A long-planned north-south connector aimed at easing congestion between Foley and Gulf Shores is moving forward as the second official project under Baldwin County's 30 Cubed infrastructure initiative.

Foley City Council and the Baldwin County Commission have both approved an agreement to extend James Road south from Brinks Willis Road, crossing Keller Road and eventually linking to a planned new road near Rocky Road Loop in Gulf Shores. The project will add roughly 5,280 feet of new roadway and pedestrian improvements, enhancing regional connectivity and offering drivers an alternative to busy thoroughfares like Alabama 59.

"This project is something that the county and the city have been looking at for quite some time, and it will help the traffic movement north and south," Baldwin County Commissioner Charles "Skip" Gruber said in a news release. "Anything we can add makes a big difference."

The James Road extension is a joint effort, with the City of Foley and Baldwin County each contributing $2.1 million to cover right-of-way acquisition, design, utility relocations, permitting, construction and engineering inspections. The total cost of the project is estimated at $4.2 million.

The route will create a continuous roadway system stretching from the southern end of the Baldwin Beach Express to Coastal Gateway Boulevard in Gulf Shores.

"This program to me is very progressive," Foley Mayor Ralph Hellmich said. "It's so critical with the eight million visitors that come into our county that we provide our citizens the opportunity to travel on roads that are not the main thoroughfares."

Hellmich noted that East Pride Drive has already been extended to connect to both James Road and Pecan Street, and he said the upcoming roadwork represents the latest in a series of intergovernmental infrastructure efforts.

"Traffic moves across lines. Water moves across lines, and they recognize that," he said of the county. "We work very closely with them on a lot of projects, and it amounts to millions of dollars."

The James Road project marks the second official venture under the county's 30 Cubed Program, a $30 million initiative that funds partnerships with municipalities for road improvements through 2030. Under the program, each participating city or town must match county contributions dollar for dollar.

Gulf Shores became the program's first partner earlier last month, according to previous Gulf Coast Media reporting. Commissioner Billie Jo Underwood said the initiative is open to all 14 municipalities in Baldwin County on a first-come, first-served basis.

According to Magnolia Springs Town Clerk Hannah Driskell, the town passed agreement at a meeting on June 24 to work with the commission on improvements to Magnolia Springs Highway. The agreement was set to pass at the Baldwin County Commission meeting on July 1, per Driskell.

As part of the growing collaboration, Foley has already assumed control of a portion of Baldwin County 65 near Airport Road to advance intersection improvements. Additional shared projects include upgrades on Hickory Street and the extension of Baldwin County 20.

Hellmich said the city and county have a long-standing partnership that extends beyond transportation, with staff often serving on each other's boards and collaborating on environmental projects.

"They have a very large environmental project going on the Magnolia River right now, that is similar to what we did on the Bon Secour River," he said. "Those are the types of intergovernmental cooperative efforts that make the south end of this county work."