U.S. Route 278 in Alabama

U.S. Highway 278 (US-278), mostly internally designated by the Alabama Department of Transportation as State Route 74 (SR-74), is a major east–west state highway across the northern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. West of Hamilton, SR-74 continues west to end at US-78 (SR-4), while US-278 turns south along US-43 (SR-17 and SR-171) to Guin, where it turns west along SR-118 to Mississippi.

Route description

For the most part, US-278 and SR-74 are routed parallel to U.S. Highway 78, along the north side of it. The only section of State Route 74 that is signed as an independent route is along the former route of US-78 between the interchange with Corridor X/Future Interstate 22 and downtown Hamilton, a distance of approximately five miles. East of Hamilton, SR-74 is partnered with U.S. Highway 278.

Until the mid 1980's, a Business U.S. 278 existed in the city of Piedmont. U.S. 278 is carried on a four lane segment that bypasses the center of Piedmont. The Business U.S. 278 routing began where the four lane segment begins on the northeast side of Piedmont, then ran southwest into the center of the city and junctioned with Alabama State Route 9 and then ran north co-signed with Alabama 9 until junctioning with the 4 lane U.S 278 on the northern edge of the city.

History

During the 1960s–1980s, there were some different variations of the routing of U.S. 278 through the cities of Gadsden and Attalla, however construction of fourlane segments on the western side of Gadsden and in Attalla allowed the route to be placed on its current route which has been in place since the mid 1980s.

A four-laning project is ongoing east of Gadsden near the town of Hokes Bluff.

Junction list

• U.S. Highway 43 and U.S. Highway 278 and unsigned State Route 171 at Hamilton
• State Route 5 and State Route 13 at Natural Bridge
• Interstate 65 in Cullman
• U.S. Highway 31 and unsigned State Route 3 in Cullman
• State Route 157 in Cullman
• U.S. Highway 231 and unsigned State Route 53 west of Snead
• State Route 79 west of Snead
• State Route 75 at Snead
• State Route 132 at Walnut Grove
• U.S. Highway 431 and unsigned State Route 1 at Attalla. Routes 278, 431, 1 and 74 overlap until they split at Gadsden
• U.S. Highway 11 and unsigned State Route 7 at Attalla
• Interstate 59 at Gadsden
• U.S. Highway 411 and unsigned State Route 25 at Gadsden.
• State Route 9 at Piedmont

References