Road Projects

Construction timelines depend on the weather, funding, supply procurement and many other factors. Learn more about specific projects from the Capital Projects story map and the Tuscaloosa County Road Improvement Commission.

Roadwork is not like paving a driveway; it's more complicated than you think to build a road. They have to buy property, do environmental testing, coordinate specialized crews, relocate utilities, build or update drainage systems, install curb and gutter, cure concrete, stripe, install guardrails … oh, and pave, then pave again.

There could be many reasons why you don’t see anyone actually working on site. If it’s not raining, they could be waiting for the concrete to cure or waiting for the dirt to get to a certain temperature or moisture content. They could also be waiting on a supply that’s back ordered.

We usually have to pay people more to work at night and workers are entitled to overtime after eight hours a day and 40 hours a week. Speed costs more and public dollars are limited.

For the City of Tuscaloosa currently, it’s a matter of funding. This is when we or ALDOT secured the funds to make these improvements. Within the recovery zone, there is a limited time we have to spend the money we received in disaster funding. The clock is ticking!