A land exchange between the state and City of Gulf Shores that has been three years in the making is taking shape to eventually reroute Highway 180 around the Gulf Pines neighborhood.

The move would allow the city to establish a future right of way that "potentially accommodates" permanently removing the temporary detour that takes the road's transition between Canal Road and East 2nd Street through the Meyer Park area onto East 3rd Street and East 24th Avenue, in front of Big Beach Brewing, according to Dan Bond, the city's environmental and grants coordinator.

A resolution that will be before Gulf Shores City Council on Monday, July 13, if approved, would transfer 30 acres of undeveloped land from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) to the city in exchange for 54 acres of undeveloped land from the city to Gulf State Park.

The proposed 30 acres of land, along the current Gulf State Park boundary line, would open up the possibility to construct any infrastructure improvements.

Part of the process that took three years overall, to date, was providing extensive environmental reviews because of the Gulf State Park land, Bond said.

"All that work has been completed, and so we are ready to record the deeds and make the property transfer," he said.

In 2023, the city conducted a corridor study that evaluated whether the proposed properties would be a good location for "a future east-west connection from Canal Road through Gulf State Park to Hwy. 59," as stated on council's July 6 work session agenda.

"This allows us … to get the right of way in our hand to allow future construction for ALDOT, theoretically, to rebuild their Hwy. 180 to connect back to Fort Morgan Road so that we're not running through a subdivision," Mayor Robert Craft said. "This is a long way off. All it is, is working while we could get something for the future."

The land exchange resolution will be discussed July 13 at city council's regular meeting, which is open to the public, at 4 p.m. in Council Chambers, Gulf Shores City Hall, 1905 W. First St.