Gulf Shores unanimously approved the addition of two new traffic signals to help with traffic safety at certain intersections.

The lowest — and only — bidder for both signals was Bagby & Russell Electric Co. The city's capital projects director, Clint Colvin, said this is similar for many surrounding cities as there's "just not many people doing it." Gulf Shores usually gets a maximum of two bids for traffic signals.

Councilman Phillip Harris said Bagby & Russell does most of the lighting work in the area.

One of the new traffic lights will be added on County Road 4, AKA Cotton Creek Drive, at its intersection with Medical Village Boulevard and the cut through behind Publix and Pelican Place.

A pedestrian crossing area will be added at the intersection alongside the installation of a mast-arm traffic signal to provide protected left turns from County Road 4.

"We've actually had this design done for a couple of years, but we didn't really need it when we first got the design done," Colvin said. "But we've got the Justice Center opening up [in that area] next year, and we're going to have more traffic coming in and out of there."

The bid for this signal came in at $533,215.30, and the city is set to award the contract in an amount not to exceed $540,000.

At the Nov. 7 council work session where the contracts were first presented, Colvin said the project was initially budgeted for $300,000. Additional funds will be covered by money saved from a different capital project that came in under budget.

The other traffic signal is set to be installed on County Road 8, AKA Coastal Gateway Boulevard, at its intersection with the entrance to the Auburn Education Building and Wavemaker Way, which will be the entrance to the new high school.

This intersection will also have pedestrian walkways and signals added to it.
Bids for the County Road 8 intersection came in at $317,007.26, and the city is set to budget $320,000 for the project. There was originally $200,000 budgeted for this project, so, like the County Road 4 light, money left over from under-budget capital projects will be used to cover the remaining cost.