Work beginning on roundabout at Fairhope Floral Clock
FAIRHOPE, Ala. (WALA) - A road project getting underway this week in Fairhope could cause some inconvenience to drivers for many months ahead. Contractors got started on the roundabout at the floral clock Monday, March 17, 2025.
The intersection in question is where Scenic 98, Veteran’s Drive and Triangle Drive all converge in front of the iconic Fairhope floral clock. Fairhope city leaders said this intersection was identified as a good candidate for a traffic circle as far back as 2008 and it’s just taken this long for the pieces to fall into place.
“That was really before it was kind of the uh the roundabouts being applied to our city and county roads and through a pretty long and arduous process, we finally found a partnership in funding through our Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization and it got funded and now, it’s becoming a reality,” said Fairhope City Engineer, Richard Johnson.
The Eastern Shore MPO agreed to pick up 80 percent of the tab, which is significant.
Contractors spent the day bringing in signage and heavy equipment to begin moving dirt this week. Motorists will experience periodic lane closures during construction which is scheduled to last through the end of the year.
“It’s kind of an awkward intersection that has a two-way stop condition and there has been a pretty good history of accidents here and so this was an area that was identified for what we consider a highway safety improvement and roundabouts are by far the safest way to handle a four-leg intersection and also adds an aesthetic to the entrance to town that’s very desirable as well,” Johnson explained.
It’s an intersection locals know well and one used by thousands of tourists each year traveling the Scenic 98 corridor. Studies by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shoe roundabouts are proven to improve traffic flow while cutting back on the number of accidents significantly.
Tracy Gillespie travels the route often on her way to and from work in downtown Fairhope. She thinks the roundabout will be a big help.
“If you’re like coming from Montrose trying to get out, you can sit there for a long time and not…you know, it’s just the way the traffic flows right through there,” Gillespie said. “I think they make intersections safer and move more freely. They’ve put quite a few going from here to my house on 13 and I think it makes it much smoother.”
The total cost on the project is $1.5 million dollars, putting Fairhope’s share at $300,000. The contract for the job is 10 months but city leaders are hopeful it can be finished sooner.
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