Interstate 65 in Alabama

Interstate 65
Route information
Maintained by ALDOT
Length:	367 mi[1] (591 km)
Major junctions
South end:	I‑10 in Mobile
	I‑165 in Prichard I‑85 in Montgomery I‑459 in Hoover I‑20 / I‑59 in Birmingham I‑22 in Fultondale I‑565 / US-72 Alt. in Decatur
North end:	I-65 at Tennessee state line
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Alabama State Routes Interstate US State ← SR-64 SR-65 →

Interstate 65 (I-65) meanders across 367 miles (591 km) of the Alabama countryside linking six of the state's ten largest cities. The highway links together many important roadways that make commerce inside and outside of the state's boundaries possible. It starts at Interstate 10 near Mobile. The route passes through the major cities of Decatur, Birmingham, and Montgomery before entering Tennessee in the north near the town of Ardmore.

The entire Alabama portion of I-65 is dedicated as Heroes Highway,^[2] in honor of the CIA officer Johnny "Mike" Spann and all of the people who died during the September 11 attacks.

Route description

I-65 starts in Mobile at an interchange with Interstate 10, not far from the Gulf of Mexico. From there it runs northeast, intersecting with I-165 in Prichard, Alabama and crossing the Mobile River delta at the General W.K. Wilson Jr. Bridge. En route to Montgomery, it passes county seats Evergreen (Conecuh County) and Greenville (Butler County). In the case of an hurricane evacuation on Alabama's coast, I-65 can be converted to an evacuation route where all lanes flow in the northbound direction from Mobile to Montgomery. This process is known as contra-flow.

This billboard along I-65 North, north of Prattville and just south of mile marker 191, urges people to attend church.^[3][4][5]

At Montgomery, it intersects the southern terminus of I-85 and crosses the Alabama River north of the city. The Hyundai Corporation's automotive plant in Montgomery is located just off I-65. It can be accessed using the Pintlala-Hope Hull exit (number 164).

At Chilton County, I-65 enters the Birmingham, Alabama, metropolitan area. Approximately halfway between Montgomery and Birmingham, it passes Clanton (Chilton County seat), where the water tower, visible from the road, is shaped and painted to resemble a huge peach.

From mile marker 242 to 290 I-65 carries at least 6 lanes of traffic. I-65 intersects I-459 in Hoover, then passes through the cities of Vestavia Hills and Homewood, which often generate heavy traffic. As the interstate passes by downtown Birmingham, south-bound travelers have a view of the Vulcan statue atop Red Mountain. At the north edge of downtown, I-65 intersects I-20/I-59 with a cross-over interchange, often called Malfunction Junction.

North of Birmingham at mile 266, interchange ramps provide access to parallel US-31. The incomplete I-22 from Memphis, Tennessee is expected to intersect there with the most expensive interchange in Alabama history, consisting of approximately 14 bridges. The interstate then continues 98 miles (158 km) in the general direction of Huntsville, passing the city of Cullman on the way. After entering the Decatur Metropolitan Area, in southern Morgan County, the interstate passes Decatur. The highway connects the Decatur and Huntsville Metropolitan Areas as it crosses Wheeler Lake (Tennessee River) on a 2.6-mile (4.2 km) bridge. The interstate emerges again into the fringes of Decatur, in an open area of seemingly "endless" cotton fields where it intersects, inside Decatur, with Alabama 20, US-72 Alternate, and the spur-route, I-565 to Huntsville.

Between Walkers Chapel Road in Fultondale and the Tennessee River in Decatur (Limestone County), I-65 has been designated the "Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway". The sign designating the north end of this portion of road cites Reagan's speech in Decatur on July 4, 1984. The interstate then continues towards the state line, passing Athens, where it merges with US-31. At the state line, the southbound lanes receive a welcome center, complete with a Saturn I rocket.

In the Birmingham/Hoover vicinity, a plan to widen the interstate from North Birmingham to Alabaster has been proposed. The project is to widen the interstate by adding a HOV lane and keeping the original 3 lanes making it four lanes in each direction. This is planned to stretch to the Pelham area. From there on the interstate will widen from 2 lanes each way to 3 lanes each way into the Helena/Alabaster area.

Preliminary roadwork to widen I-65 on either side of the new interchange has been ongoing since 2007. I-22 will provide a direct link between Birmingham and Memphis, Tennessee. Currently no good Interstate Highway link exists between these two cities, making Memphis one of the few major Southeastern cities without a good interstate routing to Atlanta, a nexus of transportation in the Southeast.

