| From a perch along the Interstate 165 viaduct was this view of the Viaduct Bridge, the overpass of U.S. 43 over the Alabama State Dock rail lines. Note the abutment from a former ramp. At one point an east-west street linked with the Viaduct Bridge for an elevated intersection.
This roadway traveled over Conception Street to the nearby Jackson Street. Photo taken 01/08/02.
|
| U.S. 43 trailblazer northbound on Telegraph Road at the transition from Dekle Road. U.S. 43 and Truck U.S. 90/98 reassurance shields were last posted along this roadway November of 2001. Telegraph Road carries four undivided lanes northward through to the U.S. 43 new terminus at Bay Bridge Road. Photo taken 06/03/02.
|
| After passing underneath Bay Bridge Road (U.S. 90/Truck U.S. 98), Telegraph Road comes to this intersection with Traffic Street. Traffic Street is a short connector between Bay Bridge Road and Telegraph Road. Photo taken 10/25/03.
|
| The new southern terminus of U.S. 43 is much quieter trafficwise compared to the intersection of Broad & Government in Mobile. Telegraph Road primarily serves truck interests to/from the State Docks. To the north, U.S. 43 primarily serves local traffic between here and Satsuma. Photo taken 10/25/03.
|
| A closer view of the intersection itself where U.S. 43 now begins. Traffic Street carries four lanes between U.S. 43 and Bay Bridge Road. The connection is just one half mile east of the Interstate 165 Exit 2 interchange. Photo taken 10/25/03.
|
| Traffic Street Connector
|
|---|
| Traffic Street eastbound at U.S. 43 North/Telegraph Road. The cities of Chickasaw, Saraland, and Satsuma are to the left. To the right are the Alabama State Docks and downtown Mobile. Photo taken 10/25/03.
|
| A midpoint view of Traffic Street. The connector features long turn lanes for wide turning truck traffic to/from the State Docks and other nearby industrial buildings. The southern terminus of U.S. 43 is in the background. Photo taken 10/25/03.
|
| Westbound Traffic Street at Bay Bridge Road. U.S. 90 & U.S. 98
Truck travel between Interstate 10 Exit 27 and Interstate 165 Exit 2 along the four lane highway. The Cochrane
Bridge is approximately one mile to the east. Photo taken 10/25/03.
|
| Current U.S. 43 (Prichard to Tennessee)
|
| U.S. 43 North
|
|---|
| The first northbound U.S. 43 reassurance shield, posted just north
of the Telegraph Road intersection with Traffic Street. The four lane highway continues north through the city
of Prichard to Chickasaw. At the intersection with the Craft Highway & Wilson Avenue (Former Alternate U.S. 43),
Telegraph Road ends. Photo taken 10/25/03.
|
| U.S. 43 is known as the Craft Highway through the city of Saraland.
Depicted here is the northbound approach to the eastern terminus of Alabama 158. Known as Industrial Parkway,
Alabama 158 travels east-west to Alabama 213, Interstate 65, and U.S. 45. Photo taken 11/04/03.
|
| The eastern terminus of Alabama 158. The roadway continues as
Jacintoport Boulevard to the east. U.S. 43 maintains six lanes throughout most of Saraland, and through
the intersection with Alabama 158 is no exception. Photo taken 11/04/03.
|
| The northern terminus of Alabama 213 as seen from U.S. 43
northbound. The state highway draws to a close at the five point intersection of Saraland Boulevard (U.S. 43),
Celeste Road (Mobile County 41), Ferry Avenue, and Shelton Beach Road (Alabama 213). Both Alabama 213
and Celeste Road see interchanges with Interstate 65 to the west. Photo taken 11/12/03.
|
| Four-lane U.S. 43 northbound in Satsuma. Two old versions of U.S. 43 can be found to the right, both east of the paralleling CSX Railroad line. U.S. 43 maintains this parkway appeal from the Norfolk-Southern Railroad bridge at the Saraland/Satsuma city line northward throughout the rest of Mobile County. Photo taken 11/05/99.
|
| Northbound U.S. 43 at the former eastern terminus of U.S. 86.
Alabama 56, which terminates here from the west, was also the former alignment of U.S. 84. U.S. 43 and 84 at
that time overlapped northward to Grove Hill (pop. 1,438). When the current U.S. 84/Alabama 12 alignment
between Grove Hill and Waynesboro, Mississippi was constructed, Alabama 56 was born. Photo taken 02/10/02.
|
| U.S. 43 approaching the twinned Tombigbee River Bridges at the Washington
and Clarke County line. After descending from the bridge, U.S. 43 changes in character with the advent of Jackson
(pop. 5,419) and associated development. To the right is a dirt road that goes to the base of the bridge with access to the river for boating
and fishing. Photo taken 02/10/02.
|
| Northbound U.S. 43 at the Southern terminus of Alabama 177. Construction was underway at the time of this photograph to widen Alabama 177. Therefore signage at the intersection with U.S. 43 was temporarily removed. Alabama 177 is the original alignment of U.S. 43. The four mile route loops into downtown Jackson, while U.S. 43 stays to the northwest. Photo taken 02/10/02.
