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Interstate 10 Eastbound (Baldwin County)

Interstate 10 East
Drivers from U.S. 98 (Bankhead Tunnel) join Interstate 10 eastbound from Exit 27. Interstate 10 follows the Mobile Bayway across southern reaches of Pinto Bay through to the Tensaw River crossing into Baldwin County. The route is also named the Jubilee Parkway for the generally annual fish jubilee, a natural phenomenon where large congregations of fish, crab, shrimp and other water life crowd in the shallow waters of Mobile Bay. Photo taken 09/28/08.
Spanning the Tensaw River, Interstate 10 (Mobile Bayway) approaches the Exit 30 diamond interchange with U.S. 90 & 98 (Battleship Parkway). The two highways swap places, with Battleship Parkway skirting Chacaloochee Bay to the north and Interstate 10 traveling across Mobile Bay to the south.
The U.S. 98 shield is a replacement for one that was blown off the sign by 2004's Hurricane Ivan. Photo taken 09/26/08.
Exit 30 departs Interstate 10 eastbound for U.S. 90 & 98 (Battleship Parkway). Battleship Parkway travels just a few feet above sea level and is often compromised during tropical storms and during other astronomical tide periods. Photo taken 07/18/07.
Shield assembly posted at the end of the eastbound Exit 30 off-ramp from Interstate 10. U.S. 31 used to travel in tandem with U.S. 90 & 98 across Mobile Bay, but was shortened in 1991 to its current terminus at Spanish Fort. Photo taken 08/24/03.
Continuing east over Mobile bay on Interstate 10. Variable speed limits accompany variable message boards throughout the eight-mile elevated roadway. This electronic system was added after a 200 vehicle pile-up during the morning of March 20, 1995 that injured 90 and resulted in one fatality.1 The system was damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and replaced by early 2010. Photo taken 01/23/09.

