The city of Fairhope has announced the closure of Veterans Drive for approximately 60 days beginning Monday, July 22.

The closure will allow for the installation of a pedestrian tunnel that will connect the north and south parcels of Flying Creek Nature Preserve.

"This is such a beautiful entryway into our city with the trees lining the streets and the flags. We did not want to interfere with that. We thought going underground would be more aesthetically pleasing," Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan said.

The city officially began the first phase of Flying Creek Nature Preserve June 25. The initial phase will include multi-use nature trails, an outdoor classroom for educational enrichment, a trailhead with an information kiosk, a bicycle repair station, a restroom pavilion, a connection to the Eastern Shore Trail and parking area.

The next project that residents will see in the area will be the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of North Section Street, Scenic 98 and State Route 104, known as the Flower Clock Intersection. A date has not yet been announced for this project. Sullivan told Gulf Coast Media it would be the next significant roundabout project in Fairhope in December 2023 at the opening of the County Road 13 and Twin Beech Road roundabout.