City of Tuscaloosa Approves $10 Million Jack Warner Pedestrian Bridge

The Tuscaloosa City Council voted to approve the construction of a $10 million pedestrian bridge on Jack Warner Parkway that will connect existing and planned features downtown.

As previously reported, the project advanced to Tuesday night's meeting after it was discussed during the Public Projects Committee meeting on November 8.

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The bridge is one of three elements partially funded by a $15 million federal BUILD grant that was secured for the city by Senator Richard Shelby in 2020, along with the Western Riverwalk expansion and  improvements to barge mooring on the Black Warrior River.

The decision to approve the project was came after some sticker shock in the committee meetings after the price of the project doubled over original estimates due to rising costs for material, labor, fuel and more.

The committee ultimately recommended the full council should approve the bid, primarily because the grant could be lost if the funds were not spent in a timely fashion.

Tuscaloosa's John Plott Company, Inc. was awarded the bid to build the bridge, and it is not yet known when construction will start.

The bridge will be a key component to the area that will house the Saban Center, River District Park and a future event center that will compliment the downtown entertainment district.

Stay connected with the Tuscaloosa Thread for updates on the start of the project as the details become available.