Alabama State Route 20

State Route 20 (SR-20) runs from the Tennessee state line (State Route 69) northwest of Florence, Alabama, east to I-65 east of Decatur in the northwestern Alabama. It crosses the Tennessee River at Florence (with US-43, US-72, SR-2 (unsigned), SR-13 (unsigned), SR-17, and SR-157) and also at Decatur (with US-31, Alternate US-72, SR-3 (unsigned))

Alternate US-72 follows Highway 20 from the Junction of US-72 at Muscle Shoals to I-65 east of Decatur, the entire stretch being four laned.

History

State Route 20 was created when Alabama renumbered State Route 41 with a statewide renumbering in 1929. The original route ran from US-72 at Muscle Shoals to US-31 at Decatur. This portion was named the Joe Wheeler Highway and markers commemorating this are still located on East (Decatur at ailroad/Church Streets) and West (Tuscumbia-Old Lee Highway) ends. In 1931, Highway 20 replaced State Route 2 following US-72 west to the Mississippi state line west of Margerum and in 1936 was extended east to Huntsville.

1957 saw many changes to SR-20. It was replaced again by SR-2 along US-72 to the Mississippi state line, and in turn SR-20 replaced SR-2 running north to Florence and northwest of Florence to the Tennessee state line (State Route 69), forming a route popularly known as New Savannah Highway. Highway 20 was also re-aligned to a much more direct route between Decatur and Huntsville, bypassing the town of Madison.

Beginning in the early 1980s, the eastern terminus of Highway 20 began retreating to the west. The original terminus was at Clinton Avenue and US-231/US-431 in downtown Huntsville. With the construnction of I-565 in the early 1990s along the route of Highway 20 east of I-65, Highway 20 was slowly pulled back to its current terminus at the junction of I-65 and becomes I-565.

Major intersections

Historic routes

Several sections of Old Highway 20 still exist:

• Lauderdale County Road 200 through Sullivans Crossroads, Central Heights, Lovelace and McGee Town, known as Old Savannah Highway.
• Lauderdale County Road 41 from McGee Town to Florence
• Colbert County Road 22 through Leighton.
• Jefferson Street through Courtland
• Old Trinty Road between Trinity and Decatur
• Old Highway 20 through Mooresville - The section east of Mooresville is part of the 1957 alignment.
• 1936 Alignment
  • Mooresville Road north of Mooresville through Belle Mina to Old Highway 20.
  • Old Highway 20 east through Greenbriar to County Line Road.
  • County Line Road north to Palmer Road.
  • Palmer Road east to Downtown Madison.
  • Old Madison Pike from Madison to I-565 / Exit 15.
• 1957 Alignment
  • Madison Boulevard from I-565 / Exit 5 to I-565 / Exit 13.
• Governors Drive in Huntsville from I-565 / Exit 17 to Clinton Avenue.
• Clinton Avenue in Huntsville to US-231/US-431, Memorial Parkway.

Corridor V

Corridor V is part of the Appalachian Development Highway System and follows the path of Highway 20 between Decatur and the eastern Terminus at Interstate 65.

References