Interstate 20 in Alabama

Interstate 20
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Route information
	Maintained by ALDOT
Length:	213 mi (343 km)
Major junctions
West end:	I-20 / I-59 at the Mississippi border near Cuba
	I‑359 / US 11 / SR 69 in Tuscaloosa; US 82 in Tuscaloosa; US 11 (numerous locations from Birmingham westward); I‑459 near Bessemer and in Irondale; I‑65 in Birmingham; US 31 / US 280 in Birmingham; I‑59 in Birmingham; US 78 (numerous locations from Birmingham eastward); US 431 in Oxford
East end:	I‑20 at the Georgia line
Highway system

In Alabama, Interstate 20 travels 214.7 miles^[1] through the center of the state. It enters the state from Mississippi near Cuba, and travels northeastward through Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. At Birmingham, I-20 turns eastward and heads through Oxford before crossing the Georgia state line near Lebanon. Other cities on the route include Livingston, Bessemer, and Pell City.

For more than half its 130-mile (210 km) distance, I-20 overlaps Interstate 59 from the Mississippi border to eastern Birmingham near Birmingham International Airport. Mileage and exits on the concurrency are I-59's,^{[citation needed]} although both routes have the same mileage for the Alabama duplex.

Route description

Western Alabama

After Interstate 20/59 enters Alabama from Mississippi, they travel concurrently northeastward across the Tombigbee River and Black Warrior River delta country which is generally low-lying farmland until reaching Tuscaloosa. This area contains low population. US Highway 11 parallels this route from Mississippi northeastward while it passes through small towns like York, Livingston, and Eutaw before reaching Tuscaloosa.

At Tuscaloosa, the route connects with the spur interstate Interstate 359 which travels northward into downtown Tuscaloosa and to the University of Alabama.

From the Mississippi/Alabama state line to Tuscaloosa, Interstate 20/59 is a four-lane route. While passing Tuscaloosa, the route briefly becomes six lanes but once again becomes four lanes east of exit 73.

From Tuscaloosa to Birmingham, the route continues on an east/northeast heading traveling through rolling forested terrain until reaching Interstate 459 southwest of Bessemer. Most of this stretch is now a six-lane freeway and construction continues to widen the route just northeast of Tuscaloosa to six-lane capacity. This stretch also hosts the Mercedes auto plant which is a large employer of residents primarily from Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, and Bibb counties. Interstate 459 travels east and then northeast around the southern periphery of the Birmingham area before re-connecting first with Interstate 20 near Irondale and then terminating at Interstate 59 near Trussville. The Birmingham Northern Beltline Corridor X-1, which is slated to become Interstate 422, is to connect to I-20/59 at the Interstate 459 interchange; however, this project is still years away from completion.

Interstate 20 (co-signed with Interstate 59) approaching Interstate 65 in downtown Birmingham. This is sometimes referred to locally as Malfunction Junction.

Birmingham

After passing the Interstate 459 interchange, the route continues northeast through the Birmingham suburbs of Bessemer, Fairfield, and Hueytown and entering Birmingham near the Ensley community. The route continues east/northeast through downtown before reaching the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport where Interstate 59 continues northeast toward Gadsden and Interstate 20 turns eastward toward Atlanta. Most of this stretch is through urban areas including passing near the U.S. Steel plant near Fairfield. Near Fairfield and visible from the Interstate looking north and northwest are several smokestacks which is all that remain of several large steelmills that used to dominate the Ensley community of Birmingham.

As Interstate 20/59 travels eastward just past the Arkadelphia Road exit in the East Thomas community, the highway rises to the top of East Thomas hill, giving eastbound travelers an excellent view of the downtown Birmingham skyline just before reaching the interchange with Interstate 65. This interchange is known locally as "Malfunction Junction" due to the fact that the eastbound and westbound lanes briefly cross each other and the route has exit ramps for Interstate 65 on both sides of the road which can cause confusion and accidents.

