City seeks ATRIP grant to fund access work to Julia Tutwiler Lane tied to Woolsey Bonnell bridge

Tuscaloosa city leaders authorized staff to apply for an ATRIP grant — a state transportation funding window — to pay for construction of a new access from McFarland onto Julia Tutwiler Lane tied to the Woolsey Bonnell bridge project.

Mayor Maddox and city staff said the access work will require reconfiguration of school property, a roundabout and changes to bus and parent drop-off circulation. The council previously approved city-funded engineering and hired Duncan Coker as the project engineer; staff said the grant would cover up to $2,000,000 of construction costs while the estimated construction cost is about $3,400,000, leaving roughly $1,400,000 to $1,500,000 as a city-funded remainder when construction is budgeted.

Carly Standridge told the council, “The grant maximum is $2,000,000. And currently, the estimated construction cost is $3,400,000… so we are anticipating about another $1,500,000 that the grant maximum will not cover.” Standridge said ATRIP is a no-match grant so the city is not required to have match funds in hand at the time of award; the city would have a two-year window from award to obligate funds and complete final design and bidding.

Mike Gardner, who led engineering discussions, said staff had worked for months with ALDOT, property owners and the school system to secure an exit from the McFarland improvements to Julia Tutwiler. Gardner said the access alignment requires the use of a portion of school property to create the correct geometry for a roundabout and to reconfigure campus traffic to separate buses from parent drop-off. Gardner described the bulk of the construction cost as building the roundabout and integrating it into the school campus and nearby Campus Drive turn-lane improvements.

City staff told the council they could not start major construction until ALDOT’s schedule for the Woolsey Bonnell bridge work is clear; staff said coordinating construction sequencing with ALDOT is preferable for logistical and pricing reasons. The ATRIP application deadline noted in the meeting was Nov. 5; staff said awards are typically announced within about three months and the city would likely have until the first quarter of the following year to obligate funding and proceed with bidding and construction scheduling.

Council members approved authorization for the mayor and staff to submit the ATRIP application by voice vote. Staff will continue coordination with ALDOT and the Tuscaloosa City Schools on right-of-way and design issues if the grant is awarded.