ALDOT Finishes Expansion of Highway 82 in Tuscaloosa & Northport

The Alabama Department of Transportation is all but finished with their major project to expand McFarland Boulevard in north Tuscaloosa and into Northport.

Anyone who traveled on that side of the Black Warrior River in the last several years has seen the work in progress - an ultimately $34 million project which three-laned McFarland from Rice Mine Road to Lurleen B. Wallace Boulevard.

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A spokesperson for ALDOT in west Alabama said in a press release that only minor work remains - a contractor will add permanently traffic striping and other items soon while ALDOT optimizes the traffic signals in the area.

"This marks the first major Rebuild Alabama Act project in Tuscaloosa County," ALDOT said. "It is expected to improve mobility, boost safety and enhance local commerce. The roadway now features an additional travel lane in each direction, better access management to businesses and a shared-use path for bicyclists and pedestrians."

Rebuild Alabama projects are funded by the state's 6-cent gasoline tax governor Kay Ivey championed in 2019.

“This project represents a significant investment in Northport and Tuscaloosa,” ALDOT's West Central Region Engineer Wallace McAdory said. “By expanding capacity, improving access and adding a shared-use path, we’re not just easing congestion — we’re building a safer, more connected community and supporting the local economy."

Although the project is substantially completed, minor work remains. The contractor will place permanent traffic striping and finish other various items of work while ALDOT will optimize traffic signals.

Even as one project ends, though, ALDOT is the planning process for dramatically expanding McFarland Boulevard's Woolsey Finnell Bridge over the Black Warrior River - a more than $100 million job that will eventually see the bridge feature eight lanes.

For more coverage of news in west Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.