| Continuing beyond the Exit 125 ramp departure is this set of Interstate 65 overheads. The sign bridge featured here is fairly new, only installed in the early 2000's. Featured as the control cities for Interstate 65 is the capital city of Montgomery for southbound and the Madison County city of Huntsville to the north. Photo taken 09/27/03.
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| Entering the Exit 124 junction with Interstate 65. This interchange features the unusual configuration where the westbound Interstate 20-59 carriageway actually switches sides with that of the eastbound carriageway. This orientation allows for short left-hand on and off-ramps between Interstates 20-59 and 65. Thus, ALDOT has several sign bridges to help guide potentially confused motorists. Top photo taken 08/10/02; bottom photo taken 08/24/03.
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| A reconstruction project of the interchange locally
known as "Malfunction Junction" results in the placement of new sign bridges and overheads for Exit 124B/A.
The reconstruction itself is widening Interstate 65 from four through lanes to six through lanes.
Top photo taken 09/26/03; bottom photo taken 08/24/03.
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| This photograph reveals the original sign bridge and button
copy overheads that were situated at the Exit 124B ramp for Interstate 65 north. This assembly saw replacement
during the Summer of 2003. Photo taken 02/11/01.
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| A second set of new overheads is placed before the
Exit 124A departure for traffic headed to Interstate 65 south. While the control city is Montgomery, Interstate
65 sees four more Birmingham city interchanges, two of which serve the sprawling University of Alabama at
Birmingham, the city's largest employer. Top photo taken 09/27/03; bottom photo taken 08/24/03.
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| The new sign bridge depicted in the above two photographs
replaced this button copy assembly. Note that the reconstruction project aforementioned results in the expansion
of the Exit 124A ramp from one to two lanes for Interstate 65. Photo taken 08/10/02.
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| The sign bridge itself is retained at the Exit 124A gore point.
Interstate 20-59 maintain six through lanes through the junction with Interstate 65. The overpasses in the background
are that of Interstate 65 south than that of north. The carriageways for the north-south freeway also reverse
in orientation through this interchange. Photo taken 09/27/03.
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| Departing the Interstate 65 junction, Interstate 20-59 approach
the Center Street overpass and Exit 123 with U.S. 78 and Alabama 5. Arkadelphia Road is a north-south surface
arterial between U.S. 11/3rd Avenue North and New Finley Avenue. Photo taken 09/27/03.
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| A look at the original button copy signs, complete with the
now replaced Interstate 20-59 button copy shields. U.S. 78 represents
High Priority Corridor
10, the future Interstate 22. The control city of Jasper is 40 miles to the north, and already is
bypassed partially bypassed by limited access highway. Photo taken 02/11/01.
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| A second exit-only overhead advises motorists of the upcoming
Exit 123 partial cloverleaf interchange. The original sign did not include Jasper. Thus the reflective text
for the Walker County town of 14,052 was added later. Photo taken 09/27/03.
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| Interstate 20-59 westbound at Exit 123/U.S. 78. Alabama 5
overlaps with U.S. 78 from U.S. 11 northwest to the Walker County seat of Jasper. Alabama 5 is now acknowledged
on guide signs in either direction of Interstate 20-59. Otherwise this interchange serves the Birmingham
city neighborhoods of Thomas, East Thomas, and Owenton. Photo taken 09/27/03.
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| Between Exit 123/U.S. 78 and Exit 121/Ensley Interstate 20-59
widens to eight lanes. The upcoming interchange is a folded diamond that connects with Bush Boulevard/19th Stret at
Avenue V. These surface streets serve not only the neighborhood of Ensley, but also that of Fairview and Pratt
City. The Interstate 20 and 59 shields on the left-hand panel have since been replaced. Photo taken 02/11/01.
