U.S. Route 431 in Alabama

U.S. Route 431 marker

U.S. Route 431
State Route 1
Route information
Maintained by ALDOT
Length: 352.958 mi[1] (568.031 km)
Existed: 1954 – present
Major junctions
South end:
US-231 / US-231 Bus. / US-431 Bus. / SR-1 / SR-210 in Dothan
  US-29 in Opelika
US-78 in Oxford
US-72 in Huntsville
North end: US 231 / US 431 towards Fayetteville, TN
Location
Counties: Houston, Henry, Barbour, Russell, Lee, Chambers, Randolph, Cleburne, Calhoun, Etowah, Marshall, Madison
Highway system
  • Alabama State Routes
← US-411I‑459 →
← SR-959SR-2 →

U.S. Highway 431 (US-431), internally designated by the Alabama Department of Transportation as State Route 1 (SR-1), is a major north–south state highway across the eastern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. Although US-431's south end is in Dothan, SR-1 continues south for about 13 miles (21 km) along US-231 to the Florida state line.

Route description

Map of Dothan

State Route 1 is primarily the unsigned partner route assigned to U.S. Highway 431. The two routes are co-aligned from the southern terminus of US-431 at Dothan to the Tennessee state line. South of Dothan, State Route 1 is assigned to U.S. Highway 231. The two highways run north from Dothan through the Wiregrass region of southeastern Alabama through the towns of Headland and Abbeville en route to Eufaula, where it intersects U.S. Route 82. North of Eufaula, en route to Phenix City, the highway encounters some of the most sparsely populated parts of the state, only passing near the unincorporated communities of Pittsview, Glenville, and Seale in the 46 mile (74 km) drive between the two cities. In Phenix City, the highway junctions with U.S. Route 280 and U.S. Route 80. North of Phenix City, en route to Opelika, US 431 and US 280 join together for a concurrency, passing through the cities of Smiths Station and Salem on the way into Opelika. In Opelika, the two highways cross Interstate 85 and split in Opelika; US 431 continuing northeastward and US 280 northwestward. North of Opelika, the highway encounters rural terrain again, passing through the cities of LaFayette, Roanoke, and Wedowee en route to Anniston. In Oxford, just south of Anniston, the highway crosses Interstate 20 and goes through Anniston, northward into Gadsden, where it crosses Interstate 59 and continues northwestward, passing through Guntersville en route to Huntsville. In Huntsville, US-231 and US-431 (Governors Drive) junction again as Memorial Parkway, and State Route 1 is partnered with both U.S. Highways until they cross into Tennessee.

From its point of origin in Houston County, State Route 1 is aligned very close to the Alabama-Georgia border, coming within less than one mile (1.6 km) of the border at both Eufaula and Phenix City. At Phenix City, US-431 and unsigned State Route 1 begin a concurrency with U.S. Highway 280 and unsigned State Route 38 and turn to the northwest. At Opelika, US-431 and State Route 1 divert from US-280 and resume their northward orientation.

East of Oxford, State Route 1 and US-431 merge with westbound U.S. Highway 78 and unsigned State Route 4. At Oxford, State Route 1 and US-431 begin a gradual northwestward trajectory, passing through Anniston, Gadsden and Guntersville. The two routes resume their northward orientation upon merging with U.S. Highway 231 at Huntsville.

The portion through Oxford and Anniston is currently routed via Quintard Avenue, which constitutes the major north-south business and local route through these cities. It is a congested route with many traffic signals and no room for widening. It is intended that the route will eventually be shifted to Veterans Memorial Parkway when that road is completed in 2015; this will take the through traffic off of Quintard Avenue.[2]

Four lane routing

One of the criticisms of US-431 in its entirety from Kentucky to Alabama was that it was mainly a two lane road. ALDOT has prioritized four laning the route in Alabama as a viable north–south road corridor in the eastern part of the state.

Of particular concern was the segment from Seale south to the Barbour County line, where rolling hills along the original alignment limit the visibility of oncoming traffic, contributing to poor decisions by motorists to pass, resulting in numerous head on collisions. In this segment alone, 31 people were killed in crashes between 1992 and 2006, leading Readers Digest to proclaim it one of "America's Deadliest Highways" in 2000.[3] After being contacted by and subsequently meeting the family of a fatal crash victim in 2003, ALDOT Director Joe McInnes decided to expedite the construction on the last remaining stretch of two lane road between Seale and the Barbour County line.[4] This 16 mile section was completed and opened in late 2010. The old alignment in Russell County is still open to traffic and is now labeled County Route 137.

