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Vol. XXVI • No. 5
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Tuscaloosa Sees Progress On Road Expansion Project Bold as a Lion Studios photo
Crews have put in long hours at times to stay on schedule.
City of Tuscaloosa, Ala., photo
The extension of McWright’s Ferry Road, which got under way last July, will connect Rice Mine Road to the new Watermelon Road, creating a bridge across the North River.
The city of Tuscaloosa, Ala., is looking to ease travel times for local drivers by spending millions of dollars on the McWright’s Ferry Road Extension project. One of the largest construction efforts to ever take place within Tuscaloosa County, the extension of McWright’s Ferry Road, which got under way last July, will connect Rice Mine Road to the new Watermelon Road, creating a bridge across the North River. Additionally, the project includes a pedestrian bridge over the river and a shared-use path which will ultimately connect to Tuscaloosa’s Northern Riverwalk. It also is expected to reduce commute times for those traveling in and out of the area and create additional access for first responders in emergencies. Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox told WVTM-TV in Birmingham that the road project is long overdue for many residents. see ROAD page 6
In Alabama, a $28 million project designed to accommodate weekly international cargo flights from Stuttgart, Germany, to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) is nearing completion. The roughly 53,000-sq.-ft. air cargo facility is constructed from pre-engineered metal with a wind load of 107 mph. “Several years ago, the Birmingham Airport Authority [BAA] began to detect an increasing demand for cargo operations in central Alabama,” said Kim Ford, BAA vice president of communications. “This included a growing trend for logistics companies looking to operate out of ‘secondary airports,’ which refers to smaller airports that are less congested than the large hubs. When these companies go looking to partner with airports, they typically want to lease existing facilities. “To be in the game, the BAA needed the right kind of facility in place. The board committed to designing and building a new facility so the BAA could leverage both existing infrastructure and the new building in negotiations with future operators.” The project is 100 percent funded by BAA and should be completed by early summer. A ceremony to officially kick off construction took place in May 2023.
By Cindy Riley
CEG CORRESPONDENT
Ford noted that Birmingham is an ideal site for additional cargo business. “BHM is located in central Alabama, with great access to major highway and interstate systems. BHM has the infrastructure to accommodate additional cargo traffic on the airfield. BHM does not have the congestion found at larger hub airports in the region, which means that companies can get goods in more quickly and on to their destination more efficiently.” The main impact to day-to-day activity is that the existing air cargo apron is cut down to half its capacity while concrete reconstruction and apron expansion is under way. This is one of the many areas where collaboration between contractor, operators and airport operations is critical. “The general contractor on this project is Stone Building Company,” Ford said. “Stone is a local company, which means that BAA’s investment is having the maximum economic impact on our local community. Stone earned the contract by being the lowest responsive and optimal bidder in a very structured and open process.” Ford said for the most part, the work is going according to plan. see CARGO page 2