A new sidewalk project is expected to improve pedestrian connections between the Mills Community and other areas of Foley, with construction expected to begin within a month.

Foley City Council approved Trenchline Civil’s bid to construct the sidewalk and complete related work. The project calls for 8,700 feet of concrete sidewalk extending from the site of the new Mills Community Park, which is currently under construction.

The sidewalk will run along Mills Road, Little Rock Road, Airport Road, Dailey Lane and Baldwin County 65.

Mayor Ralph Hellmich said the city and members of the Mills Community have spent several years working to develop the park and sidewalk projects, which will provide greater pedestrian access between Mills and the rest of Foley.

"This is a project that will tie the Mills Community into the rest of Foley," Hellmich said. "This will tie our community here into other areas of Foley with sidewalk and pedestrian ways to allow connectivity."

In addition to the sidewalk, the project includes drainage improvements in areas that previously lacked drainage infrastructure.

"Some of the older areas of Foley just don't have drainage," Hellmich said. "That is a comprehensive sidewalk drainage project where there has not been drainage before. It was a challenging project from the standpoint of lack of rights of way. Working with the Mills Community Action Group over the last two-and-a-half years, we've acquired all that."

Trenchline Civil submitted a bid of about $1.62 million, the lowest of nine bids received by the city. The bid also came in below the city’s engineering estimate of $2.37 million.

Once work begins, the contractor will have 200 calendar days to complete the project.