The first of four Baldwin County interchanges presently (two additional exits are planned) joins Interstate 10 with U.S. 90 & 98 at their split in Daphne (Exits 35A/B). Exit 35A departs first for U.S. 98 east (south) into Daphne and Fairhope and U.S. 90 & 98 west into Spanish Fort (pop. 5,423). Movements to U.S. 90 east toward Malbis must use Exit 35B. Photo taken 05/23/09.
Nearing the Exit 35A off-ramp to U.S. 98 and U.S. 90 (Old Spanish Trail) west. U.S. 90 & 98 merge briefly over Interstate 10 only to split just north of Exit 35A. U.S. 90 follows Old Spanish Trail north to junction U.S. 31 (Spanish Fort Boulevard) where the route turns west. U.S. 98 begins Battleship Parkway along a short controlled-access alignment that angles northwest to a partial "Y" interchange with U.S. 90.
Like other slotted signs in lower Alabama, the U.S. 90 shield was blown from this panel during 2004's Hurricane Ivan. This sign is also inaccurate as it is only one quarter of a mile to Exit 35A and not three quarters of a mile (that is the distance to Exit 35B). Photo taken 10/01/09.
Traffic to U.S. 98 eastbound for Daphne (pop. 16,581), Fairhope (pop. 12,480), and Weeks Bay departs Interstate 10 eastbound via this elevated ramp. Increased development along Baldwin County's Eastern Shore stresses Exit 35A with a growing number of commuters during the evening peak hours. The greenout pictured here covers a U.S. 90 shield; this was added when Exit 35B opened. Photo taken 02/12/06.
Ascending along Exit 35A to junction U.S. 90 & 98. Motorists are not permitted to continue east onto U.S. 90 and must either use U.S. 90 west to U.S. 31, U.S. 98 west, or U.S. 98 east. U.S. 98 constitutes the main route between Interstate 10 and Daphne, Fairhope, and Montrose. The four-lane divided highway is heavily developed with numerous traffic lights offering a slow go for drivers. Additional development at Exit 35 adds to the congestion. Spanish Fort Town Center was constructed from 2006 onward adjacent to the northeast quadrant of the interchange. Photo taken 06/07/06.
Exit 35B follows the U.S. 90 & 98 over crossing onto parallel U.S. 90 leading east from U.S. 98. U.S. 90 parallels Interstate 10 east to Malbis and Loxley. Photo taken 02/12/06.
Eastbound Interstate 10 at the Exit 35B ramp departure to U.S. 90. Access is available to both directions of the US route. This scene changed dramatically with the construction of Bass Pro Drive. A Bass Pro Shops rises along the north side of the freeway as part of the sprawly Spanish Fort Town Center. Additional development continues along both sides of the Interstate 10 frontage through to Exit 38. Speed limits nonetheless rise to 70 mph from Exit 35B eastward. Photo taken 02/12/06.
Growth along Alabama 181 (Malbis Plantation Parkway) transitioned the highway from a four-lane rural parkway into a congested commercial arterial during the early 2000s. Development includes the Eastern Shore Centre, Eastern Shore Park shopping center, and many new residential subdivisions southward within annexations of both Daphne and Fairhope. New signs were installed in 2005 to include a mileage sign for Alabama 181 after the U.S. 90 on-ramp from Exit 35. This sign erroneously displayed the distance as four miles but was corrected by 2009 to display three miles. Photo taken 07/17/07.
Approaching the Exit 38 diamond interchange with Alabama 181 (Malbis Plantation Parkway) on Interstate 10 eastbound. The state highway locally links Interstate 10 with parallel U.S. 31 and U.S. 90 between Spanish Fort and Malbis. Southward, a four-laning of Alabama 181 is underway as of late 2009 to widen the corridor through to Fairhope. Alabama 181 represents an increasingly busy commuter corridor serving sprawling areas of east Daphne and Fairhope. Jimmy Faulkner Drive (Baldwin County 27) extends Alabama 181 north of its terminus at U.S. 31 to the new Spanish Fort High School and Bromley Road, further adding development to Spanish Fort and traffic to Exit 38.
New signs installed in 2005 replaced Malbis with Daphne and Spanish Fort as the control cities. Photos taken 05/07/04 & 07/17/07.
A look at the one-half mile guide sign of Alabama 181 (Exit 38) on Interstate 10 east. Baldwin County swapped jurisdictional mileage with ALDOT in 2004 to overtake Alabama 112 from the Bay Minette area to the Florida state line in exchange for Baldwin County 27 (Belforest Road) leading south from Malbis to U.S. 98 at Turkey Branch. Alabama 181 signs were installed by early 2006 leading southward; Alabama 112 is now designated as Baldwin County 112. Expansion of Alabama 181 undertaken by ALDOT is part of an overall plan to improve the accessibility to south Baldwin County from Interstate 10. Photos taken 05/07/04 & 07/17/07.
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 northeast of the interchange. Eastbound Exit 38 received a traffic light by 2006, and overall Alabama 181 sees six traffic lights between U.S. 31 and 90 where there were none in 2000. Photos taken 05/07/04 & 07/17/07.
Alabama 181 shield and guide sign assembly at the end of the Exit 38 off-ramp at Malbis. This is a much busier off-ramp in 2010 than what was pictured here in 2004. Photo taken 05/07/04.
Interstate 10 eastbound approaches Exit 44 for Alabama 59 and the town of Loxley. Alabama 59 constitutes a four to five lane highway northward to Bay Minette and southward to Gulf Shores. The road is designated Gulf Shores Parkway outside of municipalities and Hickory Street through adjacent Loxley. Photo taken 02/12/06.
One half mile west of the folded diamond interchange with Alabama 59 (Exit 44) on Interstate 10 east. The interchange design is a result from a since removed railroad line that paralleled Alabama 59 southward to Loxley and Robertsdale. The junction otherwise is home to a truck stop, a big box hotel, and fast food restaurants. Photo taken 02/12/06.
Drivers bound for the popular resort towns of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach depart Interstate 10 east for Alabama 59 at Exit 44. Alabama 59 joins the freeway with the city of Foley as well, doubling as the main hurricane evacuation route northward. Continuing north from Interstate 10, Alabama 59 combines with U.S. 31 near Stapleton to Bay Minette, the Baldwin County seat. Alabama 287 continues Gulf Shores Parkway from there directly to Interstate 65. Photo taken 07/17/07.
Only the westbound ramps at Alabama 59 are signalized presently. Alabama 59 remains somewhat rural leading north and south of the interchange, with some industrial development and nurseries along its frontage. Photo taken 01/23/09.
Interstate 10 leaves annexed portions of Loxley for unincorporated Baldwin County. 22 miles of Alabama remain. Photo taken 06/15/09.
The last original highway sign on Interstate 10 eastbound within Baldwin County was this button copy mileage sign situated east of Exit 44. Lasting until July 2009, the sign was replaced in September 2009.
As for the mileages, Wilcox Road represents the only interchange within the next 27 miles. Downtown Pensacola follows in 39 miles via Interstate 110 south. Photos taken 07/08/09, 05/14/02 & 10/01/09 respectively.
Eastbound Interstate 10 at the Baldwin County 68 overpass at milepost 49.5. An interchange is will be constructed at this junction when the Foley Beach Express extension is completed from Foley to the south. The four-lane divided highway will utilize Baldwin County 83 northward to junction Baldwin County 64 and curve northwest to end at Interstate 10. It is unclear when the exit will be built however. Photos taken 07/08/09.
Nearing the Exit 53 diamond interchange with Baldwin County 64 (Wilcox Road) near the rural communities of Elsanor and Rosinton. Guide signs for Exit 53 were replaced by 2008. Photos taken 02/12/06 & 01/23/09.
Interstate 10 draws to within one-half mile of Wilcox Road (Exit 53). Baldwin County 64 travels Wilcox Road from its northerly turn through Exit 53. The county road continues into pine forests, ending at Baldwin County 112 near Gateswood. Wilcox Road south ends at Patterson Road in one half mile near the rural Forest View Estates residential area. Photos taken 02/12/06 & 01/23/09.
Exit 53 departs Interstate 10 east for Baldwin County 64 (Wilcox Road). Baldwin County 64 travels west to Rosinton and Union Avenue in Loxley. Connections with Baldwin County 83, the future Foley Beach Express, lead drivers south to U.S. 90 midway between Robertsdale and Elsanor. Photos taken 02/12/06 & 01/23/09.
Interstate 10 travels 12 miles uninterrupted to the Perdido River crossing into Escambia County, Florida. The four-lane freeway passes under Baldwin County 87 and Paper Company Road through an otherwise unending sea of pine forest. Photo taken 11/16/03.

Sources:

  1. Jubilee Parkway @ Wikipedia.org.

Page Updated January 5, 2010.