The first day of school in Baldwin County on Wednesday brought about a pleasant and unexpected surprise in Spanish Fort.

Traffic congestion, long a scourge on U.S. 31 and to parents and bus drivers at Rockwell Elementary School, was almost a non-issue.

“That was the best first day of school, traffic-wise,” said Spanish Fort Police Chief John Barber, elated after the morning rush hour saw few issues of congestion along a state highway that, as of last spring, was inundated with bumper-to-bumper traffic during morning and afternoon rush hours.

“That is always our Achilles heel,” Barber said. “It was better this year than last year. Traditionally, during the last couple of years, it’s been the first week and a half or so, the traffic is bad. But I was very pleased.”

What changed?

Barber and a spokesman at the Alabama Department of Transportation attribute the recent unveiling of a new traffic light on U.S. 31 at Bedrock Boulevard, for maintaining a steady flow of traffic along the highway. Also, the lengthening of time for a green light on Route 31 near Rockwell during a 20-minute morning rush period also helped alleviate the traffic jams of recent past.

“There was a noticeable difference,” said Robbie Owen, principal at Rockwell Elementary School.

Related content: ‘Look at how many people live here’: U.S. 31 in Spanish Fort congestion aggravates after $21.9 million project

James Gordon, spokesman with ALDOT’s Southwest Region, said is crediting the addition of the new traffic signal and the adjustments made to the traffic lights along the highway. The adjustments, he said, only last for about 15-20 minutes during a rush hour that lasts from sometime between 7:15 a.m. to 7:45 a.m.

Barber said the traffic light tweaks were part of discussions he said he had with ALDOT officials over the summer, and he’s hopeful the changes last.

“Last year, we had complaint after complaint,” he said. “We worked with ALDOT to fine tune the timing of the lights so it’s benefitting us rather than harming us.”

Gordon said that employees within ALDOT’s Regional Traffic Operations program in Mobile will consistently monitor the signal and are able to make changes remotely. He said that ALDOT has only had the capability in recent years to make remote changes to traffic lights.

“The timing on the lights is adjusted throughout the day if needed, but engineers also have traffic programs installed based on the history of traffic volume at different times of the day,” he said. “They likely adjusted (Wednesday) as they monitored the traffic in real time.”

Rockwell has approximately 750 students, while Stonebridge’s enrollment is around 500.

Owen said the lack of traffic concerns on Wednesday was a “good sign.” He said the first day of school typically brings about the heaviest traffic to Rockwell, when parents tend to drive their students to the school.

“Our parking lot was overflowing with parents,” said Owen. “Starting tomorrow, they will put (their children) on the bus. So you should’ve had far more traffic today. The fact it ran smoothly should be a real good sign.”

Spanish Fort Mayor Mike McMillan said he had been “anxious” about U.S. 31 traffic, but admitted he had not received a report about it. He said he spoke to a few employees who drive on U.S. 31 west to Spanish Fort City Hall, who claimed the new traffic light near Stonebridge Elementary School “did help.”

McMillan said that despite the traffic relief, the long-term solution is to add additional lanes to a 7-mile stretch of highway from Alabama State Route 181 to Alabama State Route 59.

“I’d have to say that if (the new traffic lights) helped today, great,” McMillan said. “But long term, we all know the only answer is to four-lane.”

Expanding U.S. 31 is not in the short-term transportation plans for the Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization. But expanding U.S. 31′s lanes is listed in the MPO’s long-range plan, which stretches to 2045. According to that plan, U.S. 331 is among the highways within fast-growing Baldwin County to “become substantially congested” within the next 22 years.

“It’s too much growth to continue with a two-lane highway,” McMillan said. “It has to happen.”

He said there is money available to conduct a corridor study that will determine project costs, right-of-way needs, realignments, utility relocations, and other pre-construction necessities.

“And then you have to figure out how you get the money to do it,” said McMillan.

An expansion to U.S. 31 was completed last year. That project, at $21.9 million, ran around 3.9 miles through the heart of Spanish Fort from the Route 181 interchange east into the city and past City Hall.