Interstate 565 is a 23-mile freeway spur between Decatur and Interstate 65 and the city of Huntsville. The freeway opened to traffic in the late 1980s.
Interstate 565 east
Alabama 20 leaves U.S. 31 and enters Interstate 565 three miles to the east of Whiteside and five east of the city of Decatur (pop. 53,929). Pictured here is the Exit 1A departure of the Interstate 65 southbound ramp. Ahead is the Exit 1B cloverleaf ramp for Interstate 65 north. Interstate 565 and Alabama 20 overlap initially. But the state route unceremoniously disappears midway between Interstate 65 and downtown Huntsville. Photo taken 08/24/03.
Interstate 565 begins with six lanes initially, but widens to eight lanes as it enters the greater Huntsville metropolitan area. In this photograph Exit 15 departs for Madison Drive/Sparkman Drive/Bob Wallace Avenue. Ahead is the central business district of Huntsville.
Photo taken 08/24/03.
Alabama 53, overlapped with U.S. 231 in a hidden fashion from Dothan to Huntsville, intersects Interstate 565 at the Exit 17A interchange. The north-south highway follows Jordan Lane west of downtown, connecting with U.S. 72/University Drive one mile to the north. Photo taken 09/26/03.
Interstate 565 eastbound at Exit 17A/Alabama 53 north. Several interchanges serve the downtown area. Of those Exit 17B features the southbound connection with Alabama 53/Governors Drive. The guide sign reveals a removed Alabama state highway shield. This is the remnant of the overlapped Alabama 20 that once departed Interstate 565 at Exit 17B. Photo taken 09/26/03.
Continuing eastbound on Interstate 565 at Exit 17B/Alabama 53 south. Ahead is the Exit 19 interchange with the U.S. 231/431 expressway downtown. The north-south route is officially designated Memorial Parkway. The paired routes enter the state of Alabama 17 miles to the north.
Photo taken 09/26/03.
Now one mile west of the Exit 19 interchange of U.S. 231 & 431. The two routes part ways 1.5 miles to the south at Governors Drive. There Alabama 53 begins its cross-state overlap with U.S. 231. U.S. 431 overtakes Governors Drive in Alabama 53's absence. Photo taken 09/26/03.
Interstate 565 reduces to four lanes overall on its viaduct east of downtown. Exit 19B departs for U.S. 231 & 431 northbound. Exit 19C serves the downtown surface streets of Jefferson and Washington Streets in 0.25 miles. Photo taken 09/26/03.
Traveling northeast along Interstate 565 eastbound near Exit 20/Oakwood Drive. The central business now left behind, the east-west freeway ascends toward its terminus at U.S. 72 east of town. Photo taken 09/26/03.
An Interstate 565 end shield is posted at the terminus with U.S. 72. The federal route enters from the west, overtaking the freeway on its trek toward Chase, Ryland, and Scottsboro (pop. 14,762). Photo taken 08/24/03.
Ascending up the mountain depicted in the previous photographs, Interstate 565 transitions into U.S. 72. A new interchange is under construction that will extend the Interstate 565 freeway to the east. From U.S. 72 westbound, guide signs refer to this interchange as Exit 21. Photo taken 09/26/03.
Scenes Related to Interstate 565
Interstate 565 flanks the northern reaches of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. This facility is home to Space Camp and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. This monument is placed to the south of the freeway as a tribute to space exploration. It can be found to the southeast
of Exit 14. Photo taken 09/26/03.
