Circuit Judge Jimmy Pool from Montgomery County ordered that all construction of a new bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway in Gulf Shores be stopped. He added a scathing review of ALDOT Director, John Cooper, and called the project, “Cooper Bridge.”

Judge Jimmy Pool chastised the ALDOT director of engaging in a “years’ long campaign” to put the Baldwin County Bridge Company, owners and operators of the Foley Beach Express toll bridge, out of business. Judge Pool order all construction on the project to stop immediately.

ALDOT Spokesperson, Tony Harris, issued the following statement:

We are disappointed in the decision because it’s clear that a new, free bridge is needed to help alleviate traffic congestion and offer a new evacuation option to residents and visitors to Alabama’s Gulf Coast. Years of negotiations with the private toll bridge company failed to deliver a solution. The public benefit of a new, free bridge should outweigh the interests of the private toll bridge company. ALDOT will file a notice of appeal with the Alabama Supreme Court.

Judge Pool order that Director Cooper is not currently allowed to take steps with the bridge company that could directly or indirectly relate to the construction of the bridge.

Mayor of Gulf Shores, Robert Craft, later released the following statement:

The need for a new, free bridge is obvious. Baldwin County is the fastest growing county in Alabama, and our beach communities bring in more than 8 million visitors annually. The Highway 59 bridge is F-rated and woefully over capacity nine months out of the year. On peak travel weekends – like this weekend – it can take over one hour to drive the 11 miles from north of Foley to Beach Boulevard. This is a problem not just for tourist traffic flow, but for residents going to work, emergency vehicles taking people to the hospital, first responders enroute to an incident, and for hurricane evacuations.

Today’s ruling is unfortunate. It means that the new, free bridge – where construction is already underway – is unnecessarily delayed. I am hopeful that the Alabama Supreme Court will allow this badly-needed construction to continue as the legal process proceeds so that this new, free, publicly-owned bridge can improve the safety and quality of life for Alabama residents and visitors alike.