| The one-mile sign bridge as seen one month prior to the previous photograph at night. Note that the Interstate 20 and 459 shields displayed here are replaced in the above photograph. Photo taken 08/24/03. |
| Interstate 459 expands to six lanes south of the Exit 32 interchange and maintains that capacity through to Exit 6. Depicted here are button copy overheads for the upcoming Interstate 20 junction at Exit 29. Interstate 20 will merge onto Interstate 59 six miles to the west within the city of Birmingham. Eastward Interstate 20 crosses into Georgia in approximately 79 miles. Photo taken 08/10/02. |
| Rest assured ALDOT is getting the most out of these button copy overheads along Interstate 459 southbound. The shields on both panels are new as of September 2003, so the DOT does not plan on replacing the signs just yet. Photo taken 06/18/05. |
| With U.S. 78 over crossing in the background, Interstate 20 bound traffic departs Interstate 459 southbound at Exit 29. Again original button copy overheads remain, though the shields themselves are fully reflectorized. Interstate 20 within the immediate vicinity of Interstate 459 serves Irondale (pop. 9,813) to the west and Leeds (pop. 10,455) to the east. Photo taken 06/18/05. |
| A second view of the Exit 29 ramp departure from Interstate 459 southbound. Both Interstates 20 and 459 carry an overall six lanes of traffic through the symmetrical stack interchange. Photo taken 08/24/03. |
| The ramp from Interstate 459 southbound to Interstate 20 east composes one half of the lower level of the stack interchange. This photograph displays the button copy overheads at the ramp partition of Exit 29. Photo taken 09/29/03. |
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Interstate 459 continues southwest between Interstate 20 and Grants Mill Road (Exit 27). Exit 27 serves the Birmingham suburb of Irondale. Photo taken 06/18/05. |
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Westbound at the Grants Mill Road diamond interchange (Exit 27). Grants Mill Road travels one mile north to Karl Daly Road and one half mile south to Overton Road. The north-south roadway continues beyond Overton Road 4.2 miles to junction Alabama 119 (Eastern Valley Road) and eastern reaches of the Birmingham city limits. Photo taken 06/18/05. |
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Six lanes of Interstate 459 continue through Irondale to Vestavia Hills and Mountain Brook on the drive between Grants Mill Road and Liberty Parkway (Exit 23). Photo taken 06/18/05. |
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One half mile east of the Exit 23 diamond interchange for Liberty Parkway. A short access road links Interstate 459 with Overton Road. Liberty Parkway stems east from Overton Road into Vestavia Hills nearby. Photo taken 06/18/05. |
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Low rolling mountains compose the landscape of Interstate 459 between Hoover and Trussville. Pictured here is the Exit 23 off-ramp to Overton Road and Liberty Parkway. Overton Road parallels Interstate 459 from Grants Mill Road southwest through to Cahaba Heights. Liberty Parkway snakes its way east 3.5 miles to Sicard Hollow Road. Photo taken 06/18/05. |
| Interstate 459 kinks southward after Exit 23 to cross over the Cahaba River and adjacent Overton Road. Photo taken 08/10/02.
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| The next interchange westbound drivers encounter is the junction with U.S. 280 at Cahaba Heights. The federal highway begins in Birmingham and travels east through Mountain Brook, Cahaba Heights, Childersburg, Sylacauga, Alexander City, Opelika, and Phenix City within the state of Alabama. The eastern terminus exists at U.S. 80 near Pembroke, Georgia. Photo taken 08/10/02.
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The one-half mile guide sign for Exit 19/U.S. 280. The upcoming interchange is slated for redesign with the incorporation of new flyover ramps. These changes are needed due to the burgeoning suburban sprawl that is occurring along the highway from Interstate 459 southeast through Inverness and Hoover. Photo Photo taken 06/18/05. |
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Interstate 459 southbound at the Exit 19 ramp departure to U.S. 280. The federal highway comprises a busy corridor between the central business district of Birmingham through Homewood (pop. 25,043) and Mountain Brook (pop. 20,604) to the south belt line. Sprawl continues along the route for approximately seven miles to the southeast. Eventually the highway crosses over Oak Mountain toward the town of Childersburg (pop. 4,927). Photo taken 06/18/05. |
| Nearing the Exit 17 diamond interchange with Acton Road on Interstate 459 west. Acton Road serves the communities of Vestavia Hills (pop. 24,476) and Hoover (pop. 62,742). The road itself basically constitutes a connector between Interstate 459 and Old Rocky Ridge Road to the west. Photo taken 10/01/03.
