Maddox, Phillips & Robertson Detail $200 Million in Road Projects

The heads of government in our region's largest communities discussed a wave of ongoing and upcoming road construction at the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama's annual State of the Community panel on Tuesday and argued that the disruption it causes would be worth the upgraded infrastructure at the finish line.

Northport Mayor Dale Phillips, Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox, and Tuscaloosa County Commission Chairman Rob Robertson each went over the biggest projects in their jurisdictions in front of a crowd of hundreds in the packed-out Bryant Conference Center.

The discussion was moderated by Chamber President and CEO Kyle South and presented this year by TTL, Inc.

Phillips said Northport, for the next few years, may well be called the Orange Cone Capital of the World. He said they have three major road projects underway right now, all aimed at improving safety and mobility for residents and county drivers who pass through the city on their commutes.

"The number one infrastructure issue we have is providing access to and from home to work - good roads and good thoroughfares that provide the safety that people need," Phillips said.

The Northport mayor cited improvements to Lurleen Wallace Boulevard, Fifth Street and Main Avenue, all currently under construction.

"Our growth depends on our roads," he said. Our growth depends on our passageways. And if we get behind, it will affect the growth that we're trying to bring in."

Get our free mobile app

Maddox detailed the origins of the funding mechanism behind much of the region's road work: the Tuscaloosa County Road Improvement Commission, known locally as TCRIC. He traced its beginnings to a flight to Cleveland roughly a decade ago with former Probate Judge Hardy McCollum, when the two began sketching out a plan on paper for a permanent sales tax that would fund both schools and road projects.

25 percent of that tax funds county schools, 20 percent funds city schools, he said, while 10 percent goes toward joint road projects with the Alabama Department of Transportation.

"Since 2016, we have invested nearly $200 million into state road projects built across this community that otherwise would never have happened," Maddox said.

He pointed to the $79 million McWright's Ferry Road extension project as the clearest example of that investment's impact.

Maddox also talked over Phase 3 of the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard project near the amphitheater, a $49 million undertaking that will strengthen and expand the railroad trestle spanning both the main line and spur line, reconstruct the roadway from Fourth Street to Nick's Kids Avenue, connect the Western and Southern River Walks, and open up roughly 110 acres of undeveloped property for future economic development in West Tuscaloosa.

The full MLK / Jack Warner Parkway project, spanning years, carries an $86 million price tag.

Maddox also clarified that the eight-laning of McFarland Boulevard's Woolsey-Finnell Bridge, a high-visibility project sure to generate major traffic issues, is an ALDOT project rather than a city undertaking.

"Please send all your cards and letters and phone calls to ALDOT," Maddox joked. "They will be more than happy to receive them."

Robertson outlined additional TCRIC-funded projects moving forward, including work beginning soon at the intersection of Highway 69 South and Skyland Boulevard, and that a new connector road is planned to link Highway 69 and Highway 82 further south in the county.

"Right now, there's not a good way to get across any further south than Skyland," Robertson said. "This new connector road is an approved project that's in the works and will help traffic flow in the southern part of the county in those growth areas."

Robertson also pointed to projects underway in Northport, including work on Lurleen Wallace Boulevard from the bridge into the city, the Fifth Street and Lurleen Wallace intersection, and additional work on Main Avenue.

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