Orange Beach bridge tolls end today at noon

The Baldwin Beach Express Bridge toll plazaPhoto byThe Alabama Department of Transportation

Motorists can cross to and from Orange Beach toll-free beginning at 12 p.m. today.

The tolls — currently $5 — are being removed pursuant to the Alabama Department of Transporation's (ALDOT) $57 million purchase of the private from its private owners.

For the next several weeks, motorists in both directions will be funneled into single lanes through the toll plaza until the structure is demolished.

Gov. Kay Ivey announced last month that the Baldwin Beach Express Bridge is in a $60 million deal with the company and the city of Orange Beach.

The Baldwin County Bridge Company has charged a $5 premium to cross the bridge since August 2023, following the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that a rival bridge being constructed nearby would be allowed to move forward. The tolls were previously $2.75.

The bridge company has operated the pass-through near The Wharf since its completion in 2000.