The Alabama Department of Transportation will feature its first major Rebuild Alabama Act project in Tuscaloosa County this fall with a job that is expected to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion along US-82 (McFarland Boulevard) from Highway 69 to Rice Mine Road.

The 2.77-mile project will add a travel lane in each direction, provide better access management to businesses and a shared-use path for bicyclists and pedestrians. The latest traffic counts showed more than 50,000 trips made per day on the heavily traveled highway.

Ikaros, LLC was the lowest of three bidders at $33,910,000. Proceeds from the state gas tax increase will fully fund the project.

Construction is expected to begin in late November and continue until Summer 2024. The contractor expects to start work in the median near Hunter Creek Road. At least two lanes will be open in each direction during weekdays between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.

To better accommodate traffic, roadway closures will not be allowed from Friday evening through Sunday morning when the University of Alabama has a home football game.