ALDOT To Talk 69 South in Tuscaloosa After Shelving Bridge Plans

The Alabama Department of Transportation is seeking public input about how to improve a major Tuscaloosa highway after prohibitive costs shelved plans to transform it completely.

As the Thread reported a few years ago, ALDOT originally planned to construct a "flyover" bridge that would have moved travelers on Highway 69 South well above its current intersection with Skyland Boulevard, where traffic regularly congests.

Some precursor projects were completed, but the lion's share of the work was supposed to start in 2024 and take about three years to complete. Those plans were indefinitely postponed over concerns about construction costs.

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Next Thursday, ALDOT will host a meeting on its new proposal for the area, with the flyover bridge concept on hold or scrapped.

"The project includes widening SR-69 to add one northbound and one southbound lane from Skyland Boulevard through the I-20/59 interchange," ALDOT said in a Monday announcement. "Access management and other targeted improvements are also proposed on Skyland Boulevard from SR-69 to Old Greensboro Road to enhance both mobility and safety."

ALDOT spokesperson John McWilliams said the proposed design does not require a bridge and would take about 18 months to complete.

"This approach was selected because it effectively addresses current traffic demands while being the most practical and cost-efficient option. This does not limit ALDOT’s ability to make additional upgrades in the future," McWilliams said. "Should funding become available and traffic needs change, the corridor will remain capable of accommodating more extensive upgrades."

Watch more in this five-minute project explainer from ALDOT below.

The meeting will happen at Hillcrest High School in Tuscaloosa from 5 to 7 p.m. next Thursday, January 15th. That's at 300 Patriot Parkway, which is not far from the project site.

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