Commission Approves $17K For Traffic Study Near Mercedes

TUSCALOOSA, AL — As Mercedes-Benz U.S. International moves forward on a massive expansion of its facilities in Vance, the Tuscaloosa County Commission is doing its due diligence in understanding the nuances of how the expansion will impact the area's infrastructure.

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On Wednesday, county commissioners unanimously approved $17,800 from the county's general fund budget to be put toward an Alabama Department of Transportation traffic study for Will Walker Road and M-Class Boulevard, which will be a high-traffic corridor for the new $53.6 million, 500,000-square-foot facility planned by Mercedes.

As Patch previously reported, the expansion will serve as a storage and sequence facility for parts used in electric vehicles as the German automaker aims to raise its profile in the electric vehicle market. Mercedes has plans for the production of six all-electric models by the end of 2022, with two of them being assembled at the plant in Vance.

"There have been some large state dollars that have gone into this and we are going to benefit in a big way, but this is what’s asked of it," Probate Judge Rob Robertson, who chairs the commission, said of the traffic study.

District 2 Commissioner Jerry Tingle, whose district includes Vance and Mercedes, said the funds for the study were readily available from multiple sources and would not be a financial burden.

"I've got extra road money," he pointed out, mentioning his district funds. "We’ve got money to do it even if it comes out of my money."

The measure passed with a 3-0 vote in favor, with District 1 Commissioner Stan Acker not in attendance.

The traffic study will also be the latest local expense for the ongoing Mercedes expansion, as the county has secured funding for road improvements to 1,000 feet of Will Walker Road, extending east from M-Class Boulevard. Porter-Higginbotham Engineering, Inc. is the engineering firm tasked with design services through the completion of the project.

Patch reported in December when the County Commission was informed that the state had tentatively approved $258,000 to cover the cost of the road construction, while the county also agreed to kick in an additional $64,500 in local funds to expedite the process and avoid having to deal with a matching grant — the process of which can take longer and be more cumbersome than providing direct funding to the project.

When the expansion is operational in roughly a year, previous plans said Mercedes will hire 162 people before raising that total to 400 over the next three years.

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