Near the northern border of Alabama with Tennessee on southbound I-65 is located the Alabama Welcome Center and rest area. The unique feature of this rest area compared to others is the existence of a large Saturn IB rocket erected on the site as a memorial to Alabama's—and in particular, Huntsville's—contribution to NASA's space exploration.^[6]

History

In 1997, at Georgiana (Exit 114), honoring legendary country musician and Alabama native Hank Williams, the interstate was designated as Hank Williams' Memorial "Lost Highway", after one of his songs. This designation continues northward until mile 179 north of Montgomery. From the state's capital, I-65 doglegs northwards, bypassing Prattville and Clanton before going through Metropolitan Birmingham, Alabama. From exit 242 to 290, this highway carries at least six lanes of traffic. A portion of the interstate running through Birmingham, has been nicknamed for its numerous wrecks. These accidents include two separate occasions of the support beams melting after crashes by 18-wheelers, and the numerous collisions that happen every year, result from the junction with I-20 and I-59.

In 2004, following the death of President Ronald Reagan, a lengthy segment of I-65 from Jefferson County to Limestone County was designated the Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway. The sign designating the north end of the segment includes a statement from Reagan's speech at Point Mallard Aquatic Center in nearby Decatur on July 4, 1984.

Future

I-22 will connect with I-65 at the new exit 265. Construction on this interchange was expected to begin in August 2009.

Just a few miles north of I-22 will be the new interchange (exit 274), which will be the Corridor X-1 and has been designated as I-422. This loop route will connect I-65 with I-59 northeast of Birmingham and I-20/I-59 southwest of Birmingham, and this will serve as an Interstate Highway bypass of Birmingham, augmenting the existing I-459, which already provides the southern loop of Birmingham. Construction of this interchange is still several years away, but right-of-way is in the process of being acquired to build I-422.