As Interstate 20/59 leaves the downtown area, the route has an interchange with the Elton Stephens Expressway, also known locally as the Red Mountain Expressway, which travels south across the downtown area and into the southern Birmingham suburbs.

Once Interstate 20 turns away from Interstate 59, it begins an eastbound journey toward Georgia. The first two miles are a four-lane bridge of east Birmingham neighborhoods before reaching the shopping areas formerly known as Eastwood Mall and Century Plaza Mall. Eastwood Mall at its opening was the largest shopping mall in the Southeast while Century Plaza Mall was the first two-level shopping mall in Birmingham. Eastwood Mall was razed in 2006 and in its places exists a Wal-Mart Supercenter and other retailers. Century Plaza closed in June 2009 and the future of the site is still in question.

Interstate 20 is a six-lane freeway from exit 132 to exit 162. This route travels through rolling suburban country and crosses Interstate 459 near Irondale.

"Bloody 20"

The section of Interstate 20 between Leeds and Pell City is arguably the most dangerous stretch of interstate highway in Alabama. The terrain is significantly hilly as the route passing across the northeast to southwest ridges of the Appalachian Mountains. There are two significant uphill grades in each direction which slows down truck traffic. However, due to the heavy volume of truck traffic combined with speeding car traffic, accidents are frequent and sometimes deadly. This part of Interstate 20 is sometimes called "Bloody 20". Between 2010 and 2014 work was completed to add additional lanes in each direction along I-20.

Eastern Alabama

East of mile marker 155, the route once again becomes six lanes until reaching the Coosa River bridge near Riverside. This bridge is scheduled to be replaced when the stretch between the Coosa River and mile marker 172 is widened to six lanes from four lanes. However, no timetable for this project has been announced. Exits 165 and 168 serve the Honda Motor Company which has a plant at Lincoln. Exits 168 and 173 serve the Talladega Superspeedway which hosts two NASCAR racing weeks each year. The terrain east of mile marker 155 until reaching mile marker 191 is the relatively flat Coosa River valley.

East of mile marker 172 until mile marker 205, the route is once again six lanes. East of Exit 205, Interstate 20 remains a four-lane route until it reaches the Georgia state line (mile marker 215); however, in this area, construction is ongoing to widen the road to six lanes to the Georgia state line. The Anniston/Oxford area is served by exits 179, 185, 188, and 191.

Just east of exit 191 is a significant uphill/downhill grade (uphill eastbound/downhill westbound) approximately two miles long. Truck traffic is significantly slowed by this hill, causing occasional traffic backups. East of this incline, the route travels through generally rural forested rolling country until reaching the Georgia state line.

East of Birmingham, U.S. Route 78 serves as the parallel U.S. highway.

History

The completion of Interstate 20 in Alabama was done in numerous stages. Few segments were completed in such a way that they junctioned existing segments. The first section to be opened was a 21-mile segment between Leeds and Riverside in the early 1960s. The next section to open was a 28-mile segment between the Tuscaloosa and the Tuscaloosa/Jefferson County line in the mid-1960s.

The next section of I-20 to open in Alabama was a four-mile stretch between Avenue I in Ensley and Arkadelphia Road (U.S. 78/State Route 5) near Birmingham-Southern College. This was the first segment of Interstate highway to open in Birmingham. This segment, as well as a one-mile segment from the Mississippi state line to what is now Exit 1, leading to Cuba opened in the late 1960s.

The early 1970s saw more sections of Interstate 20 completed in Alabama, including a 50-mile segment between Epes and Tuscaloosa, a three-mile segment between Fairfield and Ensley, a two-mile segment between U.S. Route 78 and Interstate 65, a six-mile segment between U.S. Route 78 in Riverside and State Route 77 in Lincoln, then an additional 13 miles leading to State Route 21 at Oxford.

