State Sen. Gerald Allen (R-Tuscaloosa) is requesting a meeting with Gov. Kay Ivey to ask about the state purchasing the Tuscaloosa Bypass Toll Bridge.
The bridge off Mallisham Parkway is another way for drivers to get to and from Northport and around Tuscaloosa. It has been a toll bridge since 1998, but Allen thinks it would benefit drivers if the state purchased it and eliminated the toll. The current toll is around $2 for a regular residential car. He said traffic would be relieved on McFarland Boulevard and Lurleen B. Wallace Boulevard, but there is also an economic incentive to purchase the bridge.
"It's an excellent place to expand economic growth and development for Tuscaloosa County and to offer sites for companies to locate in Alabama, locate in Tuscaloosa," Allen said. "It would give our citizens good quality paying jobs. I think it's very, very important for us. For a toll bridge to be located there, it's one of those kind of things that companies will probably look the other way and not be willing to commit or invest in Tuscaloosa."
Allen said he did not know how much it cost to build the bridge in the nineties or what it is worth now. That's why he wants to meet with the governor to discuss possibly getting an appraisal and speaking with the bridge company. The date for a meeting has not been set.
The toll company that owns the bridge, American Roads, has not returned a media request for comment by 1819 News.
In April, the state purchased the Baldwin County Bridge Company's toll bridge in South Alabama for $60 million.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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