Foley is pressing ahead with its Pilgrim Street extension, approving a new phase of work this week that will pave the completed portion of the new roadway and add a walking trail through a wooded area.

Foley City Council voted to seek bids for the next step, which will be funded by impact fees, City Engineer Chad Christian said. Impact fees are charged to developers when new construction takes place and can be used for transportation projects.

"This would allow us to use impact fee funds to pave the new road, which is an allowable use of those funds, and it would shift the other dollars back into the general fund that were allocated by public works to pave and rebuild roads," Christian said.

The city launched the project in February, and Mayor Ralph Hellmich said it is on track.

"That part is pretty much done, except for lighting, and then the southern portion will be the pavement," Hellmich said. "We're making good progress."

The new phase will replace open ditches with covered culverts and add pavement to sections that are still dirt. New walkways will connect Michigan Avenue to Beulah Park, creating a loop for walkers and joggers.

"This will be coming off of Michigan Avenue and going northward, and it will end up at Beulah Park, so it will complete a circuit in Beulah that allows people to have the sidewalk," Hellmich said.

The project also includes a walking trail through a wooded area near the park. The trail will be designed to preserve the site's large oak trees. City crews have spent roughly two years working to improve drainage in the area, a key step in making the project a reality.