During the mid 1970s, I-20 was extended further east in Birmingham. The first segment to open east of I-65 was a short segment leading to 17th Street in downtown, then another segment that extended the route to 22nd Street near the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center. The opening of additional segments continuing eastward led to temporary ends of I-20 at Tallapoosa Street (State Route 79) near Birmingham Municipal Airport, then at U.S. 78 in Irondale. Also, the segment of the route between Bessemer and Fairfield was completed. In the eastern part of the state, I-20 was extended east from Oxford to State Route 9 near Heflin.

During the late 1970s, Interstate 20 was completed in east Alabama; however, only six miles of the route was opened since the route was not complete in Georgia. The segment between the Alabama/Georgia state line and Douglasville was among the final segments of Interstate highway to be completed in Georgia. The temporary end of Interstate 20 in Alabama was at State Route 46. Also, the final section of Interstate 20 connecting Tuscaloosa and Birmingham was completed, as the section of U.S. Route 11 between the Tuscaloosa/Jefferson county line and Bessemer was upgraded from an expressway to a limited-access highway.

In the early 1980s segments connecting Cuba and Livingston and then Livingston and Epes completed Interstate 20 between the Mississippi state line and Birmingham. The final segment of the route to be completed was an eight-mile section between Irondale and Leeds. This segment opened in 1985.

Interstate 20 has no three-digit spur routes in Alabama, although at one time there was discussion of a spur northward from Oxford into Anniston which would also serve as a connection to the U.S. Army base at Fort McClellan as well as to Gadsden. The closing of the base as well as a lack of population between Anniston and Gadsden eliminated the necessity of such a route.

