TCRIC Annual Report: May 2020

 

Per the Tuscaloosa County Road Improvement Commission (“TCRIC” or “Commission”) by-laws, dated July 30, 2018, this report includes:

  • All bond issuances anticipated for the coming year
  • The financial condition of the Commission
  • All project schedules, and
  • Status of the commission’s performance

This report shall be available to the public though online publication (www.tcric.org), and a copy will be filed with the Tuscaloosa Public Library public information repository.


Commission Status and General Information

The TCRIC was created by House Bill 600 (Transforming Tuscaloosa Infrastructure) in 2015.  The Commission is governed by a seven-member board, and oversees the prioritization and financing of public road and bridge construction and maintenance projects, financed by tax proceeds allocated for use by the commission in accordance with HB 600.  Initial priority projects identified in HB 600 include,

 

  • Reimbursement of funds for improvements to Mitt Lary Road,
  • Improvements to State Route 69 South (“SR-69 South”)
  • Improvements to State Route 69 North (“SR-69 North”)
  • Improvements to Martin Luther King Boulevard/Jack Warner Parkway (“MLK/JWP”)
  • Improvements to McFarland Boulevard / US Highway 82 (“US-82”)
  • Improvements to McWright’s Ferry Road
  • Improvements to Bear Creek Cutoff Road

Commission members during FY2019 (October 1, 2018 – September 30, 2019), are identified below.

  • Mayor of the City of Tuscaloosa:  Mayor Walt Maddox, Chairman
  • Mayor of the City of Northport:  Mayor Donna Aaron, Vice-Chairman
  • Chair of the Tuscaloosa County Commission:  Judge Hardy McCollum (through December 2018) / Judge Rob Robertson (January 2019 – present)
  • Member appointed by the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce:  Mr. Jim Page
  • Executive Director of the Tuscaloosa County Industrial Development Authority: Mr. Claude Edwards, Interim Representative (through December 2019) / Mr. Randy Skagen, Interim Representative (January 2020 - present)
  • Member of the Tuscaloosa County Legislative:  State Representative Chris England
  • Member of the Tuscaloosa County Legislative: State Representative Gerald Allen (through December 2018), State Representative Rich Wingo (January 2019 – present)
  • Director of Alabama Department of Transportation (“ALDOT”), ex officio: James Brown

 

During FY2019, the Commission met monthly.  Minutes of meetings during FY2019 are available on the TCRIC website (www.tcric.org)


Financial Condition

The Commission has received monthly deposits from sales tax revenue collections since September 2016 (from July 1, 2016 sales and use taxes).  During FY2019, the Commission’s revenue totaled $9,178,100.

The ledger balance as of September 30, 2019 was approximately $6,289,334. From its inception, to September 30, 2019, disbursements totaled $20,119,543 for road improvement projects in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. 

The Commission continues to work cooperatively with the Cities of Northport and Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa County, and ALDOT to progress priority projects identified by the Commission’s enacting legislation. The Commission and ALDOT continue to make progress on a cost-sharing agreement for priority projects identified to be funded between them over a six-year period (2017-2022).

The Commission anticipates some form of borrowing to accommodate the funding needs for the priority projects prepared for letting in FY2020. The mechanism for such borrowing has not been finalized at this time. The Commission will continue to pursue any and all available local, state, and federal funding mechanisms for priority project completion.

 


TCRIC Project Summary

 

ACTIVE PROJECTS*

 

SR-69 North at Union Chapel Road (Intersection Improvements)

Project Lead:  City of Northport

Construction began in the Fall 2019 and is ongoing. TCRIC and Northport have provided 20% of the total project costs, consistent with the pre-existing agreement between the City of Northport and ALDOT. The project budget expects an overrun of approximately $320,000 due to increased site excavation prior to construction. TCRIC will bear 20% of any overruns. The project is expected to be complete in Summer 2020.

TCRIC funds expended to date equal an aggregate amount of $800,000 (in early 2017) to fund the City's 20% obligation for this project based on project estimates at that time. The City of Northport has initiated reimbursement requests to ALDOT pursuant to the parties’ reimbursement agreement for ALDOT’s portion of the project.

 

SR-69 South - Turn Lane Intersection Improvements:

Project Lead:  ALDOT

Construction bid was awarded in April 2020. Construction is expected to begin in May 2020 and last until Fall 2020. The Commission has committed a fixed sum of $1,900,000 for this project. ALDOT will be responsible for any remaining costs.

