Alabama State Route 255

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State Route 255 runs from I-565 to State Route 53 on the west side of Huntsville, Alabama. Most of the route is a limited access highway, with then entire route planned to be limited access. The road is Huntsville's western bypass.

1 Major Junctions
2 History
3 Future Plans
4 See also

[edit] Major Junctions

State Route 255 has the following interchanges:

I-565 / Exit 14
Old Madison Pike
Bradford Drive
US 72 - University Drive
Oakwood Road
Plummer Road (last exit)
Nick Fitcheard Road (at grade)
State Route 53 - Ardmore Highway (at grade- proposed interchange)
Pulaski Pike (at grade)
Bob Wade Lane (at grade)

SR 255 continues south as Rideout Road, entering Redstone Arsenal at Gate 9 and continues north and east as Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.

[edit] History

State Route 255 was created around 1969 as part of a proposed north bypass of Huntsville. The original route ran from Redstone Arsenal Gate 9 to US 72 as limited access highway with exits for U.S. Highway 72 Alternate/State Route 20 (now I-565), Old Madison Pike, and ending at US 72, with plans to extend north. AL 255 only appeared on maps and was unsigned, and simple know as the Rideout Road Extension, or just simply Rideout Road.

During the construnction of I-565 in 1990, a truck towing a crane disloged the southbound bridge over AL 20 forcing an earlier replacement of the bridge. SR 255 was first signed as an exit off of I-565.

State Route 255 was extended north in 1996 to State Route 53. In 2001 the road was named Research Park Boulevard after Cummings Research Park which the road passes.

In 2005 an extension of the current road known as the Northern Bypass was constructed east several miles to just past Pulaski Pike on the north side of Huntsville. This road was named after Martin Luther King, Jr. and built to the same road standands as the present at grade portion of SR 255, allowing for future upgrade to limited access. The road was built as part of a deal with the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama Plant to allow faster access to I-565.

[edit] Future Plans

In 2007, work will begin on an interchange at State Route 53, according to the Alabama Department of Transportation.

In 2008 or 2009, construction will begin on the $500 million Southern Bypass through Redstone Arsenal, which will extend 255 south from its current terminus at 565 to US 231 in south Huntsville. It will become part of the proposed Memphis-Huntsville-Atlanta highway.

The city of Huntsville has begun studies to extend the road to US 231/US 431 North towards Meridianville parallel to Bob Wade Lane. Eventually 255 will be built east and south to US 72 east of Huntsville. [1]