Lanes close Monday for new phase of west Tuscaloosa corridor improvement project

Jason Morton, The Tuscaloosa News
·3 min read
Work on Phase I of the Jack Warner Parkway/Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard road improvement project, seen here in a file photo from July, was completed earlier this year. Now, Phase II, which extends along Jack Warner Parkway between Greensboro and 21st avenues, begins Monday. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]
Work on Phase I of the Jack Warner Parkway/Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard road improvement project, seen here in a file photo from July, was completed earlier this year. Now, Phase II, which extends along Jack Warner Parkway between Greensboro and 21st avenues, begins Monday. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]

Construction on Phase II of the Jack Warner Parkway/Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard improvement project is set to begin on Monday.

But the upgrade comes with temporary restrictions, and city officials said motorists who use Jack Warner Parkway near the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater could see slowdowns through the end of the year.

Starting at 8 a.m. Monday, Jack Warner Parkway will be closed between Greensboro and 21st avenues, though one eastbound lane will remain open for businesses on the south side of Jack Warner Parkway in this area.

More: Second phase of west Tuscaloosa road improvement project set for early 2022

The closure is expected to last through the end of 2022, though city officials said the exact end date is pending utility relocation efforts as Duncanville-based GFC Construction Inc. performs utility, storm drain, roadway and private utility upgrades.

A unanimous City Council granted a $4.95 million construction contract to GFC Construction for this phase of the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard/Jack Warner Parkway improvement project in January.

At the time, officials said this bid came in between $400,000 and $500,000 less than expected.

This map, provided by Tuscaloosa City Hall, shows areas of Phase I and Phase II of the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard/Jack Warner Parkway improvement project. The unlabeled area in the middle is Phase III and includes the widening of the roadway under railroad trestles for the bridge that crosses the Black Warrior River.
This map, provided by Tuscaloosa City Hall, shows areas of Phase I and Phase II of the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard/Jack Warner Parkway improvement project. The unlabeled area in the middle is Phase III and includes the widening of the roadway under railroad trestles for the bridge that crosses the Black Warrior River.

Phase II of overall $32 million improvement project includes the area of Jack Warner Parkway between Greensboro Avenue to 21st Avenue and could take through the end of May 2023 to complete, city officials said.

Phase II of the Jack Warner Parkway improvements includes:

• A four-lane roadway divided by a landscaped median;

• Six-foot sidewalks on the north side of Jack Warner Parkway between Greensboro and 21st avenues;

• Decorative roadway and pedestrian lighting, landscaping and irrigation; and

• Underground utilities.

Work on the project’s Phase I, which also was awarded to GFC Construction, began in late December 2020 and concluded earlier this year. This phase includes the roadway between Greensboro Avenue and Nick’s Kids Avenue and between Fifth Street and, roughly, Stillman Boulevard.

Construction on the third and final phase, which also includes the creation of two spur roads off the main thoroughfare, remains pending.

The completion of the final phase depends on an agreement between City Hall and the Kansas City Southern Railway Co., which operates the rail line that crosses the Black Warrior River. The widening of these trestle openings cannot happen without approval from Kansas City Southern and, right now, no announcement has been made on the railroad’s final approval of the design plans for the reconfigured trestle openings.

The purpose of the Jack Warner Parkway/Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard improvement project is to add road improvements between Greensboro Avenue and Stillman Boulevard as a means to improve public safety and foster economic development.

The full scope of the overall project consists of the widening and replacing the driving surface of Jack Warner Parkway and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard between Stillman Boulevard and 21st Avenue.

The work also includes the replacement of curbs and gutters, the installation of sanitary sewer and water main lines, installation of underground utilities and the installation or upgrading of landscaping, irrigation, lighting and security cameras.

The cost will first be paid by City Hall and eventually be reimbursed to local taxpayers in full by the Tuscaloosa County Road Improvement Commission in accordance with an agreement that dates back to 2017 between City Hall and the road improvement commission.

The Jack Warner Parkway/Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard improvement project was included in part of House Bill 600, also known as the “Transforming Tuscaloosa County” legislation, which was passed in July 2016 and redistributed a portion of the 3% county-wide sales taxes towards an investment fund to improve major transportation routes.

Under Transforming Tuscaloosa County, transportation projects fall under the jurisdiction of the Tuscaloosa County Road Improvement Commission, which HB600 also created, that is comprised of elected and appointed representatives from local and state governments as well as the private sector.

Reach Jason Morton at jason.morton@tuscaloosanews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: West Tuscaloosa road project to close travel lanes starting Monday