The southern belt of Birmingham, Interstate 459 is six lanes with a 65 to 70 mph speed limit. It is the preferred route for all through traffic in the area. Total mileage is 32.80, but a slated northern extension of the freeway will over double that amount. The addition to the freeway, which is High Priority Corridor 28, will take Interstate 459 around the north side of the metropolitan area of Birmingham, with a junction at Interstate 59 near Trussville.
Interstate 459 north
The second of three Hoover (pop. 62,742) area interchanges is Exit 13 with U.S. 31, the Montgomery Highway. This partial cloverleaf interchange serves the Riverchase Galleria area and other commercial establishments. The overpasses in the background are that of the new Exit 13A "Y" interchange for the Galleria from Interstate 459 southbound. Photo taken 09/28/03.
This sign bridge is posted just before the Lorna Road overpass along Interstate 459 northbound. The right-hand two lanes become exit-only for the upcoming Exit 15 junction of Interstate 65. The forthcoming interchange is a four-level symmetrical stack. Photo taken 09/28/03.
The ramp of Interstate 459 northbound to Interstate 65 northbound composes one half of the bottom level of the stack interchange. This photo looks along that ramp at the Interstate 65 and 459 mainline and the associated flyover ramps above. Photo taken 09/28/03.
Interstate 459 maintains six lanes through the Interstate 65 junction. This photo looks at the northbound lanes as they emerge from the Exit 15 interchange. Ahead is Exit 17 with Acton Road. Acton Road is a surface street situated near the Rocky Ridge community. The roadway and nearby Old Rocky Ridge Road serves both Hoover and the city of Vestavia Hills (pop. 24,476). Photo taken 10/01/03.
Interstate 459 widens to include a tree filled median at the Exit 17/Acton Road interchange. Situated adjacent to the junction is International Park and Cahaba Lake. The scenery of this area continues through to the suburban junction of U.S. 280. Photo taken 10/01/03.
Interstate 459 northbound reassurance shield. Co-signed with this assembly are Interstate 20 and 59 trailblazers. The reassurance shields along the south beltline generally are accompanied with trailblazers for at least one of the three Birmingham area 2-digit Interstates. Photo taken 10/01/03.
One-half mile guide sign for Exit 19/U.S. 280 along Interstate 459 northbound. U.S. 280 is a growing corridor between Mountain Brook (pop. 20,604) and Birmingham southeast to eastern reaches of Hoover and the Inverness community. Development is heavy along the six lane divided highway
in and around Interstate 459. Photo taken 10/01/03.
Interstate 459 northbound at Exit 19/U.S. 280. The interchange at it exists today is undergoing some dramatic changes. These are needed to mitigate growing pains associated with a 163,000 vehicles per day (vpd) daily traffic count for the interchange overall. Crews recently completed a bridge widening to the U.S. 280 overpasses over Interstate 459. See the route introduction for a background on the Exit 19 redesign.1 Photo taken 07/15/05.
The current configuration of the Exit 19 ramp partition of Interstate 459 northbound. This ramp is complicated by the fact that traffic from Interstate 459 south to U.S. 280 eastbound merges from the left. The eastbound control city is that of Childersburg (pop. 4,927), a community 28 miles to the southeast. Photo taken 10/01/03.
Interstate 459 curves over Overton Road one half mile ahead of the Exit 23 diamond interchange for Liberty Parkway. Liberty Parkway stems eastward from adjacent Overton Road to Sicard Hollow Road and the suburb of Vestavia Hills. Photo taken 07/15/05.
Continuing northeasterly along Interstate 459 after the Exit 23 ramps to Overton Road is this upcoming exits sign listing the distances to Grants Mill Road (Exit 27), junction Interstate 20 (Exit 29), and junction U.S. 11 (Exit 32). Photo taken 07/15/05.
Traveling east one mile west of the Exit 27 diamond interchange with Grants Mill Road. Grants Mill Road orientates in a northwest to southeast fashion between Irondale, eastern reaches of Birmingham, and Vestavia Hills. The road ends at Karl Daly Road one mile north of Interstate 459. Photo taken 07/15/05.
Belmont Road passes over Interstate 459 between the 0.50-mile guide sign of Exit 27 and Grants Mill Road. Grants Mill Road continues south of the six-lane freeway one half mile to Overton Road and 3.2 miles to Sicard Hollow Road in Vestavia Hills. Photo taken 07/15/05.
The two-mile guide sign for Exit 29 (Junction Interstate 20) resides at the Belmont Road over crossing. Interstate 459 meets Interstate 20 at a four-level symmetrical stack interchange at Jefferson Park. Photo taken 07/15/05.
Eastbound at the Exit 27 ramp departure for Grants Mill Road in eastern Birmingham. Interstate 459 maintains six lanes through the junction. Grants Mill Road ends 4.7 miles to the south at junction Alabama 119 (Eastern Valley Road). Photo taken 07/15/05.
Interstate 20 serves eastern reaches of the city of Birmingham and the suburbs of Irondale, Mountain Brook, Leeds, and points east to Atlanta. The freeway carries between four and six lanes between Birmingham and Anniston, with construction continuing to increase the capacity overall. The freeway meets Interstate 459 five miles west of Leeds. Photo taken 07/15/05.
One half mile south of the Exit 29 stack interchange with Interstate 20. Interstate 20 merges with Interstate 59 six miles to the west near Birmingham International Airport. From there the two routes co-sign into downtown Birmingham en route to Bessemer, Tuscaloosa, and Meridian, Mississippi. Photo taken 07/15/05.
Interstate 459 crosses over Ratliff Road ahead of the Exit 29 ramp departure to Interstate 20. Interstate 20 continues east of Interstate 459 48 miles to Anniston and 130 miles to Atlanta, Georgia. The freeway also serves Pell City, Talladega, Eastaboga, and Oxford along the drive. Photo taken 07/15/05.
Traffic partitions into the east and westbound on-ramps to Interstate 20 respectively. Interstate 20 next meets U.S. 78 (Exit 140) outside of Leeds to the east and Old Leeds Road (Exit 135) one mile to the west. Interstate 285 lies 128 miles to the east. Photo taken 07/15/05.