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| Two interchanges of Interstate 20-59 southbound serve the
Ensley portion of the city of Birmingham. Departing here is the aforementioned Exit 121 off-ramp for Bush
Boulevard and 19th Street. Upcoming is Exit 120 for not only Alabama 269 (20th Street) but also Ensley Avenue.
Photo taken 02/11/01.
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| Exit 120 departs for Alabama 269/20th Street. A frontage road
allows traffic to continue across Alabama 269 to Ensley Avenue. There the return ramp to Interstate 20-59
westbound is situated. This interchange represents the southern terminus of Alabama 269. Photo taken 09/27/03.
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| The last Birmingham city interchange is that of the folded
diamond of Exit 119B. This photograph displays Interstate 20-59 westbound at Avenue I in the Ensley section
of the municipality. The southwest to northeast surface streets in this portion of the city all carry
alphabetic names. Photo taken 09/27/03.
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| Now within the city of Fairfield (pop. 12,381), Interstate 20-59
encounter Exit 119A for R M Scrushy Parkway. This surface arterial becomes Avenue F as it enters the city of
Birmingham to the north. Also situated nearby is the Wylam neighborhood of Birmingham. Photo taken 09/27/03.
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| The second interchange for the city of Fairfield is that of
Valley Road. A modified diamond interchange, utilizing local streets on the eastbound side, facilitates
the movements to/from Interstate 20-59. Valley Road crosses the freeway from the northeast, paralleling Interstate
20-59 southwesterly to Exit 115. Interstate 20-59 reduces from six to four lanes at this junction.
Photo taken 09/27/03.
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| Now within the city of Midfield (pop. 5,626), Interstate 20-59
see a trumpet interchange (Exit 115) connecting to the nearby Valley Road/Allison-Bonnett Memorial Drive.
The nearby roadway becomes Jefferson County 56 as it travels to the community of Hueytown (pop. 15,364).
Photo taken 09/27/03.
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| The first of an eventual four Bessemer (pop. 29,672) interchanges
of Interstate 20-59 is Exit 113 at 18th Street. Connections with Jaybird Road and Huntsville Avenue facilitate
movements to the adjacent suburb of Brighton (pop. 3,640). Photo taken 09/27/03.
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| The last Bessemer interchange is that of the Exit 108 diamond
interchange. Here U.S. 11 & Alabama 5 southbound merge onto the freeway for an 11 mile overlap between
Bessmer and Woodstock. Photo taken 09/27/03.
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| The two-mile guide sign for Interstate 459 north/Exit 106
is pictured here. The upcoming trumpet interchange represents the eastern extent of a new six-lane segment
of Interstate 20-59. Interstate 459 is a high-priority corridor itself, that of High Priority
Corridors 28. The future aspirations for the route is the creation of a north-belt freeway for the
metropolitan area. Photo taken 09/27/03.
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| With Interstate 459 traffic added to the fold, Interstate 20-59
press southwestward toward the city of Tuscaloosa. Depicted here is a button copy sign for Exit 104/Rock Mountain
Lake. As mentioned above, construction results in the expansion of Interstate 20-59 from four to six lanes with
the installation of a concrete jersey barrier median. Photo taken 08/10/02.
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| Interstate 20-59 depart Jefferson County and enter Tuscaloosa
County at the Exit 100 interchange. While not displayed, this interchange represents the eastern terminus of
Alabama 216. The state route travels east-west between Cottondale and nearby Abernant. Bucksville is located
just to the east of this junction. Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| The four-way overlap of Interstate 20-59 with U.S. 11/Alabama 5
concludes at the Exit 97 interchange near the villages of Lakeview and Woodstock. U.S. 11 will continue
to follow Interstate 20-59 through to Tuscaloosa and points south. Alabama 5 meanwhile splits with the federal
route in two miles. The state highway from there skims southward through the Black Belt region of the state,
concluding 107 miles to the south at U.S. 43 near Thomasville (pop. 4,649). Photo taken 08/10/02.
