Stretch Of Oscar Baxter Drive To Close Next Week For Utility Work

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The Alabama Department of Transportation is set to close a small portion of Oscar Baxter Drive next week as the agency gears up to move forward on utility work for the Highway 69 flyover bridge.

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ALDOT says approximately 100 feet of Oscar Baxter Drive — between Wendy’s and Pizza Hut — will be closed from Wednesday, Jan. 3 through Friday, Jan. 26, to allow the City of Tuscaloosa to perform utility work.

This comes as more than 56,000 vehicles use the corridor per day, making an increase of 11% since 2016. The project is a joint project between ALDOT and the Tuscaloosa County Road Improvement Commission.

The agency explains that the flyover bridge will allow traffic to pass through the intersection of Highway 69 and Skyland Boulevard without stopping, while also adding northbound and southbound lanes from the Interstate 20/59 interchange to Plantation Road.

What's more, the bridge will also include separate ramps for vehicles to access I-20/59 and additional lanes to bring motorists down to the surface to gain access to Skyland Boulevard or Oscar Baxter Drive.

ALDOt says the project is expected to go to bid in early 2024 and will take approximately three years to complete.

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