have more of a win-win when you have those things opening within days of each other,” said State Rep. Frances Holk-Jones, R-Foley. The RV resort opened last week, just days before the new bridge. “It’s another $100 million investment into my district which most legislators around the state would be dying for. I’m thrilled it’s here,” said Senator Chris Elliott. Chris Blankenship, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said the timing was “purely coincidental.” He was in Gulf Shores on Monday to cut the ribbon on the new “executive RV park,” built with proceeds from an $85 million bond issue that voters approved in 2022. “It does come off the bridge … where you can make a left and come right into the campground,” Blankenship said. “It’s very convenient for people to get here. That was not planned. It was very interesting how it came together at one time.” The two‑lane bridge—long debated, litigated, and criticized by Gulf Shores and Orange Beach officials—has been pitched for more than a decade as a needed third access point to the island. “We’ve been talking a third bridge over the island for over a decade,” Elliott said. “It’s finally here. Is it exactly the traffic flow pattern everyone wants? Maybe not. But it’s a third bridge and that is what matters and it should move traffic onto the island better.” Traffic patterns will continue shifting this week. A detour on the Foley Beach Express began Sunday and is expected to last through Wednesday as crews finalize the new configuration. Drivers were able to travel south across the new bridge from Baldwin County Road 4 on Sunday. On Wednesday, the Alabama State Route 161 connector road is set to open, creating a one-way, free-flowing link from the expressway to Canal Road. By midweek, ALDOT expects the final setup to include: “Let’s be patient and get the bypass fully open to the bridge on Wednesday and following that, let’s see how it works,” Elliott said. “There are traffic engineers who model flows and pattern. Give it a minute and let’s see how we do.” He added, “At the end of the day, there is no one who can say having another two lanes on the island is a bad thing. It’s a good thing and I’m glad it’s here.” State officials are also celebrating the expansion of RV camping at Gulf State Park. The new resort sits next to the existing campground off Beach Boulevard. Combined, the park now offers nearly 600 RV sites—making it “the largest state park campground in the country,” Blankenship said. Demand drove the decision to replace the underused golf course with RV sites, Elliott said. “This is just an example what can happen when government looks at the market and sees what the need really is,” he said. “We run at capacity at our current campground all the time. The golf course was underutilized. This was a smart decision that was profit driven.” Blankenship credited former park manager Gary Ellis with helping to make the “difficult decision” to close the course and to work with designers on the new resort. “It was the right thing to do,” Blankenship said. “You can see from the excitement of the people today that it will be successful.” Rates at the new RV resort will run about $80 per night, compared to $36–$54 per night at the existing campground. “It’s a higher price point,” Blankenship said. “It’s because of the size of the sites and those big motor homes with three air conditioners … you have to have a larger site. They are all concrete sites, with 50-amp services and water and sewer hookups and fire pits. Then having the amenities with the pool, splash pad and a nice clubhouse. All of the amenities make it and garner that higher price point.” He said the site had room for another 100 RV pads in the future. The opening follows last month’s $15-million renovation at Lake Lurleen State Park—the first major upgrade there in decades—also funded through the 2022 bond. Improvements included new campsites, upgraded sewer lines, and Wi-Fi installation. The most expensive project from the bond issue is $28 million to build a new 32-room bluff-side lodge at Cheaha State Park in Delta. Blankenship said that project will be finished later this summer.