As part of statewide road infrastructure and development projects, improvements will be made to two roads inside the Tuscaloosa City Limits, including Hackberry Lane and a stretch of 10th Avenue, both running through The University of Alabama campus.

In a recent statement, Gov. Robert Bentley announced 302 new road and bridge infrastructure development projects that will total nearly $398 million by the time they are complete. Eleven of these projects will take place in Tuscaloosa County, totaling more than $33 million.

These projects are a part of the Governor’s Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program.

“Everyone benefits from ATRIP,” Bentley said. “We’re improving public safety by replacing old bridges and repairing and widening outdated roads. When companies build new facilities, they look for areas with good roads and bridges. ATRIP is giving them what they need. The more companies that build and expand in Alabama, the more jobs we’re able to create.”

Two ATRIP projects will soon be underway within the Tuscaloosa city limits, including Loop and Hargrove roads.

Tuscaloosa Councilman, Bob Lundell said that the long-awaited final phase of the Loop Road realignment and resurfacing will be possible because of the state’s initiative.

“The loop road project started in 1992. Back then, the idea was to make it a two or three lane highway but the residents said that they didn’t want a speedway through there, so then it delayed,” Lundell said. “This is the last phase, phase three.”

There will also be improvements to Hargrove Road and Hackberry Lane for $3.5 million and to a portion of 10th Avenue for $6.8 million. The Hargrove Road project will re-align intersections with Prince and First avenues.

Lundell said the state runs the bids for the construction projects, and they are awarded to the lowest bidder. Since that is the case, the workers given the job may not be from the local area.

“It depends on the contractor. The last contractor for phase two was from Birmingham,” Lundell said. “They pick the lowest bidder, so they could be from Mobile.”

Lundell said that the state is totally in charge of the project, and that there is a stringent timetable placed on the construction firms.

“After the bids are awarded, [the contractors] have 100 days to finish the road.”

Councilman Kip Tyner said that he thinks that the workers should be Tuscaloosa residents.

“It just makes sense, and I think they should do that in other cities as well to help their economies,” Tyner said.

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