Have Your Say On West Blocton And Northport Road Upgrades
Public comment periods are open on two major road improvement projects planned by the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) in the region, one in Northport, the other in West Blocton.
West Blocton Project
An in-person Public Involvement Meeting is scheduled for 5:00pm until 7pm today at West Blocton High School (4734 Truman Aldrich Parkway).
The improvement project is planned for the intersection of AL-5 and Vance Road/Blocton Bypass that will increase safety benefits and produce a traffic calming effect while reducing conflict points. Currently, more than 2,000 vehicles per day go through this intersection. An Intersection Control Evaluation (ICE) study was conducted at this location concluding that a single lane roundabout is the preferred and recommended alternative.
ALDOT states, "The purpose of this public involvement meeting is to inform the public of the design features for the project. ALDOT is interested in obtaining input from the people who use this route."
All comments regarding this project must be submitted on or before Friday, April 10.
A video presentation, project information, downloads, comment submission section, project maps, contact information and right=of-way information can be found at ALDOT's Project Information website.
Northport Project
The public comment period for the proposed Lurleen B. Wallace (LBW) Access Management Improvement Project in Northport is currently open but will close Thursday, March 26. A virtual public involvement online meeting with ALDOT will then be scheduled.
According to ALDOT the work on the corridor will preserve roadway capacity and maintain traffic mobility while reducing conflict points that degrade the roadway’s safety performance.
A similar two-year project was completed on the Tuscaloosa side of the Warrior River in 2020. It had been slated for completion in late 2019 but was delayed by a year due to relocation of older utilities.
LBW is a major north/south through affair running through downtown Tuscaloosa, across the Warrior River and through central Northport. It is a heavily traveled roadway with surveys finding the annual average daily traffic (AADT) count at approximately 40,000 vehicles.
The project website states, "Operationally, the primary goal is to service north/south movement of traffic along AL-69/Lurleen Wallace Blvd while providing reasonable, efficient, and safe access to adjacent developments or side streets.
"The access management plan along the corridor proposes traffic signal modifications, striping modifications, turn lane extensions, roadway realignment, median construction, closure of median openings, closure of driveways and modifications of driveways."
Many Northport residents have suggested considerable improvement of the lighting on the relatively dark roadway at night.
An in-person public involvement meeting was conducted in February of 2025.
A video presentation, project information, downloads, comment submission section, project maps, contact information and right=of-way information can be found at ALDOT's Project Information website.
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