Exit list

County	Location	mi	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Mobile	Mobile			0	I‑10 – Mississippi, Florida	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; southern terminus; I-10 exit 20
				1	US-90 (Government Boulevard, SR-16)
				3	Airport Boulevard	Serves Mobile Regional Airport and University of South Alabama
				4	Dauphin Street
				5A	Springhill Avenue
				5B	US-98 (Moffett Road, SR-42)
	Prichard			8	US-45 (SR-13) – Prichard, Citronelle
				9	I‑165 south – Prichard, Downtown Mobile	I-165 exits 0A-B
	Chickasaw			10	West Lee Street
	Saraland			13	SR-158 / SR-213 – Eight Mile, Saraland
				15	Saraland, Citronelle
				19	US-43 – Satsuma, Creola
				22	Creola
Mobile River Tensaw River				General W.K. Wilson Jr. Bridge
Baldwin				31	SR-225 – Stockton, Spanish Fort
				34	SR-59 – Bay Minette, Stockton
				37	SR-287 (Gulf Shores Parkway) – Bay Minette, Rabun
				45	Rabun, Perdido
Escambia				54	CR-1
				57	SR-21 – Atmore, Uriah
				69	SR-113 – Flomaton, Wallace
Conecuh				77	SR-41 – Brewton, Repton
				83	Castleberry, Lenox
				93	US-84 (SR-12) – Evergreen, Monroeville
				96	SR-83 – Evergreen, Midway
				101	Owassa
Butler				107	Grace, Garland
				114	SR-106 – Georgiana, Starlington
	Greenville			128	SR-10 – Greenville, Pine Apple	Southern end of SR-10 Truck overlap
				130	SR-185 / SR-10 Truck east – Greenville	Northern end of SR-10 Truck overlap
Lowndes				142	SR-185 – Fort Deposit, Logan
				151	SR-97 – Letohatchee, Davenport
				158	To US-31 (SR-3) – Pintlala, Tyson
Montgomery				164	US-31 (SR-3) – Pintlala, Hope Hull
	Montgomery			167	US-80 west (SR-8 west) – Selma	Southern end of US-80/SR-8 overlap
				168	US-80 east / US-82 east (South Boulevard, SR-6 east/SR-8 east/SR-21) to US-231 (SR-53) / US-331 (SR-9)	Northern end of US-80/SR-8 overlap; southern end of US-82/SR-6 overlap
				169	Edgemont Avenue	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
				170	Fairview Avenue
				171	I‑85 north / Day Street – Atlanta	I-85 no number signed
				172	Herron Street, Clay Street – Downtown Montgomery
				Bridge over the Alabama River
				173	To US-231 (North Boulevard)
Elmore	Millbrook			176	SR-143 – Millbrook, Coosada	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
	Millbrook–Prattville city line			179	US-82 west (SR-6 west) to Montgomery Toll Road – Millbrook, Prattville	Northern end of US-82/SR-6 overlap
	Prattville			181	SR-14 – Prattville, Wetumpka
Autauga				186	US-31 (SR-3) – Pine Level, Prattville
Chilton				200	Verbena
	Clanton			205	US-31 / SR-22 (SR-3) – Clanton, Verbena
				208	Clanton, Lake Mitchell
				212	SR-145 – Clanton, Lay Dam	Peach Tower exit
				219	Jemison, Thorsby
Shelby	Calera			228	SR-25 – Montevallo, Calera
				231	US-31 (SR-3) – Saginaw, Calera, Montevallo
				234	Shelby County Airport
				238	US-31 (SR-3) – Alabaster, Saginaw
	Pelham			242	CR-52 – Pelham, Helena
				246	SR-119 (Cahaba Valley Road)
	Hoover			247	CR-17 (Valleydale Road)
Jefferson				250	I‑459 – Atlanta, Gadsden, Tuscaloosa	I-459 exit 15
				252	US-31 (Montgomery Highway)
				254	Alford Avenue
	Homewood			255	Lakeshore Drive
				256	Oxmoor Road – Homewood	Signed as exits 256A (west) and 256B (east) southbound
	Birmingham			258	Green Springs Avenue
				259A	University Boulevard (SR-149) (northbound) 6th Avenue South (southbound)	Signed as exit 259 northbound
				259B	4th Avenue South	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
				260	US-11 (3rd Avenue North, US-78/SR-4 east/SR-7) / 6th Avenue North – Downtown Birmingham	Southern end of SR-4 overlap; signed as exit 260B northbound
				261	I‑20 (SR-4 west) / I‑59 – Gadsden, Atlanta, Tuscaloosa	Northern end of SR-4 overlap; signed as exits 261A (east/north) and 261B (west/south); I-20/59 exits 124A-B
				262A	16th Street	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
				262B	Finley Boulevard	To US-78
				263	32nd Avenue, 33rd Avenue
				264	Daniel Payne Drive
	Fultondale			265	US-31 (SR-3) – Fultondale, future I‑22 west – Memphis	265B (north) to US-31N opened August 2014; exit 265A (south) and link to I-22 remain under construction
				266	US-31 (SR-3) – Fultondale	Signed as exits 266A (south) and 266B (north)
				267	Walker Chapel Road
	Gardendale			271	Fieldstown Road
				272	Mt. Olive Road	actually takes motorists to Mt. Olive Boulevard, which intersects Mt. Olive Road about a quarter mile east of the exit
				275	To US-31 (SR-3) – Morris
	Warrior			280	US-31 (SR-3) – Warrior
				281	Warrior
				282	Robbins, Warrior
Blount	Smoke Rise			284	US-31 south (SR-3 south) / SR-160 east – Hayden, Corner	Southern end of US-31/SR-3 overlap
				287	US-31 north (SR-3 north) – Garden City, Blount Springs	Northern end of US-31/SR-3 overlap
				289	Empire, Blount Springs
Cullman				291	SR-91 – Hanceville, Colony
				299	SR-69 south – Jasper, Dodge City	Southern end of SR-69 overlap
				304	SR-69 north – Cullman, Good Hope	Northern end of SR-69 overlap
	Cullman			308	US-278 (SR-74) – Cullman, Double Springs
				310	SR-157 – Cullman, Moulton
Morgan				318	US-31 (SR-3) – Lacon, Vinemont
				322	Falkville, Eva
	Hartselle			325	Thompson Road
				328	SR-36 – Hartselle
	Decatur–Priceville city line			334	SR-67 – Decatur, Priceville, Somerville
Wheeler Lake Tennessee River				Bridge over Wheeler Lake and Tennessee River
Limestone	Huntsville			340	I‑565 east / SR-20 west (US-72 Alt.) – Huntsville, Decatur	Signed as exits 340A (west) and 340B (east) southbound; I-565 exit 1 westbound & 1A-B eastbound
	Tanner			347	Huntsville–Browns Ferry Road
	Athens			351	US-72 (SR-2) – Athens, Huntsville
				354	US-31 south – Athens	Southern end of US-31 overlap
				361	Elkmont
				365	SR-53 – Ardmore
					I-65 north – Nashville	Continuation into Tennessee
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access       Unopened

Lane configurations

Total Mileage in Alabama-366.00 miles

• From Interstate 10 Exit 0 to Exit 13 (Saraland) (3-4 lanes each way, 4th lane exit only)
• From Exit 13 to Exit 167 U.S. Highway 80 west (Selma) (2 lanes each way)
• From Exit 167 to Exit 181 (Prattville)/(Wetumpka) (3 lanes each way)
• From Exit 181 to Exit 242 County Road 52 (Pelham) (2 lanes each way)
• From Exit 242 to Exit 261 Interstate 20/Interstate 59 (3-4 lanes each way, 5 lanes at Malfunction Junction)
• From Exit 261 to Exit 264 Daniel Payne Drive (Birmingham) (4 lanes each way)
• From Exit 264 to Blount County/Cullman County line Mile marker 291 (3 lanes each way)
• From Mile marker 291 to Tennessee state line (2 lanes each way)

See also

• Alabama portal
• U.S. Roads portal

References

External links

Route map: Bing

• Media related to Interstate 65 in Alabama at Wikimedia Commons

Interstate 65
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