The Foley Beach Express bridge is toll-free after the State of Alabama purchased and removed the toll plaza, according to Governor Kay Ivey’s office. Tolling ended at noon on May 23, 2024, and the booths that once backed up traffic near Orange Beach are gone for good. If you are planning a Gulf Coast trip, this is one less cost and one less delay to worry about.

TL;DR:

  • Toll revenue previously generated around $1.7 million annually for the Orange Beach share, but the toll’s removal benefits daily commuters and tourists moving freely.
  • The bridge has been completely toll-free since May 23, 2024, with no toll booths or prepaid accounts required, ensuring smoother traffic flow during peak seasons.
  • Future funding for bridge maintenance remains uncertain, likely shifting to state transportation budgets rather than driver tolls, as the toll infrastructure was completely removed.
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Table of Contents

A quick history of the Beach Express toll bridge

Before the state stepped in, the bridge crossing the Intracoastal Waterway into Orange Beach had been privately owned and tolled for more than two decades. The Baldwin County Bridge Company, often called BCBC, operated the span as a for-profit crossing connecting Foley to the beaches, a route commonly used by travelers after driving south on I-65 or through Mississippi toward the Alabama coast.

Rates crept upward over the years, but the biggest jump came in August 2023, when BCBC raised the cash and credit toll to $5 one way, a steep increase that followed a Supreme Court setback in the company’s long dispute with state regulators. Local residents who used transponders kept a discounted rate, but everyone else, including vacationers and seasonal workers, paid full price every time they crossed.

The increase did not sit well with locals or visitors. A few things stood out during that period:

  • Seasonal and hospitality workers absorbed the toll twice a day during peak tourist months.
  • Tourism advocates argued the fee discouraged repeat visits and day trips.
  • City officials in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores pushed publicly for a state buyout to resolve years of friction.

That pressure, combined with the legal fight, set the stage for the state’s purchase less than a year later.

The state purchase and what it cost taxpayers

Governor Ivey’s office confirmed the state completed its purchase of the bridge in May 2024, closing a deal that had been negotiated for months. AL.com reported the purchase price at roughly $57 to $60 million, a figure the state considered worthwhile given the decades of tension the crossing had generated.

Timeline of Beach Express state purchase

The bridge generated significant toll revenue before the sale, including a reported Orange Beach share of around $1.7 million in 2023 from its portion of toll proceeds, though that figure comes from local reporting rather than a single state source and is not independently verified here.

Once the paperwork closed, the practical changes came quickly:

  • Tolling stopped at noon on May 23, 2024, immediately after the transfer.
  • The toll plaza itself was demolished starting June 16, 2024, with work wrapping up by July 2, 2024, according to AL.com’s coverage of the demolition.
  • Demolition cost the state about $472,598, with a named contractor handling the teardown.

State officials framed the purchase as both an economic relief measure for commuting workers and a way to smooth traffic for visitors heading to the beach. Removing the plaza entirely, rather than just turning off the tolling equipment, was a deliberate move to erase any lingering sign that a toll ever existed there.

The purchase did not happen in a vacuum. BCBC and the Alabama Department of Transportation, known as ALDOT, had been at odds for years over tolling authority and rate-setting on the bridge. The dispute escalated through the courts, and a Supreme Court ruling in 2023 went against BCBC’s position, which the company responded to by nearly doubling its rate rather than accepting the setback quietly.

That rate hike became the tipping point. State officials, facing growing public frustration, moved to acquire the bridge outright rather than continue litigating with a private operator. A few factors drove the decision:

  • Ending years of legal uncertainty over who controlled tolling policy on a key tourist corridor.
  • Addressing complaints from residents and workers who faced rising daily costs.
  • Aligning the crossing with ALDOT’s broader coastal traffic planning.

ALDOT has also signaled that the newly acquired Beach Express span will eventually work in tandem with other coastal infrastructure projects, including ongoing work tied to the Mobile River Bridge corridor, which uses a different tolling structure entirely.

Pro Tip: If you are tracking construction or traffic changes near Orange Beach, check ALDOT’s project updates before a trip, since striping and signage work can still affect travel times even with the toll gone.

What the toll removal means for your drive to Orange Beach

If you have driven this route before, the most obvious change is that you no longer pull over to pay. The old one-way charges, including the $5 rate drivers faced before the sale, are gone entirely. Here is what to expect now:

  1. No booths or stopping points. The plaza structure was torn down in June 2024, so there is nothing to slow you down at that former location.
  2. Smoother traffic flow. Without a stop-and-pay point, congestion that used to build up during peak beach season should ease, though some striping and road work may continue intermittently.
  3. No prepaid transponder needed. Former residents who relied on discounted accounts no longer need to manage that account for this crossing.
  4. Faster trips during peak weekends. Summer Saturdays, historically the worst time to cross, should move faster without a payment bottleneck.

For help mapping your route from the north or planning drive times, our Gulf Shores to Mobile distance and drive time guide breaks down corridor options, and our parking guide for Orange Beach condos covers what happens once you arrive.

Local resources for planning your trip

Toll removal does not just save you money, it can shift when traffic peaks near popular arrival windows for condos and beach homes. If you are checking into a rental on a Saturday afternoon, you may find earlier and smoother arrivals now that the bridge no longer backs up at the old plaza.

A few resources worth bookmarking before your trip:

Our take on what the toll removal really changes

Removing this toll was overdue, and it corrects a real equity problem: workers who crossed twice daily were quietly subsidizing a private operator’s profit margin for years. The bigger open question is maintenance. Bridges cost money to keep safe, and a toll-free crossing still needs funding from somewhere, likely state transportation budgets rather than driver fees going forward. Watch ALDOT’s announcements and local coverage for how that funding gap gets addressed over time.

— Joe

Planning your Orange Beach getaway just got easier

With the toll gone, the drive into Orange Beach is simpler and cheaper than it has been in decades, which makes this a good time to look at where you will actually stay. Travelers can connect directly with owners of beachfront condos, cottages, and pet-friendly rentals in the Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, and Fort Morgan area to book rentals without extra service layers.

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Whether you want a quiet Gulf-front cottage or a family-sized condo near the marinas, our vacation rental listings make it easy to compare options and reach out directly. Start browsing properties for your next trip south.

About the Author

Joe Godar of the GulfShoresAlabama.com Editorial Team create destination guides, vacation-planning resources, and local travel content focused on Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and Fort Morgan, Alabama.

Our team researches Alabama Gulf Coast beaches, vacation rental trends, family activities, local attractions, restaurants, events, and direct-booking best practices. Every guide is created to help travelers plan more confidently, discover the best of the Alabama Gulf Coast, and avoid unnecessary third-party guest service fees.

GulfShoresAlabama.com is part of the Emerald Coast by Owner marketing family, connecting travelers directly with verified vacation rental hosts throughout the Gulf Coast since 2016.

This article was reviewed for accuracy and updated using local destination research and current Alabama Gulf Coast vacation rental market insights.