Exit list

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County	Location	mi	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Sumter		0.000	0.000		I-20 west / I-59 south – Meridian	Continuation into Mississippi
		0.804	1.294	1	To US 80 east (SR-8 east) – Cuba, Demopolis
		8.041	12.941	8	SR 17 – York
		17.059	27.454	17	SR 28 – Livingston, Boyd
		23.141	37.242	23	CR 20 – Gainesville, Epes
Greene		32.229	51.868	32	Boligee
		40.766	65.607	40	SR 14 – Aliceville, Eutaw
		45.334	72.958	45	Union
		52.244	84.079	52	US 11 (SR-7) / US 43 (SR-13) – Knoxville
Tuscaloosa		62.466	100.529	62	Fosters
	Tuscaloosa	68.033	109.489	68	Northport Tuscaloosa Western Bypass
		71.367	114.854	71	I‑359 north / US 11 (SR-7) / SR 69 – Tuscaloosa, Moundville	Signed as exits 71A (south) and 71B (north), I-359 south exit 0, north exits 0A-B; Southern terminus of I-359
		73.003	117.487	73	US 82 (SR-6 / McFarland Boulevard)
		75.961	122.247	76	US 11 – Cottondale, East Tuscaloosa
		77.102	124.084	77	Cottondale
		79.895	128.579	79	US 11 (SR-7) – Coaling, Cottondale
		86.295	138.878	86	Brookwood, Vance
		89.253	143.639	89	Mercedes Drive
		97.138	156.328	97	US 11 south (SR-7 south) / SR 5 south – West Blocton, Centreville	South end of US-11 / SR-7 / SR-5 overlap
		100.292	161.404	100	Abernant, Bucksville	Unsigned eastern terminus for SR-216
Jefferson		104.159	167.628	104	Rock Mountain Lake	McAshan Drive
		106.201	170.914	106	I‑459 – Gadsden, Montgomery, Atlanta	I-459 exit 0
	Bessemer	108.396	174.446	108	US 11 north / SR 5 north (SR-7 north / Academy Drive)	North end of US-11 / SR-7 / SR-5 overlap
		110.021	177.062	110	Alabama Adventure Parkway
		112.341	180.795	112	18th Street, 19th Street
		113.280	182.306	113	18th Avenue
		115.520	185.911	115	Allison–Bonnet Memorial Drive, Jaybird Road
	Fairfield	118.304	190.392	118	Valley Road – Fairfield
	Birmingham	119.025	191.552	119	Lloyd Nolan Parkway	Signed as exit 119A southbound
		119.727	192.682	119B	Avenue I	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		120.934	194.624	120	SR 269 (20th Street) / Ensley Avenue
		121.238	195.114	121	Bush Boulevard	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		123.374	198.551	123	US 78 (SR-4 / Arkadelphia Road) / SR 5 – Jasper
		124.740	200.750	124	I‑65 – Montgomery, Huntsville	Signed as exits 124A (south) and 124B (north); I-65 exits 261A-B
		125.221	201.524	125A	17th Street – Downtown Birmingham	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		125.639	202.196	125B	22nd Street – Downtown Birmingham	Signed as exit 125 southbound
		126.239	203.162	126A	US 31 (SR-3 / 11th Avenue North) / US 280 east (SR-38 east) / Carraway Boulevard – Civic Center	Western terminus of US-280
		126.825	204.105	126B	31st Street North
		128.257	206.410	128	SR 79 (Tallapoosa Street)
		129.621	208.605	129	Airport Boulevard
		130.301	209.699	130A	I‑59 north – Gadsden	Eastern end of I-59 overlap
		130.571	210.134	130B	US 11 (SR-7 / 1st Avenue North) / 1st Avenue South	Signed as exits 130A (south) and 130B (north) eastbound
		132.416	213.103	132A	To US 78 / Oporto-Madrid Boulevard	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		132.738	213.621	132B	To US 78 / Montevallo Road	Signed as exit 132 westbound
	Irondale			133	To US 78 / Kilgore Memorial Drive
				135	To US 78 / Old Leeds Road
		137.027	220.524	136	I‑459 – Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, Gadsden	I-459 exit 29
	Leeds	140.108	225.482	140	US 78 (SR-4 / Parkway Drive) – Leeds
St. Clair	Leeds	144.546	232.624	144	US 411 (SR-25 / Ashville Road) – Leeds, Moody, Odenville	Signed as exits 144A (south) and 144B (north)
	Moody	147.300	237.056	147	Brompton	Kelley Creek Road
		152.140	244.846	152	Cook Springs
		153.733	247.409	153	US 78 west (SR-4 west) – Chula Vista	Western end of US-78/SR-4 overlap
	Pell City	156.564	251.965	156	US 78 east (SR-4 east) – Eden, Pell City, Odenville	Eastern end of US-78/SR-4 overlap
	Pell City	158.817	255.591	158	US 231 (SR-53 / Martin Street) – Ashville, Pell City
	Riverside	162.913	262.183	162	US 78 (SR-4) – Riverside, Pell City
Coosa River (Logan Martin Lake)		164.748	265.136	Bridge over the Coosa River
Talladega	Lincoln	165.094	265.693	165	Embry, Lincoln	Stemley Road
	Lincoln	168.108	270.544	168	SR 77 – Talladega, Lincoln
		173.124	278.616	173	CR 5 – Eastaboga, Talladega Superspeedway, International Motorsports Hall of Fame
	Oxford	179.729	289.246	179	SR 202 east – Munford, Coldwater	Western terminus of SR-202
Calhoun	Oxford	185.537	298.593	185	SR 21 (Quintard Drive) – Oxford, Anniston, Jacksonville
	Anniston	188.034	302.611	188	US 431 north (SR-1 north) to US 78 / Leon Smith Parkway – Oxford, Anniston, Jacksonville	Northern end of US-431/SR-1 overlap
		191.859	308.767	191	US 431 south (SR-1 south) to US 78	Southern end of US-431/SR-1 overlap
Cleburne	Heflin	199.374	320.861	199	SR 9 (Almon Street) – Heflin, Hollis
	Heflin	205.054	330.002	205	SR 46 – Ranburne
	Tallapoosa River			Bridge over the Tallapoosa River
		210.268	338.394	210	CR 49 – Ranburne, Muscadine
		214.778	345.652		I‑20 east – Atlanta	Continuation into Georgia
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access