West Tuscaloosa road project nearing completion

By WVUA 23 News Student Reporter MJ Miller

If you’re frustrated by the ongoing construction on Jack Warner Parkway and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Tuscaloosa, know that city leaders are too. But there’s an end in sight for Phase 2 of this massive road project.

According to the latest Mayor’s Minute newsletter sent by Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox every week, one company has yet to put their utilities in the ground, which is causing the standstill. Once that project finishes, the repaving and smoothing of the road will commence.

District 1 Tuscaloosa City Council Member Mathew Wilson said despite current traffic issues, Tuscaloosans will benefit from the project.

“Every citizen of Tuscaloosa will benefit from this project. They will benefit from opportunities. The passage and pathways that are waiting this project once it’s completed are insurmountable,” Wilson said.

The end goal is to connect the west cluster of Tuscaloosa and the University of Alabama campus on one big river walk.

This phase of the project from Tuscaloosa County Roads Improvement Commission should be completed by the end of September. Then the next phase will be updating the railroad trestle.

In the meantime, motorists are advised to obey all traffic laws and watch your speed since the roads are uneven and filled with potholes.