The expansive Mobile Bay greets eastbound motorists of Interstate 10 within the Exit 27 interchange of Battleship Parkway (U.S. 90 & 98). Known as the Mobile Bayway by locales and the media, the pair of viaducts is officially dubbed the Jubilee Parkway. Photo taken 11/16/03.
Two miles to the east of the Wallace Tunnel is the one-mile guide sign of Exit 30. At the upcoming junction U.S. 90 & 98 switch places with Interstate 10. From there eastward the pair skirt the northern reaches of Mobile Bay en route to the Baldwin County town of Spanish Fort.
Photo taken 11/16/03.
Interstate 10 eastbound at "the diamond on the water" of Exit 30/U.S. 90 & 98. While Battleship Parkway is approximately one to three feet above sea level, Interstate 10 and its associated ramps are completely over water. Photo taken 11/16/03.
At the end of the Exit 30 off-ramp from Interstate 10 eastbound. Note that a U.S. 31 trailblazer is put in place, a reflection of the terminus five miles to the east. The approximately to Mobile Bay is evident as the body of water can be seen across the parkway. A boat launch ramp and parking area is just to the right. Photo taken 08/24/03.
The first of four Baldwin County mainland interchanges is that of Exit 35A/B with U.S. 90 & 98. The partial cloverleaf interchange is situated adjacent to the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. The communities along the coastline here are often referred to by locals and the media as the Eastern Shore. Photo taken 11/16/03.
One mile west of the Exit 35A ramp departure of Interstate 10 east. U.S. 90 & 98 enter Interstate 10 from the heart of Spanish Fort and the U.S. 31 southern terminus to the north. The tandem split as they depart Mobile Bay with U.S. 98 bypassing the U.S. 31 south end. Photo taken 11/16/03.
Traffic to U.S. 98 eastbound for Daphne (pop. 16,581), Fairhope (pop. 12,480), and Weeks Bay depart Interstate 10 eastbound via this elevated ramp. The same ramp also serves U.S. 90 & 98 westbound for Spanish Fort (pop. 5,423). The growing Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay sees the Exit 35A off-ramp clogged with commuters during the evening peak hours of travel. Photo taken 11/16/03.
The end of the Exit 35A off-ramp at U.S. 90 & 98. At the signalized intersection, U.S. 90 eastbound splits with U.S. 98. U.S. 98 eastbound continues southward into Daphne and Fairhope and U.S. 90 turns east to Malbis. With the completion of the Exit 35B off-ramp to U.S. 90 from Interstate 10, all traffic using the Exit 35A ramp must turn either right or left. In other words traffic may not continue straight onto U.S. 90 eastbound from here. Photo taken 12/20/03.
A direct ramp to U.S. 90 eastbound away from the U.S. 98 confluence at Exit 35 saw construction in the late 1990s. Upon completion Exit 35B was born. This ramp scoots to the south connecting with U.S. 90 at the nearby Jubilee Shopping Center. Photo taken 11/16/03.
Interstate 10 eastbound at the Exit 35B/U.S. 90 off-ramp. Traffic from U.S. 90 merges onto eastbound just beyond the gore. The speed limit increases to 70 mph from the merge to the Florida state line. It does not decrease again until the interchange with U.S. 29/Exits 10A/B near Pensacola, Florida. Photo taken 11/16/03.
Growth of the Alabama 181 (Malbus Plantation Parkway) to include the Eastern Shore Centre Mall and new residential development associated with the annexations of both Daphne and Spanish Fort have increased the importance of Exit 38. New signs were installed in 2005 including a mileage sign for Alabama 181 after the U.S. 90 on-ramp from Exit 35. Photo taken 01/18/06.
Approaching the Exit 38 diamond interchange with Alabama 181 (Malbis Plantation Parkway) on Interstate 10 eastbound. The state highway locally links Interstate 10 with nearby U.S. 31 and U.S. 90 between Spanish Fort and Malbis. Baldwin County 27 stems southward from Alabama 181 to Alabama 104 and U.S. 98 near Weeks Bay. Additionally a new roadway of Baldwin County 27 extends northward from U.S. 31 as of 2004. New signs installed in 2005 replace Malbus with Daphne and Spanish Fort as the control cities. Photos taken 05/07/04 & 01/18/06.
One-half mile guide sign of Alabama 181 (Exit 38) on Interstate 10 east. A four-laning of Baldwin County 27 (Belforest Road) is underway between Malbis (U.S. 90 & Alabama 181) and U.S. 98 west of Foley. Upon completion Belforest Road will become part of an extended Alabama 181. At that time Baldwin County takes over maintenance of Alabama 112 between Bay Minette and the Florida state line in exchange for the state mileage. As of early 2006, Baldwin County officials already replaced Alabama 112 shields at near Bay Minette with Baldwin County 112 shields. Photos taken 05/07/04 & 01/18/06.
Exit 38 for Alabama 181 leaves Interstate 10 eastbound in this photograph. A traffic signal was installed at the end of the westbound ramp for Alabama 181 in 2004 in anticipation of the traffic destined to the Eastern Shore Centre Mall northeast of the interchange. Photos taken 05/07/04 & 01/18/06.
Alabama 181 shield and guide sign assembly at the end of the Exit 38 off-ramp at Malbis. The 1.50-mile state highway provides four overall lanes between the two federal highways. Photo taken 05/07/04.
Interstate 10 eastbound approaching Exit 44 for Alabama 59. Alabama 59, known as the Gulf Shores Parkway, is the main route from Interstate 10 to the Alabama coastline and Gulf Shores State Park. Photo taken 11/16/03.
Interstate 10 eastbound at Exit 44/Alabama 59. Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and Perdido Key are popular resort towns that are situated near the south end of Alabama 59. The city of Foley and its outlet shops are also an attraction to southbound motorists. Northward Alabama 59 overlaps with U.S. 31 en route to the Baldwin County seat of Bay Minette. Ultimately traffic exiting at this interchange can access Interstate 65 to points north such as Montgomery, Atlanta, and Birmingham. Photo taken 11/16/03.
The last original highway sign on Interstate 10 eastbound within Baldwin County is this mileage sign. It is placed just past the Alabama 59 eastbound merge from Exit 44. Wilcox Road (Baldwin County 64) is the last interchange in Alabama. Exit 53 (Wilcox Road) is the only interchange for the next 26 miles. Top photo taken 11/16/03; bottom photo taken 05/14/02.
One-mile guide sign on Interstate 10 eastbound for Exit 53/Baldwin County 64 (Wilcox Road). The use of a County pentagon for the Exit 53 guide sign represents a rare instance in the state of Alabama where a county highway is acknowledged from an Interstate. Photo taken 11/16/03.
Interstate 10 draws to within one-half mile of Wilcox Road (Exit 53). Wilcox Road continues south of Baldwin County 64 to Patterson Road. From Patterson Road motorists can access Baldwin County 87, which leads southward to U.S. 90 at Elsanor. Photo taken 12/20/03.
Interstate 10 eastbound at Baldwin County 64/Exit 53. This local road travels from Alabama 59 at Loxley eastward to Interstate 10, turning northward to a terminus at Alabama 112 in pine forest country. The last exit sign for Exit 53 includes a placard that reads "Next Exit 18 Miles", as that is the distance between this interchange and Exit 5/Alternate U.S. 90 in Florida. Photo taken 11/16/03.
Interstate 10 crosses the Perdido River into the state of Florida. Ahead is a newly constructed Weigh Station at milepost 2 and the Florida Welcome Center at milepost 4. Downtown Pensacola is 17 miles to the southeast via Interstates 10 & 110. Photo taken 11/16/03.
