It has been 12 years since former Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley stood in Baldwin County to open a 13.2-mile stretch of the Baldwin Beach Express, marking the last time the beach-bound corridor saw new construction.
In the years since, progress on the expressway has been stalled by lengthy court battles over ownership of the Foley Beach Express bridge, a failed effort to establish a toll authority to fund future work, and the arrival of major new development, including the $4.1 billion Novelis aluminum plant near Bay Minette.
Much has changed in the decade-plus since the Beach Express south of Interstate 10 opened. Last week, the Baldwin County Commission revisited the long-discussed extension of the road from I-10 north to I-65, adopting a new access management plan that lays the groundwork for what officials hope will be a safer, more efficient corridor…