The SR-77 bridge replacement at Gilbert’s Ferry is now under contract, but Southside and Rainbow City drivers will not see construction begin immediately. The Alabama Department of Transportation expects work on the northbound crossing to start in early 2027 and finish by the end of 2029.
ALDOT awarded the $22,065,595 contract to Scott Bridge Company of Opelika after opening four bids. The agency says roughly 25,000 travelers cross the Coosa River on SR-77 each day, making the construction traffic plan as important to drivers as the final bridge design.
During most of the project, northbound traffic is expected to move onto the existing southbound bridge. That bridge will carry one lane in each direction while the old northbound structure is removed and replaced.
SR-77 bridge replacement dimensions
The ALDOT project account gives enough detail to compare the 1939 truss bridge with its planned replacement.
| Feature | Existing northbound bridge | Planned replacement | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 20 feet | 36 feet | 16 feet wider |
| Length | 868 feet | 910 feet | 42 feet longer |
| Height above river | About 10 feet | About 30 feet | About 20 feet higher |
| Travel lanes | Northbound traffic on older structure | Two 12-foot lanes | Modern two-lane section |
| Shoulders | Not listed as comparable modern shoulders | 6 feet on both sides | Added recovery space |
ALDOT plans to build the replacement on the current northbound alignment. Traffic must move before demolition and construction can occupy that corridor.
What the contract and bids show
The governor approved the low bid Nov. 3 after four contractors submitted prices. ALDOT says the bids ranged from $22,065,595 to nearly $35 million. The distance from the accepted bid to the top of that range is roughly $13 million, or close to three-fifths of the accepted price.
That calculation does not mean the state saved an exact $13 million; the agency described the high bid only as nearly $35 million. It does show that the competitive spread was substantial and that the selected contractor was the lowest bidder.
Funding combines state and federal money, including a $3 million federal appropriation. The replacement is part of the Rebuild Alabama program, according to the governor’s contract announcement.
The traffic sequence drivers should expect
ALDOT has not published a day-by-day closure calendar. Its current sequence gives drivers a planning framework without supporting an exact detour date:
- Preparatory work and traffic controls begin after the early-2027 start.
- Northbound vehicles shift to the southbound bridge for most of construction.
- The southbound bridge carries one lane northbound and one lane southbound.
- The 1939 northbound bridge is removed and the new two-lane structure is built on that alignment.
- Traffic patterns change again as the replacement and intersection work enter service.
Drivers should use ALGO Traffic for active lane information. This bridge-replacement schedule spans nearly three years and can change with river conditions, weather, material deliveries and construction sequencing.
Intersection changes are part of the project
The work is not limited to the river span. ALDOT plans a traffic signal and turn lanes at SR-77 and Lakeshore Drive/Whorton Bend Road on the north end of the bridge.
An earlier concept used a Restricted Crossing U-turn, or RCUT, intersection. Engineers later determined that a traffic signal was warranted and that projected traffic would require one in the near future, according to ALDOT.
South of the bridge, the signal at Fowler’s Ferry Road and the crossover between the northbound and southbound roadways are scheduled for removal. Those changes will affect familiar turning patterns even after the bridge itself opens.
What is settled and what is not
The SR-77 bridge replacement contract amount, contractor, dimensions and broad 2027-2029 window are settled in the public record. Exact lane-shift dates, temporary traffic-control details and weather adjustments are not yet fixed in the sources reviewed Nov. 10.
Drivers can follow more road-project reporting in Consumer Guides and use the Central Alabama public-service directory for official transportation and government links.
ALDOT’s next meaningful SR-77 bridge replacement update will be a construction-start or traffic-control notice. Until that appears, motorists should treat early 2027 as the project window, not as a confirmed closure date.
