Interstate 565

Interstate 565
Route information
Maintained by ALDOT
Length:	21.688 mi[1] (34.903 km)
Existed:	1991 – present
Major junctions
West end:	I-65 / US-72 Alt. / SR-20 in Decatur
East end:	US-72 / US-72 Alt. in Huntsville
Location
Counties:	Limestone, Madison
Highway system
Auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System Main • Auxiliary • Business Alabama State Routes ← I-459 SR-604 →

Interstate 565 (I-565) is a 22-mile (35 km) long Interstate spur that connects Interstate 65 (I-65) in Decatur, Alabama with U.S. Highway 72 in Huntsville, Alabama.

I-565 serves the cities of Decatur, Madison, and downtown Huntsville. It also provides a route to the Huntsville International Airport.

I-565 forms a part of Appalachian Development Highway System Corridor V. U.S. Highway 72 Alternate also follows this entire route of I-565.

Contents 1 History 2 Future 3 Exit list 4 References 5 External links

History

When the Interstate Highway System was first laid out during the mid-1950s, Interstate 65 was routed on a north-south bee line connecting Nashville, Tenn., with Birmingham, Ala. This route passes just to the east of Decatur, which was a major river port on the Tennessee River at the time. Huntsville, however, was still a small town about twenty miles (32 km) to the east of I-65.

During the latter 1950s and all through the 1960s, Huntsville underwent massive population growth due to the establishment of the U.S. Army Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal, and the new NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. By 1960, Huntsville had grown to more than twice the size of Decatur. It became clear that an Interstate Highway spur route would be beneficial to connect Huntsville with I-65, and thence to the rest of the country. I-565 was chosen as the Federal Highway Administration's number for this proposed spur expressway. It was decided that rather than terminating at the western edge of Huntsville, I-565 would extend farther eastward, providing an east-west freeway for Huntsville. On the eastern edge of Huntsville, I-565 was designed to feed into U.S. Highway 72, which was being widened to a four-lane highway running from Huntsville to Kimball, Tenn., where it feeds into Interstate 24.

Construction of I-565 began in 1987, and the freeway was opened on October 26, 1991. By the time construction had begun, Huntsville had become the most populous city in the contiguous United States without a freeway connection to the Interstate Highway System.

When I-565 was first opened, it was signed as a north–south highway. This created some confusion because the highway runs roughly east–west. It was re-designated soon after opening.^[2]

Unlike many urban Interstate Highways which have a uniform speed limit of 55 mph (89 km/h), I-565 has a speed limit of 70 mph (110 km/h), continuing well into the city.

On November 20, 2006, a school bus carrying high school students collided with another vehicle or swerved to avoid a collision and drove off an elevated off-ramp, falling nose-first approximately 30 feet (9.1 m) to the ground.^[3][4] Four teenage girls were killed in the accident.^[5] (See 2006 Huntsville bus accident.)

Future

Plans are currently in place to extend I-565 east several miles past the junction of U.S. Highway 72 along a newly upgraded freeway section of US 72 east of Huntsville. Construction could start on two new exits at Moores Mill Road and Shields Road by 2011. In Madison, Ala., there are plans to construct a new interchange at County Line Road. An extension of 565 west, from the current terminus at I-65, along the route of Alabama Hwy. 20 and Alternate US 72 to its junction with U.S. Highway 31 near Decatur, is also planned. In January 2007, politicians in Northwestern Alabama announced that they would launch a campaign to extend I-565 westward to Florence.^[6] I-565 is part of a proposed highway that would connect Memphis, Tenn., with Atlanta. Ga., via Rome, Ga., and Chattanooga as part of ISTEA High Priority Corridor 7.^[7]

Exit list

County	Location	Mile[1]	#	Destinations	Notes
Limestone	Decatur	0.000		SR-20 west (US-72 Alt. west) – Decatur	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		0.000	1	I-65 – Birmingham, Nashville	Signed as exits 1A (south) and 1B (north) eastbound
	Huntsville
			2	Mooresville Road
		3.477	3	Greenbrier Road
			5	Madison Boulevard, County Line Road	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; former SR-20 east
Madison			7	Huntsville International Airport
	Madison		9[8]	Wall-Triana Highway, Madison Boulevard (SR-20)
	Huntsville	13.059	13	Madison Boulevard	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; former SR-20 west
		14.365	14	SR-255 north (Research Park Boulevard) – Redstone Arsenal Gate 9	Signed as exits 14A (Gate 9) and 14B (SR-255) westbound
			15	Madison Pike, Sparkman Drive, Bob Wallace Avenue	Entrance to U.S. Space and Rocket Center
		17.015	17A	SR-53 north (Jordan Lane) to US-72	Signed as exit 17 westbound
		17.381	17B	SR-53 south (Governors Drive)	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		19.057	19	US-231 / US-431 (Memorial Parkway, SR-1)	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; signed as exits 19A (south) and 19B (north)
		19.057	19B	US-231 / US-431 (Memorial Parkway, SR-1) / Pratt Avenue west, Washington Street north	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
			19C	Washington Street, Jefferson Street - Downtown	Signed as exit 19A westbound
			20	Oakwood Avenue, Andrew Jackson Way
		21.688	21	US-72 west (SR-2 west)
		21.688		US-72 east (SR-2 east)	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi      Concurrency terminus •      Closed/Former •      Incomplete access •      Unopened

References

External links

• Interstate Guide I-565
• AA-Roads Corridor V / Corridor 7
• AA-Roads Corridor 11

Auxiliary routes of Interstate 65 Alabama: 165 • 565 — Kentucky-Indiana: 265 — Indiana: 465 • 865 — Tennessee: 265 (former)

Interstate Highways in Alabama Current 10 20 59 359 459 759 65 165 565 85 Future 22 422 685 Former 210