TCRIC funds expended to date equal an aggregate amount of $1,900,000.

 

SR-69 South - Intersection Improvements (Plantation Road to I-59 Overpass):

Project Lead:  ALDOT

This project is in right-of-way acquisition. Utility reimbursement agreements between the TCRIC and the City of Tuscaloosa and Alabama Power Company are also in process. Construction letting is anticipated for FY 2021.

The project is currently estimated to cost $65,500,000. Pursuant to the existing cost-sharing agreement with ALDOT for this project, the Commission has funded a portion of preliminary engineering and is providing continued funding for right-of-way and utility project costs. The Commission’s total project contribution is estimated to be $25,000,000.  To date, TCRIC funds expended total $1,650,000.

 

US-82/McFarland - University Blvd. Interchange: 

Project Lead:  ALDOT

The estimated cost for construction is more than $7,000,000 with a possible project decrease if right-of-way is donated.

Separate from the original project (and associated $7M budget), an INFRA grant has been awarded for funding of the proposed adaptive component bridge improvement at this intersection.

TCRIC funds expended to date equal an aggregate amount of $650,000.

 

McWright's Ferry Road: 

Project Lead:  City of Tuscaloosa

The City of Tuscaloosa will be managing and providing the up-front funding for the project, with TCRIC to reimburse the City for project costs up to $45,000,000. The project is currently in right-of-way acquisition and is anticipated to let in FY2021.

 

Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard/Jack Warner Parkway Improvements: 

Project Lead:  City of Tuscaloosa

The City of Tuscaloosa will be managing and providing the up-front funding for the project, with TCRIC to reimburse the City for project costs up to $32,000,000. The project is currently in right-of-way acquisition and is anticipated to let in FY2020. To date, TCRIC has reimbursed the City $800,000 for project expenditures.

 

SR-69 North at Charlie Shirley Road:

Project Lead:  City of Northport

The updated project cost estimate is in progress. Projected letting is anticipated in FY 2021, with ongoing PE work/costs and ROW work/acquisition to begin in Summer 2020.

 

COMPLETED PROJECTS

 

US-82/McFarland at Bear Creek Cutoff Road (Intersection Improvements):

Project Lead: ALDOT

TCRIC provided all funding to ALDOT for the project. TCRIC funds expended to date equal $3,383,000. An estimated overage of $375,000 remains due to be paid by TCRIC to ALDOT once the project's final close-out is completed by ALDOT.

 

US-82/McFarland Blvd at Hargrove Road (Intersection Improvements, access management and signalization work):

Project Lead: City of Tuscaloosa

TCRIC provided all funding to the City of Tuscaloosa for the project. TCRIC funds expended equaled $3,808,238. Project construction was completed in Fall 2019.

 

SR-69 South (additional lanes and access management):

Project Lead: ALDOT

This project, managed by ALDOT, added lanes and improved access management from Skyland Boulevard to the North end of Maxwell Loop Road. The project was completed in Spring 2018. The Commission contributed a fixed sum of $700,000 to ALDOT toward the $1,500,000 total project cost. The Commission’s goal in funding this project was to improve traffic control in anticipation of the extensive construction work planned at the intersection of SR-69 South and Skyland Boulevard.

 

SR-69 North at Martin Road (intersection Improvements):

Project Lead: Tuscaloosa County

This project was completed in mid-2018. TCRIC reimbursed the County roughly $1,100,100 and ALDOT reimbursed the County roughly $285,000 for the remaining costs pursuant to a pre-existing agreement.

 

Bear Creek Road/Bear Creek Cutoff Road Improvements:

Project Lead: Tuscaloosa County

This project, proposed and managed by Tuscaloosa County, was approved by the Commission to make Bear Creek Cutoff Road a through road, improve the railroad crossing, remove stop signs from the crossing, and create an improved intersection of Bear Creek Road and Bear Creek Cutoff road for continuous traffic flow.  The project was completed for a total cost of $849,253, and project reimbursement was paid to the County by the Commission in February 2019.  The Commission’s goal in funding this project was to improve traffic control in anticipation of the extensive construction work planned at the intersection of SR-69 South and Skyland Boulevard.

 

Mitt Lary Road Improvements

Project Lead:  City of Northport

Mitt Lary Road was expanded from two to three lanes, beginning in 2015.  Subsequently, and in accordance with HB600, the City of Northport was reimbursed $7,754,557 for this project, with the final monthly reimbursement payment made in March 2020.

 

 

*Data is as of approximately April 30, 2020