Alabama Interstate Highways
There is a lot of information already in the WWW concerning the interstate highways that run through Alabama. I have some of those linked to my home page. There is some information of my own I wanted to add and that appears on this page.
I-10
Not a major player in Alabama, however it is the only route through Alabama that reaches both the east and west coasts.
I-20
Was once considered for being routed west out of Birmingham across to Columbus and Greenville in MS and El Dorado in AR but the population did not allow such a proposal to get very far. I-20 was relatively slow in completion especially through Birmingham and in west Alabama.
I-22
Does not exist. However there is a rumor that when US 78 is completed from Memphis to Birmingham (all of MS section and part of AL section is complete today) it will be signed I-22. I am curious if this will deflate the enthusiasm for a Memphis-to-Atlanta interstate through Huntsville and North Alabama. A NE Bypass of Birmingham connecting a few miles north of the intersection of this road (a direct connection would be better) and I-65 near Fultondale and I-459 is often discussed.
Corridor Links: ISTEA#10/APC Corridor X (US 78); ISTEA#28 (I-459)
UPDATE: The Birmingham Post-Herald ran this article on 2/06/1999.
I-28 or I-30
Does not exist in Alabama. The aforementioned interstate between Memphis and Atlanta will probably use one of these two numbers (however 32, 34, 36 and 38 are also available). If and when this occurs, I-565 may be part of the route and lose it's number status. For this road to become I-30 a 140 mile section between Little Rock and Memphis will be co-signed with I-40. This situation, as well as having both termini on the same interstate (I-20 in Atlanta and Dallas), has precedent in the Great Plains with I-90 and I-94. There is a lot of discussion about the route this road should take through Huntsville. Some say it ought to follow I-565 through town and others say it should stay south of the Tennessee River. (See HERE for the final decision of the AL DOT) I think that the road is unnecessary since thru traffic will soon be able to follow upgraded US78 and I-20. (Of course this is not a politically popular idea in the Tennessee Valley.) However, travel between Memphis and Huntsville will be improved when MS finishes their upgrade US 72 and TN completes the Nonconnah Parkway from I-240 in SE Memphis through Collierville to connect with US 72. Bypasses around Corinth and Decatur via the Outer Beltway are also important. Traffic between Atlanta and Huntsville will be improved if/when the route between Scottsboro, AL and Rome, GA (ALA 35 and 9 and GA 20) is also upgraded to a 4-lane with town bypasses.
Corridor Links: ISTEA#7 (US 72) ISTEA#11 (ALA 35/9)
I-59
Some question exists around the Internet as to the value of this road, however it is part of a major artery between New Orleans and the NE US.
I-65
This is probably the most important interstate in Alabama and certainly the most traveled. It traverses through or near the 4 largest cities in the state. It serves a similar role to I-35 in Texas. The downside is that I-65 is in the worst condition of all the interstates in Alabama. This state of decay has necessitated a large scale effort to upgrade the bridge crossings and to necessitate three-laning of sections particularly between Birminhham and I-565. The three-laning north out of Birmingham is almost complete to milemarker 292 and sections up to Cullman are being prepared for expansion. The high volume of traffic on I-65 have started talk of a toll road running parallel but passing through underserved areas of west Alabama and providing a better route to Gulf Shores. The last 2 digit interstate section in Alabama to be completed is part of I-65 north of Birmingham through Warrior.
I-85
Does a good job connecting the south half of Alabama with Atlanta and serves the town of my alma mater(Auburn) very well. It is not a heavily travelled road except through Montgomery and on Auburn football Saturdays. Some have suggested continuing the road west to Meridian, MS parallel to US 80, however an upgrade of US 80 to 4 lane that is almost completed is a good alternative. Even more have discussed a westward extension of I-16 from Macon to Columbus, GA and onto I-85 near Tuskegee, with the possibility of renaming the part west I-16 given a westward expansion to Meridian. I don't expect either to happen.
The loops and spurs
I-165
The newest interstate in Alabama. Was created to get traffic off of I-65 into downtown a few minutes faster. Urban congestion prohibited a terminus with I-10, although such a connection would have helped traffic flow. Was built through a poor area of Mobile where land was relatively cheap.
I-359
Alabama's shortest Interstate was added to releave traffic on McFarland Blvd in Tuscaloosa and provide an alternate route to the Univ. of Alabama. An extension to connect to US 82 in Northport would be a good addition.
I-459
Certainly a very important bypass for Birmingham's southside suburbs. Growth along this corridor has been tremendous. This road is signed as a bypass of I-59 however it is probably not necessary for such except during peak rush hour. It is better served as a short cut to Atlanta and I-20. In reality, its primary purpose is as a commuter route to businesses and homes in the suburbs.
I-565
The last 19 miles of this road were completed between my moving here in March 1989 and summer of 1992 after I moved to Huntsville. The history behind this road is pretty rich. In the 1950's, Decatur was predicted to be the hub of north Alabama thus I-65 was routed closer to Decatur than Huntsville. With Redstone Arsenal and NASA everything changed and Huntsville became an interste orphan in desparate need of a link to I-65. Traffic on local arteries was choked during rush hour as traffic had to manuver through more than one traffic light at many intersections. Before that, in 1968, the route was proposed and land deals were first started. For the next 20 years not nuch happened except the upgrade of a couple of miles of HWY 20/ALT 72 near Greenbrier to interstate status. From 1988 to almost 1992, the cities of Huntsville and Madison saw a lot of highway construction right through the middle of the population - mostly businesses were displaced, however. Traffic became worse as temporary roads and bypasses were used throughout. One unexpected complication was a bridge on Rideout Road that had to be rebuilt after accidently getting hit by a crane. For a while, all E-W traffic was routed on 2-lane and narrow Old Madison Pike. This is amazing since the same route today requires a 10 lane expressway. I-565 has greatly relieved congestion in Huntsville, however traffic on Memorial Parkway has increased a bit. See my US Highways page for more on that problem.
I-759
After many complaints about how long it takes to get through Gadsden on US 431, someone listened and added this spur. However it does not really connect to the road it is intended to bypass and you have to take some local roads to reconnect with US 431. I would like to see this road extended to connect with US 431 near Glencoe and reappear as a similar spur around the east side of Anniston (although I-320 might be a more appropriate number) another very difficult town to get through in good time. Recently funding for an eastern bypass around Anniston was approved. Having the spur connect the two cities would be nice, but probably unnecessary until the population growth demands it.