The Tuscaloosa County Road Improvement Commission (TCRIC or Commission) has received monthly deposits from sales tax revenue collections since September 2016, with a current cash-on-hand balance of approximately $10,238,186 as of August 23, 2019. Since inception, the Commission has disbursed close to $16 million for road improvement projects in Tuscaloosa County.

The Commission continues to work cooperatively with the Cities of Northport and Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa County, and the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) to progress priority projects identified by the Commission’s enacting legislation. The Commission and ALDOT continue to make progress on a cost-sharing agreement for priority projects identified to be  funded between them over a six-year period (2017-2022.)

The Commission anticipates some form of borrowing to accommodate the funding needs for the priority projects prepared for letting. The mechanism for such borrowing has not been finalized at this time. The Commission will continue to pursue any and all available local, state, and federal funding mechanisms for priority project completion.

OVERVIEW OF COMMISSION PROJECTS TO DATE:

MITT LARY ROAD REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENT WITH CITY OF NORTHPORT:

Mitt Lary Road Improvements: Reimbursement to the City of Northport for Mitt Lary Road improvements completed in 2016 has been ongoing since January 2017. To date, the City has been reimbursed $6,400,000 for this project, with final monthly reimbursement payment to be made in March 2020.

PROJECTS IN ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION;

US-82/McFarland Blvd at Hargrove Road (intersection improvements, access management, and signalization work):
This project runs from approximately Midtown Village to Buffalo Wild Wings, and includes improvements on Hargrove Road to the entrance of Sokol Park.  The construction bid for this project, being led by the City of Tuscaloosa as an ALDOT-permitted project, was awarded in May 2018. The Commission has approved funding for this project for up to $3.6 million for reimbursement to the City for project expenditures. The project is essentially complete with final ALDOT permit project review now in progress.  TCRIC reimbursement to the City is anticipated by September 30, 2019.

State Route 69 North at Union Chapel Road (intersection improvements):
This project, being led by the City of Northport, is in the utility construction phase, with the construction bid award in progress. Prior to the Commission’s involvement, the City of Northport and ALDOT entered into an agreement for Northport to provide 20% of the total project costs.  The Commission distributed $800,000 in FY 2017 for up-front funding to the City of Northport for its 20% portion of the obligated funds based on the initial project estimate.

SR69-turn lane intersection improvements:
This project is in the preliminary engineering phase, with construction anticipated to begin in late fall of 2019.  The Commission has committed $1.75 million for this project to be managed by ADOT; an initial distribution of $150,000 to ALDOT was paid in March 2019.

SR 69 South at Skyland Boulevard (intersection improvements):
Construction plans are progressing towards finalization, and right-of-way has been authorized by ALDOT.   Pursuant to the existing cost sharing agreement for this project, the Commission will fund the ROW and Utility phase of this project. Construction letting is anticipated for FY 2021. The project is currently estimated to cost $65,500,000.

US82/McFarland- University Blvd. interchange (ALDOT/ATRIP funds available of $6.8 million):
Project totally managed by ALDOT using ATRIP funds of $6.8 Million; current estimated cost for construction is more than $7 million with a possible project decrease if ROW is donated. An INFRA grant has been awarded for funding of the proposed adaptive component bridge improvement at this intersection which will be a separate project cost; a BUILD grant has also been submitted for other road improvements and infrastructure needs. TCRIC has budgeted $1,000,000 for contribution if needed for ROW and related project costs.  No TCRIC funds have been expended on this project as of August 1, 2019.

Completed Projects:

US-82/McFarland Boulevard and Bear Creek Cutoff Road (intersection improvements):
This project has completed all active construction and has been submitted for maintenance.  The Commission has previously expended $883,000 and has now reimbursed Tuscaloosa County for its $2,500,000 advance payment for the project’s $3,383,000 authorized budget. An estimated overage of $350,000 will still be due to be paid to ALDOT by the Commission once the project’s final audit is completed.

 State Route 69 South (additional lanes and access management):
This project, managed by ALDOT, added lanes and improved access management from Skyland Boulevard to the North end of Maxwell Loop Road. The project was completed in the spring of 2018. The Commission contributed $700,000 to ALDOT toward the $1.5 million total project cost. The Commission’s goal in funding this project was to improve traffic control in anticipation of the extensive construction work planned at the intersection of SR-69 South and Skyland Boulevard.

State Route 69 North at Martin Road (intersection improvements):
This project, managed by Tuscaloosa County through an ALDOT permit, was completed in mid-2018.  The Commission has authorized reimbursement payment of roughly $1,100,100 to the County toward the total project’s costs up to $1,400,000; ALDOT has also obligated $300,000 to the project, and the County is awaiting final payment from ALDOT.

Bear Creek Road/Bear Creek Cutoff Road Improvements:
This project, proposed and managed by Tuscaloosa County, was approved by the  Commission to make Bear Creek Cutoff Road a through road, improve the railroad crossing, remove stop signs from the crossing, and create an improved intersection of Bear Creek Road and Bear Creek Cut-off road for continuous traffic flow.  The project was completed for a total cost of $849,252.48 and project reimbursement was paid to the County by the Commission in February 2019.  The Commission’s goal in funding this project was to improve traffic control in anticipation of the extensive construction work planned at the intersection of SR-69 South and Skyland Boulevard.

OTHER PROJECTS IN PROCESS:

 Jack Warner Parkway/Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive (add lanes):
This project, being led by the City of Tuscaloosa, remains in right-of-way acquisition and final design process. The Commission amended its funding authorization at the City’s request in March of 2019 for an amount up to $32,000,000.  

McWright’s Ferry Road (new roadway, grade separation):
This project, being led by the City of Tuscaloosa, recently completed an internal value engineering process. The project’s design has been reassessed based on this process and the Commission’s funding agreement with the City of Tuscaloosa was amended in February 2019 to reflect an adjusted project estimate cost of up to $45,000,000.