The City of Foley recognized its employees who maintain roads, collect garbage, trim trees and provide other essential services during National Public Works Week while also marking the opening of a new $17 million public works campus.

National Public Works Week, held May 17-23, honored the employees who perform the daily work needed to keep communities operating.

The recognition came as the Foley Public Works Department began moving into its new campus at the intersection of North Poplar Street and East Section Avenue.

"They've started moving in, and they're really pleased with all this," Foley Public Works Director Darrell Russell said. "It's a lot nicer and has a lot more room. They deserve this."

Russell said the department employs about 100 workers. The growth reflects the increasing demand for services as Foley has expanded over the years. When the former Public Works Building opened in 1991, the department had about 22 employees.

Foley sanitation crews collect residential garbage from 23,000 green cans throughout the city each week. Five trucks complete collection routes in four days. The city also operates a recycling program with about 40% of Foley households participating.

The street department is divided into six units including street maintenance, right-of-way maintenance, sidewalk maintenance, signs and markings, road and project construction and urban forestry.

Many public works employees begin shifts long before sunrise with some workers arriving as early as midnight. The new campus includes locker rooms and break rooms designed to better accommodate employees throughout the workday.

The Public Works Department also maintains Foley’s fleet of about 450 vehicles including public works equipment, police and fire vehicles and cars and trucks used by other city departments.

At the former facility, mechanics worked in a garage area with about 800 square feet of space. The new campus includes a 16,000-square-foot maintenance facility for vehicle repairs and servicing.

The new campus also houses the Foley Engineering Department.

City officials said the buildings on the campus are designed to withstand winds up to 160 mph. The facility also includes two natural gas generators allowing operations to continue during power outages and emergencies.

Officials said the new campus is expected to meet Foley’s public works needs for the next 30 to 40 years.