Fundraising begins to light Perdido Pass Bridge

January 20, 2021
12:25 pm

Perdido Pass has been a local hotspot for years.

A newly formed non-profit is working to make it that much brighter.

The Perdido Pass Bridge Lighting Project, made up of Orange Beach locals, got the green light from the city this week to move forward with fundraising for the estimated two million dollar project.

All paid for by crowd sourcing through sites like Go Fund Me, PayPal, and Venmo.

Two million dollars may seem like a lofty goal, but Project Founder Tom Clark believes they can get it done.

“There’s a lot of tourism here, there’s a lot of citizens that like this concept, I’m not bashful about that number at all, not one bit,” said Clark.

The City of Orange Beach is working with project leaders to make their dream of lining the pass with LED lights a reality, creating a public-private partnership they hope will put the Baldwin beach town on the map.

“I think it creates a lot more activity to make people want to stay that few more hours, maybe stop and eat,” said Orange Beach City Administrator, Ken Grimes.

One major concern already voiced about the project: its impact on the environment.

Experts say certain kinds of light can often times disorient sea turtles during nesting season.

Even though the project is still in very early stages, we’re told officials are already in talks with local conservation groups and Alabama Fish and Wildlife to make sure impacts are only positive.

“We’re not going to do anything that causes disruption. I think if its a possibility and can happen, then it will definitely be done the right way,” said Grimes.

Project organizers are looking at solar power as an option to further reduce impact on the environment, and are considering only lighting the north side of the bridge, or reducing lights during sea turtle nesting season.

They are hoping to move forward with the project in the next few years.

If you’d like to learn more or donate to the project, click here for more resources.