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| Drawing to within one half mile of the Exit 17 off-ramp to Acton Road. Use Acton Road east to Caldwell Mill Road and the Camp Horne community. Old Rocky Ridge Road to the west serves the Rocky Ridge community of Vestavia Hills. Photo taken 06/18/05. |
| The first sign of the impending junction with Interstate 65 exists ahead of the Acton Road off-ramp. Interstate 65 meets Interstate 459 within the city limits of Hoover at Exit 15. The north-south freeway represents the main route to downtown Birmingham from the southern suburbs of Pelham, Helena, and Alabaster. Photo taken 06/18/05. |
| Westbound at the Exit 17 off-ramp to Acton Road. Use Acton Road to Old Rocky Ridge Road for Altadena and Rocky Ridge Roads and the city of Vestavia Hills. Photo taken 06/18/05. |
| South of Acton Road is the one-mile sign bridge for Exit 15/Interstate 65. Similar to the interchange with Interstate 20, Exit 15 is also a four-level symmetrical stack interchange. The junction itself is set in the valley between Little Valley Mountain and Red Mountain. Downtown Birmingham lies eight miles to the north along the six-lane freeway. 77 miles to the south lies the capital city of Montgomery. Photo taken 06/18/05.
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| Interstate 459 southbound expands to four lanes in anticipation of the Exit 15 ramp departure for Interstate 65. The high speed ramps allow for smooth transitions to/from Interstate 459 and 65. This is in stark contrast to the tight Interstate 65 & 20-59 "Malfunction Junction" interchange near downtown Birmingham 11 miles to the north. Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| View of the Interstate 459 westbound Exit 15 ramp departure. The third and fourth levels of the symmetrical stack interchange come into view now. The Interstate 65 southbound ramp composes one-half of the first level. Traffic utilizing that ramp views generous rock cuts that shuttle the lane underneath the flyovers above. The next two southbound Interstate 459 exits and next interchange in either direction of Interstate 65 all serve the city of Hoover. Photo taken 06/18/05.
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| Once on the transition ramp from southbound Interstate 459 to southbound Interstate 65, motorists can experience the height of the entire four-level, symmetrical stack interchange. This picture shows the entire stack from the bottom. The layers above it (from bottom to top) are Interstate 459 mainline, Interstate 65 mainline, and the transition from southbound Interstate 65 to northbound Interstate 459. Photo taken 02/21/01.
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| Still within the Exit 15 interchange complex is the one-mile guide sign for nearby Exit 13B. The partial cloverleaf interchange ahead serves U.S. 31, the Montgomery Highway, through the heart of Hoover. In 2002, a new interchange opened to the west (Exit 13A). Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| The on-ramps from Interstate 65 become the exit-only lane for Exit 13B. U.S. 31 is a heavily developed six-lane arterial between Hoover and Vestavia Hills to the north. The route is flanked by numerous commercial establishments and travel amenities. Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| Until 2001, all traffic bound for the nearby Riverchase Galleria mall had to utilize U.S. 31. A new "Y" interchange now exists to facilitate movements from Interstate 459 southbound directly to the shopping complex itself. Galleria Boulevard, as it is known, eventually ties into Alabama 150 to the south. Alabama 150 begins at U.S. 31 and travels west to Bessemer. Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| The Exit 13A gore point of Interstate 459 southbound. The flyover ramp includes two lanes for the sprawling shopping center. Look for Alabama 150 again at the next interchange. Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| One half mile east of the Exit 10 diamond interchange with Alabama 150. This state highway travels between the city of Bessemer (pop. 29,672) and city of Hoover near the Riverchase Galleria. Along the route are the Laceys Chapel and Parkwood communities of Bessemer. Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| By about milepost 8, Interstate 459 southbound enters the city limits of Bessemer. At Exit 6 is the first of two Bessemer city interchanges, that of the Morgan Road diamond interchange. Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| Interstate 459 southbound reduces from six to four lanes at Exit 6 with the exit-only departure for Morgan Road. This surface arterial serves the Hopewell, Hilltop, and Morgan communities of the city. Also situated nearby is the Bessemer Airport. Photo taken 08/10/02.
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| The first sign of the final Interstate 459 interchange along southbound. The state of Alabama always posts a two-mile guide sign for any Interstate to Interstate junction. Unlike the southern terminus of Interstate 65 that is signed as Exit 0, Interstate 459's southern terminus receives no exit number. Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| The last extant exit along Interstate 459 southbound is for Bessemer and McCalla. Although not placed on the advance signs, this is Jefferson County Route 18 (Eastern Valley Road), which parallels the original alignment of U.S. 11 (now known as Jefferson County Route 20/Old Tuscaloosa Highway). Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| Entering the final mile of Interstate 459 southbound. The control cities for Interstate 20-59 are Tuscaloosa to the south and Birmingham to the north. The two highways continue westward beyond to Meridian. From there Interstate 20 travels to Jackson, Mississippi. Interstate 59 sinks southward to Hattiesburg, Mississippi and New Orleans, Louisiana. Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| An end shield is posted for the southern terminus of Interstate 459. No end sign is posted for the north end. Curiously the state name of Alabama is overlaid with a blue strip of tape. In fact, several of the Interstate 459 shields in the Bessemer area have their state names covered. Perhaps this was done because Alabama was misspelled.. Photo taken 09/28/03.
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| Interstate 459 draws to a close at a trumpet interchange with Interstate 20-59 to the southwest of Bessemer. Widening sees Interstate 20-59 expand to six lanes from this junction westward to Exit 97. This expansion is needed as traffic congestion due to commuter traffic and University of Alabama football games at Tuscaloosa can bottleneck here. Photo taken 09/28/03.
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Page Updated August 5, 2005.