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| Widening and jersey barrier median placement of Interstate
20-59 continues from Exit 97 to milepost 92. From there construction of just a jersey barrier median is underway
to Exit 86. Cross over accident related fatalities have necessitated ALDOT to go about this barrier installation.
Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| Interstate 20-59 westbound at the diamond interchange of
Exit 86. Here Tuscaloosa County 59 crosses the freeway north-south between the villages of Brookwood (pop. 1,483)
and U.S. 11 west of Vance (pop. 500). Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| U.S. 11 again crosses paths with Interstate 20-59 at Exit 79.
The rural highway becomes more suburban as University Boulevard from this junction westward toward the
community of Cottondale. The control city however is that of the town of Coaling (pop. 1,115), This community
can be found to the south of U.S. 11 three miles to the east. Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| Tuscalooa County 37 intersects Interstate 20-59 at Exit 77
near the community of Cottondale. This is the first Tuscaloosa metropolitan area interchange, one of five
area junctions. Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| Older style Exit 77 gore point sign of Interstate 20-59 west.
This style of sign is used predominately in the state of Texas but can be found in many instances still within
the state of Alabama. Missouri recently decided to transition from this style to the more common gore point
sign where the exit number is within the sign rather than on top in its own panel. Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| At Exit 76, U.S. 11 travels from north of Interstate 20-59
to south of the freeway. The highway also widens and gains a divider between here and East Tuscaloosa.
Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| Interstate 20-59 westbound at Exit 76/U.S. 11 to the southwest of
Cottondale. U.S. 11 again interacts with the freeway at Exit 71/Interstate 359. Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| Three interchanges in a row of Interstate 20-59 in the Tuscaloosa
area connect with U.S. highways. The upcoming junction (Exit 73) serves U.S. 82, a northwest to southeast highway
between the city and Montgomery. The federal highway continues westward from Tuscaloosa to Pickens County
and the Mississippi state line. There the highway upgrades to a full freeway for the cities of Columbus
and Starkville, Mississippi. Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| Locally U.S. 82 is known as McFarland Avenue. The highway
is frontaged with restaurants, gas stations, and other commercial interests in the imediate vicinity. Further
north the route serves the eastern reaches of the University of Alabama Campus and the city of Northport via
a short freeway segment. Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| The on-ramp from U.S. 82 becomes an exit-only auxiliary lane
for Interstate 359/Exit 71B. The upcoming cloverleaf interchange also serves East Tuscaloosa via U.S. 11
and Alabama 69 from the south. Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| Interstate 359,
a 2.30 mile freeway spur serving downtown Tuscaloosa, departs Interstate 20-59 westbound. Alabama 69 continues
with the route through the terminus to U.S. 43. U.S. 11 (not signed here) also continues with Interstate 359
to the freeway end at U.S. 43. Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| Exit 71A is a cloverleaf ramp for U.S. 11 north/Alabama 69
south. The Interstate 359 freeway imediately ends south of this junction. U.S. 11 and Alabama 69 from there
part ways. The state highway links the metro area with Moundville (pop. 1,809) to the south. Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| The last Tuscaloosa area interchange is that of Exit 68 with
the Tuscaloosa Western Bypass. This two-lane highway travels north-south between Interstate 20-59 and U.S. 82
west of Northport. The crossing over the Black Warrior River is a tolled facility. Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| Scenes Related to Interstate 20-59
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| The end of the westbound Exit 128 off-ramp of Interstate
20-59 at Tallapoosa Street. Alabama 79 sees its southern terminus here. The state route travels northeast
from Birmingham northward to the city of Guntersville (pop. 7,395). Photo taken 09/27/03.
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| These trailblazer shields are located at the base of an on-ramp from downtown Birmingham onto a left entrance onto southbound Interstate 59 and westbound Interstate 20 just east of the Interstate 65 interchange. Photo taken 08/10/02.
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Page Updated October 27, 2003.
