The Paul Bryant Bridge is a four-lane, , $28 million bridge spanning the
Black Warrior River
The Black Warrior River is a waterway in west-central Alabama in the southeastern United States. The river rises in the extreme southern edges of the Appalachian Highlands and flows 178 miles (286 km) to the Tombigbee River, of which the Bl ...
along
Alabama State Route 297 in
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa ( ) is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States, on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal and Piedmont plains meet. Alabama's fifth-largest city, it had an estimated population of 1 ...
.
Construction of the , twin-span bridge commenced in March 2000. Originally slated to open in December 2003, construction delays resulted in its opening on April 23, 2004.
Serving as the fourth crossing of the
Black Warrior River
The Black Warrior River is a waterway in west-central Alabama in the southeastern United States. The river rises in the extreme southern edges of the Appalachian Highlands and flows 178 miles (286 km) to the Tombigbee River, of which the Bl ...
in Tuscaloosa County, this was the first phase of the larger
Warrior Loop project slated for completion by 2012.
Constructed by the R.R. Dawson Bridge Company, during the course of its construction, two workers died while on the job in October 2001 and again in April 2003.
In January 2003, then Governor Don Siegleman ordered state transportation director Paul Bowlin to name the bridge in honor of long-time
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...
head football coach
Paul "Bear" Bryant
Paul William "Bear" Bryant (September 11, 1913 – January 26, 1983) was an American college football player and coach. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, and best known as the head coach of t ...
.
See also
*
List of crossings of the Black Warrior River
*
Alabama State Route 297
References
{{coord, 33.2415, N, 87.5054, W, display=title
Bridges completed in 2004
Transportation in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Bridges over the Black Warrior River
Buildings and structures in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Road bridges in Alabama
Transportation buildings and structures in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama
2004 establishments in Alabama