Foley will celebrate the opening of the city’s pedestrian bridge on Friday, Sept. 23 at 10 a.m. The city invites everyone to attend and participate in the first walkover as Foley’s new bridge is opened. The brief ceremony will begin in the John B. Foley Park on Highway 59 near the fountain.

The bridge allows safe crossing for pedestrians over the busy highway, and now serves as a distinctive landmark for travelers on Highway 59. The bridge is located just north of Foley’s main intersection of Highway 59 and Highway 98. Stairs and elevators situated in towers located on each side of the highway allow access to the 110-foot span. The bridge was designed by Sted McCollough of McCollough Architecture.

The pedestrian bridge, along with new sidewalks and multiuse paths, are the latest of several recent improvements in downtown Foley. Other improvements include a clock tower and plaza built in 2015 to commemorate the city’s 100th birthday, a dog park dedicated in March of 2016 and streetscape improvements throughout the downtown area that have been added over the past few years.

The idea to build a bridge that would connect the downtown area and create a more pedestrian friendly, walkable community was identified in Foley’s 2008 Comprehensive Plan. This plan was developed with citizen input. It took the city a number of years to obtain a grant to make building the bridge possible. The bridge was funded by a federal TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) Grant, which the city received in 2013. Foley was awarded $4.7 million, which required a 25 percent match, bringing the project total to $6.3 million. The project also includes almost 30 miles of new sidewalks and walking paths.

With an estimated population of 17,096, Foley has experienced an 11 percent increase in population growth since 2011, making it one of the fastest growing cities in Baldwin County.

In 2015, the research and rankings website Niche.com named Foley as one the top 20 “Best Towns in Alabama.”