|
| The junction with Alabama 69 is a partial interchange. This is the only interchange along U.S. 43 between Interstate 65 in Mobile County and Interstate 20/59 in Green County. As seen in this northbound photograph, U.S. 43 retains its parkway-like landscape. Alabama 69 terminates at Alabama 177 near downtown Jackson. Photo taken 02/10/02.
|
| 25 miles north of Demopolis (pop. 7,540) and U.S. 80, U.S. 43
northbound merges with Alabama 14 westbound near the town of Eutaw. The paired routes travel west from there
into downtown and U.S. 11. This photo displays a shield assembly for all three routes, although a three-way
multiplex never actually occurs as the signs connote. Photo taken 08/10/02.
|
| With the City of Eutaw water tower looming high overhead, U.S. 43
north & Alabama 14 west encounter U.S. 11 in the Greene County seat of 1,878. U.S. 11 and 43 begin their
relationship at this intersection, jointly traveling to the northeast 34 miles to downtown Tuscaloosa. Alabama 14
leaves the one-mile overlap with U.S. 43 onto U.S. 11 south toward Interstate 20-59 Exit 40 and the village of
Clinton. Photo taken 08/10/02.
|
| U.S. 43 ends its marriage with U.S. 11 at Alabama 69 along Telauree Street at the northern terminus of Interstate 359 at Tuscaloosa. This photograph shows U.S. 43/Alabama 69 northbound at 12th Street, the first intersection after Interstate 359 ends. Telauree Street is divided and carries six lanes northward through to the Black Warrior River crossing. Photo taken 08/10/02.
|
| Northbound U.S. 43/Alabama 69 reassurance shields. These are located
in the southwestern reaches of the Tuscaloosa central business district. Photo taken 08/10/02.
|
| U.S. 43/Alabama 69 northbound along Telauree Street at 7th Street near downtown Tuscaloosa. Overall the downtown area consists of a collection of older style buildings and street malls. The skyline is fairly minuet, with the nearby University of Alabama football stadium taking top honors as the largest complex. Photo taken 08/10/02.
|
| U.S. 43 and Alabama 69 leave the downtown area of Tuscaloosa
for the high-level Black Warrior River bridge at the intersection with University Boulevard. The east-west
thoroughfare bisects the rustic University of Alabama campus to the east while carrying Alabama 215 signage.
Traffic making a left-hand turn onto University Boulevard eventually will end up at U.S. 11 (and U.S. 43)
near the campus of Stillman College. Photo taken 08/10/02.
|
| In the city of Northport (pop. 19,435), U.S. 82 travels through
several traffic lights and maintains four to six lanes through the commercialized frontage. U.S. 43 northbound
eventually merges onto U.S. 82, with the pair of routes traveling west out of the city. This photograph shows
a hanging guide sign for the Black Warrior Parkway (West Tuscaloosa Bypass), a north-south route with a toll
bridge between Interstate 20-59 and U.S. 43 & 82. Photo taken 09/28/03.
|
| U.S. 43 & U.S. 72 share a 14-mile overlap between the Shoals
area of northwest Alabama to near Killen (pop. 1,119) in Lauderdale County. Before the two routes part from
one another, they cross the Schoal Creek. There is a pair of older truss bridges. Photo taken 09/26/03.
|
| A side profile of the U.S. 43 & 72 truss bridge over the
Schoal Creek. Construction is underway involving the creation of a new concrete span to the south of the
current crossing. Photo taken 09/26/03.
|
| U.S. 43 & 72 are divided with four to six lanes throughout
their Muscle Schoals to Killen routing. Each truss bridge over the Schoal Creek carries two lanes. Less than
one mile ahead, U.S. 43 turns northward to Green Hill and Lawrenceburg, Tennessee (pop. 10,796). U.S. 72 continues eastward
with four lanes to Killen, Center Star, Elgin, Rogersville (pop. 1,199), and ultimately Athens (pop. 18,967).
Photo taken 09/26/03.
|
| Scenes Related to U.S. 43
|
|---|
| Views of the Black Warrior River bridge of U.S.
43/Alabama 69 as seen from the Jack Warner Parkway below. Paralleling nearby is a
steel truss bridge for a railroad line and associated wood trestle.
U.S. 43 and Alabama 69 end their overlap a short distance to the north at U.S. 82 in the town of Northport.
After a short overlap with U.S. 82, U.S. 43 continues northward towards Lake Tuscaloosa and eventually the
city of Florence. Photo taken 08/10/02.
|
|
| A cantilever bridge spans the Tennessee River to the
west of Wilson Dam between the cities of Florence (pop. 32,264) and Muscle Schoals (pop. 11,924). The crossing
carries not only U.S. 43 and 72, but also Alabama state highways 13, 17, 20, and 157. Three of the state
highways depart the U.S. highway tandem at downtown Florence. This partition occurs a short distance to the north
of this bridge. Visible in the background is an abandoned railroad span and what appears to be remnant bridge
supports of some kind. A riverside park affords the views of the bridges depicted here. Photos taken 09/26/03.
|
|
|
Page Updated November 22, 2003.
