Ivey Awards $167 Million Contract to Replace Tuscaloosa’s Woolsey Finnell Bridge

ALDOT will replace Tuscaloosa’s Woolsey Finnell Bridge and widen McFarland Boulevard under a $167 million contract awarded this week, Gov. Kay Ivey announced Thursday.

The Alabama Department of Transportation awarded the work to Scott Bridge Company, the lowest of three bidders, on Wednesday. Construction is expected to begin in early 2027 and take as long as four years.

The project replaces the four-lane span that has carried U.S. Highway 82 over the Black Warrior River since 1961 with a modern eight-lane bridge, six of which will be through lanes. It will also replace the bridge over Campus Drive at the University of Alabama. McFarland Boulevard will be widened to add travel lanes across roughly 1.5 miles, from near Rice Mine Road to the University Boulevard interchange ramps.

(ALDOT)

“For too long, folks crossing the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa have experienced their own ‘rammer jammer’ rush hour traffic while trying to negotiate the aging four lane Woolsey Finnell Bridge,” Ivey said in a press release.

Get our free mobile app

Six Lanes and a Shared Path

The new bridge will carry a dedicated shared-use path across the river, giving pedestrians and cyclists a crossing the current span does not provide. Eventually, that path will connect Tuscaloosa's Riverwalk with the Northern Riverwalk near the site of the under-construction Sports Illustrated Resort on Rice Mine Road.

Along with expansions to the Northern Riverwalk and the in-progress connection to the Western Riverwalk, the city aims to create an unbroken 9-mile path using the new Woolsey Finnell bridge to tie the pieces together across the Black Warrior. 

ALDOT says the corridor carries about 50,000 vehicles a day and that the added capacity is meant to handle continued growth along one of the city’s busiest routes.

“Replacing the aging bridges and adding capacity will keep traffic moving safely and reliably for decades to come,” said Wallace McAdory III, ALDOT’s West Central Region engineer. “Major infrastructure projects like this require years of planning and strong partnerships at every level of government. I look forward to seeing the benefits it will bring Tuscaloosa.”

The bridge is named for Woolsey Finnell, a former state highway director, and is one of four vehicular bridges crossing the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa.

Senator Shelby’s Parting Gift

Ivey credited former U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby with getting the project moving.

“Much credit for launching this long-needed bridge replacement project goes to former Senator Richard Shelby who secured a $100 million earmark in the 2023 federal omnibus spending bill, providing a significant portion of the funding,” Ivey said.

Drivers should expect shifting traffic patterns for the duration of construction. ALDOT says the contractor will keep two lanes open in each direction on U.S. 82 throughout the work.

The department said it will release more detail on the construction schedule, traffic impacts and public outreach as the project advances. Updates will be posted at UpgradeMcFarland.com.

For more exclusive coverage of roads and infrastructure in West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.