Yellowhammer Times

A year after tolls were removed from the Beach Express bridge, traffic data indicates that congestion on SR-59 has eased while more vehicles are being directed to the SR-161 Beach Express corridor. The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) conducted an analysis over a 44-day summer travel period from June 21 to August 3, comparing data from 2024 to 2025.

According to ALDOT, there was an increase in overall vehicle count with 3,614,761 vehicles recorded this year compared to 3,476,454 in 2024. SR-59 experienced a modest growth of 1.8% in traffic volume, whereas SR-161 saw a more significant rise of 8.6%. During the July 4th holiday week, SR-59 had about 6,700 more vehicles than last year. In contrast, SR-161 saw an additional influx of 21,073 vehicles—three and a half times more than SR-59.

Daily trends showed that nearly one out of every three days on SR-59 (29.5%) had fewer vehicles in 2025 compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, only one out of every fifteen days (6.8%) on SR-161 saw a decrease.

The removal of tolls continues to benefit travelers and communities by maintaining stable traffic levels on SR-59 while allowing SR-161 to handle increased summer travel demand. "These results show that the toll removal is doing exactly what was intended—providing a more balanced flow of vehicles to Alabama’s beaches," said ALDOT spokesperson James Gordon. "By shifting more drivers to SR-161, we are easing the pressure on SR-59 and making travel safer and more reliable for everyone."

Looking ahead, ALDOT anticipates completing the new Waterways roadway and bridge by next summer. This development is expected to further enhance capacity and service levels for residents and visitors traveling to Alabama beaches.

Information from this article can be found here.