Plans Underway to Unite Tuscaloosa’s Riverwalks, Creating Unbroken 9-Mile Path

The final touches are being planned to connect the three segments of the Tuscaloosa Riverwalk, ultimately creating a continuous path around the Black Warrior River spanning over 9 miles.

There are still contracts to be bid out and let, and a substantial amount of construction work to be completed over the next several years. Still, at Tuesday's Transportation Summit, Tuscaloosa City Engineer Michael Gardiner outlined how it could all come together by 2030 into a crown jewel showcasing the riverfront.

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Right now, the newest section of the path, the Western Riverwalk, ends somewhat unceremoniously near the city's iconic 125-year-old wooden Mobile & Ohio Railroad Trestle bridge and picks up again near the Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater.

However, after years of negotiations with the railroad company, Gardiner announced that Phase 3 of the city's expansion and improvements to Jack Warner Parkway will soon commence.

The $47 million project will widen the driving lanes under the railroad trestle and improve the intersection where Jack Warner Parkway meets Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard in West Tuscaloosa. The Western Riverwalk will be connected to the path near the Amphitheater as part of that work.

"We're finally reaching the culmination of this long challenge with the railroad for approval of our plans," Gardiner said. "We're moving forward with this one, expecting to be able to start construction this spring."

With a two-and-a-half-year timeline, that work could be completed in 2028, linking the mile-long Western Riverwalk to the multi-mile path that passes by downtown, the River Market, and the southern edge of the University of Alabama campus

Further east, the city plans to extend the Tuscaloosa Riverwalk where it currently ends, past Manderson Landing and the campus. They are also working with the Alabama Department of Transportation to link that new extension to a pedestrian portion of their new eight-lane Woolsey Finnell Bridge.

We break out that $132 million ALDOT project in another story, but it's a 3- to 4-year job and will take the Riverwalk across the Black Warrior, where it can connect to the Northern Riverwalk at the Randall Family Park & Trailhead.

There, the city is already finalizing plans to add almost two miles of new trail, with the project set to begin in Spring 2026 and potentially wrap up around the end of the year.

Phase 2 of the Northern Riverwalk will connect the path's end in Randall Family Park to the pedestrian bridge of the city's recently opened extension of McWright's Ferry Road.

The pathway then continues all the way to Bluegrass Parkway, near New Watermelon Road, and the lakes of north Tuscaloosa.

"One project on the south side of Woollsey Finnell, another on the north side that would connect the bridge along Rice Mine Loop and connect to Randall Park, plus the connectivity that we're going to create with the MLK Phase 3 Project," Gardiner said. "When we get all of these Riverwalk projects complete, we'll end up with about a 9.2-mile Riverwalk from the Western Riverwalk Park all the way to Bluegrass Parkway."

Archival editorial coverage described the first section of Tuscaloosa's Riverwalk, which opened in 2002, as "a delightful beginning" that could bring unique opportunities for both recreational and commercial development.

Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox has been in city government since 2001, first as a city councilman and then serving as mayor since 2005. He's been a driving force behind numerous projects over the years to expand and improve the Riverwalk, which has indeed attracted investment from restaurants and retailers.

As the vision for this almost 15-kilometer path marches toward becoming reality, the mayor told the Thread that he's excited to see it all come together.

"What began as a bold idea is now closer than ever to becoming a defining thread that connects our City, literally and figuratively. For the first time, all the pieces are in place to bring the full Riverwalk to life as a continuous, over 9-mile corridor stretching from the Oliver Lock and Dam to Bluegrass Parkway," Maddox said. "In just a few years, families will be able to walk, run, bike, or push a stroller along a seamless path that winds through the heart of Tuscaloosa. It’s more than infrastructure; it’s a legacy of connection, wellness, and shared public space that will serve generations to come."

The process involves many moving parts and significant projects, including the multi-year work on Jack Warner Parkway, the state's colossal task of replacing the McFarland Boulevard bridge, and even the Sports Illustrated resort on Rice Mine Road. Still, by 2030, Tuscaloosa could boast one of the longest recreational riverwalks in the United States.

For more coverage of all those projects and other news in West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.