An approximately $30 million reconstruction of a highway through Daphne and Fairhope will add extra lanes that will likely increase traffic and speeds on Alabama State Route 181.

Already, over 25,000 vehicles travel each day along the highway’s northern section in Daphne and near Malbis.

At night, those vehicles are driving along a road that is noticeably dark. Very dark, in some areas.

And it’s not getting lit up anytime soon.

“It’s very expensive,” said Daphne Mayor Robin LeJeune.

Previous story: A ‘big pain in the butt’ inching toward completion: Is Route 181 in Baldwin County almost finished?

While no estimates exist on adding new lights, officials say the expenses would be substantial. And who pays for the lighting is also an issue.

The Alabama Department of Transportation says that adding lights is a “municipality generated request and funded item.”

“ALDOT does not have identified funding for lighting and lighting often competes for the same funds as widening roads or making safety improvements,” said James Gordon, spokesman for ALDOT. “It just tends to be lower priority when dealing with limited funding.”

Gordon said while roadway lighting was not part of the Route 181 project scope, a new traffic signal at Routes 104 and 118 will have luminaries on the signal pole upright to illuminate the intersection. That intersection is near the southern end of the ongoing lane widening project.

State Senator Chris Elliott, R-Daphne, said the lack of new lighting is an understandable omission, but he is hoping reflective striping is under consideration.

“(The Alabama Department of Transportation’s) focus, and I understand it, is to get the road down and make it work,” said Elliott. “The lighting is more of a placemaking thing. Yes, there is a safety portion to that, but a lot of it can be addressed from reflective striping.”

Elliott said the issue over who pays for the lighting is an issue that should be discussed, and addressed, at the earliest stages of a project. He said it’s a conversation that should occur early so that a municipality can plan for a lighting project, coordinate with local utilities, and address the issue before road work is underway.

“It’s incumbent on both to coordinate and communicate on those issues,” said Elliott. “That’s just good government to foresee that and it’s why we have (Metropolitan Planning Organizations) and meetings all the time so we can coordinate and communicate on these issues.”

In Fairhope, Mayor Sherry Sullivan and Councilman Jack Burrell said lighting is an issue that has not come up for their portions of the project.

LeJeune said in Daphne, lighting up Route 181 is something the city will have to consider.

Officials did not say they believe the expanded state highway will be dangerous without lighting.

“I’m sure at some point as we continue to grow the city, we will have to take a look at Route 181 and see what we can do there to make it safer for travelers,” he said.

It will be expensive. LeJeune said a recent light replacement project along U.S. 98 cost around $240,000. That did not include purchasing and installing new light poles or locating power to the highway.

“To run the power and get everything else done, I am not sure what that would cost,” he said.