FOLEY, Ala. — In an ongoing effort to bring traffic under control four local governments are combining forces to commission a study of roads in the south Baldwin area.

During its regular meeting last week, the Foley City Council approved to take part in the study, which would also involve Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Baldwin County.

Skipper Associates has been tapped for the $40,000 effort with each government entity paying up to $10,000.

“We asked them to look five to 10 years into the future,” Foley Mayor John Koniar said last week.

Foley City Administrator Mike Thompson explained that Koniar suggested involving the other munciipalities about taking part in the project.

“All three said yes,” he said.

Thompson pointed to such pending projects as the Wolf Bay Lodge, when citing the need to study future traffic patterns.

“That lodge is going to create a different type of customer,” he said, adding that business tourism would be drawn to it.

Of course, the pending Blue Collar Destinations and its impact on traffic was also a factor.

“We see it as a customer base,” Thompson said.

Yet another demographic the city wanted to study was the impact of the pending sports complex, which would increase Foley’s sports tourism.

But Thompson also said the study would address the impact of possibilities.

“There’s been talk about a third bridge,” he said.

That’s just one “what-if” scenario such a study could consider, especially since current traffic is on the rise.

“We really need to be thinking of the south end of the county,” Thompson said.

Fortuntately, the study won’t be started from scratch.

“The county has just completed a study,” Thompson said, adding that its data would be factored into this project.

The state will also be aware the study is going on and offer their help as far as traffic data collected.