Traveling south from Tennessee, as of mid-2009, US-431 is a four lane route to Oxford, Alabama. Then it reverts to a two-lane highway southward to Opelika, Alabama with a brief four lane stretch just south of Wedowee, Alabama. From Opelika southward to its southern terminus in Dothan, Alabama, US-431 is now open as a four-lane highway. with the exception of a short stretch as a low speed divided avenue through the historic district of Eufaula, Alabama.

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
Houston 0.00.0Florida state lineSouthern terminus
 7.52012.102 SR-109SR-109 northern terminus
Dothan13.26421.346 SR-210
14.65423.583 US-231 / SR-53Begin concurrency with US-231
15.67425.225 US-84 / SR-12 / SR-52
16.58826.696 US-231 / SR-53End concurrency with US-231
17.83828.707 SR-210
HenryHeadland25.75441.447 SR-134
26.27042.277 SR-173SR-173 southern terminus
Abbeville39.74863.968 SR-27
42.39668.230 SR-10
Barbour 59.97096.512 SR-95SR-95 northern terminus
Eufaula61.90899.631 SR-131SR-131 northern terminus
64.058103.091 SR-30SR-30 eastern terminus
66.823107.541 US-82 / SR-6Begin concurrency with US-82
68.307109.929 US-82 / SR-6End concurrency with US-82
 74.949120.619 SR-165SR-165 southern terminus
RussellSeale96.895155.937 SR-26SR-26 eastern terminus
99.105159.494 SR-169SR-169 southern terminus
 109.155175.668 SR-165SR-165 northern terminus
Phenix City112.081180.377 US-280 / SR-38Begin concurrency with US-280
113.942183.372 US-80 / SR-8Begin concurrency with US-80
114.888184.894 US-80 / SR-8End concurrency with US-80
LeeOpelika137.253220.887 I‑85 / US-29 / US-280 / SR-38End concurrency with US-280; I-85 Exit 62
ChambersWaverly149.840241.144 SR-147SR-147 northern terminus
Lafayette158.859255.659 SR-50
160.794258.773 SR-77SR-77 southern terminus
RandolphRoanoke180.783290.942 SR-22
Wedowee194.437312.916 SR-48
CleburneHollis Crossroads212.540342.050 SR-9
 217.805350.523 SR-281
CalhounOxford221.328356.193 I‑20I-20 Exit 191
221.756356.882 US-78 / SR-4Begin concurrency with US-78
228.046367.004 US-78 / SR-4 / SR-21End concurrency with US-78; Begin concurrency with SR-21
Anniston231.153372.005 SR-202SR-202 eastern terminus
234.025376.627 SR-21End concurrency with SR-21
Alexandria242.035389.518 SR-144SR-144 eastern terminus
 247.070397.621 SR-204SR-204 western terminus
EtowahGadsden258.458415.948 US-278 / SR-74Begin concurrency with US-278
260.232418.803 SR-291SR-291 northern terminus
260.519419.265 US-411 / SR-25
261.994421.638 SR-211SR-211 southern terminus
265.274426.917 I‑59I-59 Exit 183
Attalla266.117428.274 US-11 / SR-7Begin concurrency with US-11
266.449428.808 US-11 / SR-7End concurrency with US-11
268.363431.888 US-278 / SR-74End concurrency with US-278
268.829432.638 SR-77SR-77 northern terminus
Sardis City277.880447.205 SR-205SR-205 southern terminus
MarshallBoaz280.544451.492 SR-168
Albertville286.741461.465 SR-75
Guntersville292.423470.609 SR-205SR-205 northern terminus
294.742474.341 SR-79Begin concurrency with SR-79
295.822476.079 SR-69SR-69 northern terminus
296.190476.672 SR-227SR-227 northern terminus
302.114486.205 SR-79End concurrency with SR-79
MadisonHuntsville333.702537.041 US-231 / SR-53Begin Northern concurrency with US-231
334.700538.647 I‑565
335.207539.463 US-72 / SR-2 / University DriveBegin concurrency with US-72
336.884542.162 US-72 / SR-2End concurrency with US-72
Hazel Green352.958568.031Tennessee State LineNorthern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Milepost Maps (PDF) (Map). Cartography by ALDOT Bureau of Transportation Planning, Survey & Mapping Division. Alabama Department of Transportation. 1999.
  2. ↑ Burkhalter, Eddie (27 September 2013). "Bids opened for final leg of Veterans Memorial Parkway". Anniston Star. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  3. ↑ http://www.governorpress.alabama.gov/pr/co-2006-05-24-transportation.asp
  4. ↑ http://blog.al.com/drivers-side/2010/12/long_road_to_rehabilitation_ne.html

External links