Richard Johnson, city engineer for Fairhope, spoke with Gulf Coast Media to give an update on the progress of road construction in the area.

Major construction is underway along North Section Street, with portions having been closed for weeks. One of the projects is a sewer force main project that Johnson said is expected to be completed very soon, saying the segment of the road has to be opened no later than the start of the new school year around Aug 18.

Construction of the roundabout at the intersection of Main Street and Scenic 98 is progressing smoothly, with Johnson saying there is "a pretty close shot" to traffic in the area being reopened by Labor Day, Sept 1. He said based on the progress of both projects, motorists may only have to face one more month of aggravation on the north end of Section Street before construction is completed.

However, Johnson said the sewer force main project that has North Section Street closed going north is part of a multi-phase project, saying the city plans to move to the south side of the city once that area has been completed, meaning construction could impact South Section Street in the near future. He said that project will take some time, with traffic potentially being impacted through the end of the calendar year.

While Johnson said he understands locals' frustrations with the roads being closed, he said the roundabout opening will make residents and visitors much happier and safer along with the solving the sanitary sewer overflows that have plagued the city for the past decade.

"This needs to be done," Johnson said. "It's environmentally sound, it's infrastructurally sound, and my plead is just a little patience will be paid off and there will be a good reward in the end for it."