Alabama State Route 20

State Route 20 marker

State Route 20
Route information
Maintained by ALDOT
Length: 73.978 mi[1] (119.056 km)
Major junctions
West end: SR 69 northwest of Florence
  Natchez Trace Parkway northwest of Florence
US-43 / US-72 / SR-157 at Florence

US-72 Alt. / SR-157 at Muscle Shoals
SR-67 at Decatur
US-31 at Decatur
East end:
I65 / I565 / US-72 Alt. at Mooresville
Location
Counties: Lauderdale, Colbert, Lawrence, Morgan, Limestone
Highway system
  • Alabama State Routes
I20SR-21

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-17, and SR-157) and also at Decatur (with US-31 and Alternate US-72)

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 construction 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

CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
Lauderdale 0.0000.000 SR 69 north SavannahTennessee state line
 7.64512.303Natchez Trace Parkwayinterchange
 17.16227.620 SR-133 south (Cox Creek Parkway) to US-43 north / US-72 east Athens, Joe Wheeler State Park
Florence22.04835.483 US-43 north / US-72 east / SR-13 north / SR-17 north (SR-2 east) – Port of FlorenceWestern end of US-43 / US-72 / SR-2 / SR-13 / SR-17 concurrency; interchange
Tennessee River22.79536.685O'Neal Bridge
ColbertSheffield
Muscle Shoals
24.47539.389 SR-184 east (Second Street) Muscle Shoals, Sheffield
Tuscumbia / Muscle Shoals27.80344.745 US-43 south / SR-13 south / SR-17 south / US-72 west (SR-2) Russellville, Corinth, TuscumbiaEastern end of US-43 / US-72 concurrency; western end of US-72 Alt. concurrency
 29.87048.071 SR-133 north / SR-157 north (Wilson Dam Road) / CR-57 south Airportwest end of SR-157 overlap
 32.18951.803 SR-157 south Moulton, CullmanEastern end of SR-157 concurrency; no left turn westbound
LawrenceTown Creek43.10369.368 SR-101 Lexington, Hatton, Wheeler Dam, Joe Wheeler State Park
Courtland50.60981.447 SR-33 south Moulton, Courtland Historic District
Morgan 65.780105.863 SR-67 south (Beltline Road)
Decatur69.147111.281 US-31 south (6th Avenue / SR-3) HartselleWestern end of US-31 / SR-3 concurrency
Morgan
Limestone
68.484110.214Steamboat Bill Memorial Bridges over Tennessee River
Limestone72.130116.082 US-31 north (SR-3) Athens, Calhoun Community CollegeEastern end of US-31 / SR-3 concurrency; interchange
73.978119.056 I65 – Nashville, Birmingham

I565 east / US-72 Alt. east Huntsville
Eastern terminus and signed as exits 1A (south) and 1B (north); I-65 north exit 340, south exit 340A-B
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Historic routes

Several sections of Old Highway 20 still exist:

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.

See also

References

External links