What Is the TIP and Why Does It Matter?

The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is how we take big transportation goals for the Auburn-Opelika area and turn them into real projects that get built. The TIP takes ideas from our region's Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)—things we hope to do over the next 20–25 years—and enters them into a short-term list of projects that we can start within the next 4 years.

The TIP includes a wide range of improvements, from repairing roads and bridges to making walking and biking safer.

The TIP also shows how these projects will be funded. Transportation investments in our area rely on a mix of local and federal funding.

The current 2024–2027 TIP projects are taken from the 2045 LRTP.

What Area is Covered by the TIP?

The Auburn-Opelika MPO area includes the urban areas of Auburn and Opelika, and parts of Lee County.

LRTP Map

How Are Projects Selected for the TIP?

The City of Auburn, the City of Opelika, Lee County, the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the Lee-Russell Council of Governments (as the entity responsible for the management of the AOMPO) participate in the TIP cooperative process. Member governments select TIP projects based on recommendations from Auburn, Opelika, and Lee County engineers, available funds, and the following priorities:

TIP Priorities

Opelika

Documents

TIP-2026-02-05.pdf

The TIP Process

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TIP Projects Are Proposed

Projects are selected from the corresponding period's Long Range Transportation Plan. Auburn, Opelika, and Lee County engineers agree on project priorities and ensure that projects are within budget.

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TIP Projects Are Selected

Local governments submit the projects to the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT), where they are programmed into the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).

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2024-2027 TIP Is Drafted

The TIP is drafted by LRCOG staff and put before the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Policy Board and Committees for review and approval.

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Public Comment Period

The draft TIP is made available for review and comment by the public. Public input is documented and acted upon, if necessary.

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TIP Is Finalized and Approved

The TIP is finalized and put before the MPO for adoption.

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TIP Projects Are Implemented

The work begins!

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TIP Projects Are Amended as Needed

If a highway-oriented project's scope or budget changes significantly, the MPO Board and supporting committees review and amend the project. This amendment process occurs at public MPO meetings.

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2024-2027 TIP Is Completed

The TIP projects are complete! Work begins on developing the next four-year TIP to improve transportation in the Auburn-Opelika area. Stay tuned for the 2028-2031 TIP!