Interstate 359
Encyclopedia
Interstate 359 is a part of the Interstate Highway System
in the US state of Alabama
. It is a spur route
that runs for 2.76 miles (4.44 km) entirely within the city limits of Tuscaloosa
. Its termini are just south of I-20
/I-59 interchange on the south side of town and U.S. Highway 43 (US 43) in downtown Tuscaloosa. The entire length is concurrent
with U.S. Highway 11 (US 11) and Alabama State Route 69 (SR 69), with both continuing as at grade thoroughfares
north and south of the shorter Interstate.
. I-359 then continues in a northerly direction paralleling Greensboro Avenue to its northern terminus just north of 15th Street where the limited access
freeway transitions into an at grade thoroughfare as it enters downtown Tuscaloosa.
From its crossing of the Alabama Great Southern Railroad
(AGS) through the northern terminus, the highway in its entirety is elevated along a continuous bridge span. I-359 also features a wrong-way concurrency for its entire duration with travel from downtown Tuscaloosa being signed as both I-359 and SR 69 south and US 11 north, and with travel from the south being signed both I-359 and SR 69 north and US 11 south.
Actual planning for I-359 commenced in 1961, and by 1971, the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) announced that federal funding would be sought for its construction. Planning for the corridor continued throughout the 1970s, only to stall briefly due to complications with the required environmental impact assessment
associated with the project. By 1976, it was announced I-359 would have an exit both at 35th Street and 15th Street in order to improve access to both the University of Alabama and Stillman College
.
In 1977, ALDOT publicly unveiled the final routing of the route and presented it at a series of public meetings in August 1977. The selected route resulted in the slight relocation of 35th Street, the construction of a bridge along 31st Street over the freeway and the construction of a continuous viaduct
along the final leg of the freeway through its 15th Street junction. Plans were also unveiled to add an additional travel lane in each direction along I-20/59 between its junction with I-359 and McFarland Boulevard.
Following the acquisition of the necessary right-of-way, phasing of the project was released in June 1979. The first phase included the completion of the interchange at I-20/59 and lane expansion; the second phase included the segment between I-20/59 and the AGS railroad crossing; and the third phase included the elevated segment through the northern terminus in downtown Tuscaloosa. Construction would commence in 1980 on the first phase, with the bid for the second phase setting a then-record for cost for a Tuscaloosa road project at $11,884,450. As construction was wrapping up on phase two, phase three of the project again set a record cost at $17.4 million in January 1982. The phase included the completion of the viaduct section of the freeway, constructed at an average elevation of 22 feet (6.7 m) above grade. The first segment of I-359 opened to traffic in October 1982 between I-20/59 and Exit 1. Costing $41 million at completion, I-359 was officially dedicated and opened for traffic on September 13, 1983.
, Tuscaloosa County
.
{|class="wikitable"
!Mile
!Exit
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|0.00
|
|
|Southbound exit and northbound entrance
|-
|0.39
|0
|, Meridian
|northbound signed as Exits 0A (eastbound) & 0B (westbound)
|-
|1.05
|1
|35th Street – University of Alabama
|
|-
|2.59
|2
|
|
|-
|2.76
|
|
|Northbound exit and southbound entrance
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
in the US state of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. It is a spur route
Spur route
A spur route is a short road forming a branch from a longer, more important route . A bypass or beltway is never considered a true spur route as it typically reconnects with the major road...
that runs for 2.76 miles (4.44 km) entirely within the city limits of Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
. Its termini are just south of I-20
Interstate 20 in Alabama
In Alabama, Interstate 20 travels 214.7 miles through the center of the state. It enters the state from Mississippi near York, and travels northeastward through Tuscaloosa and Birmingham...
/I-59 interchange on the south side of town and U.S. Highway 43 (US 43) in downtown Tuscaloosa. The entire length is concurrent
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
with U.S. Highway 11 (US 11) and Alabama State Route 69 (SR 69), with both continuing as at grade thoroughfares
At-grade intersection
An at-grade intersection is a junction at which two or more transport axes cross at the same level .-Traffic management:With areas of high or fast traffic, an at-grade intersection normally requires a traffic control device such as a stop sign, traffic light or railway signal to manage conflicting...
north and south of the shorter Interstate.
Route description
I-359 begins just south of the I-20/59 interchange at the western terminus of Skyland Boulevard (US 11, SR 7) and SR 69. From this point the route travels in a northerly direction where it meets Interstate 20/59 at a partial cloverleaf interchange. The route reaches its first exit at 35th Street in a half cloverleaf configuration, which provides access to the University of AlabamaUniversity of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
. I-359 then continues in a northerly direction paralleling Greensboro Avenue to its northern terminus just north of 15th Street where the limited access
Limited-access road
A limited-access road known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway , including limited or no access to adjacent...
freeway transitions into an at grade thoroughfare as it enters downtown Tuscaloosa.
From its crossing of the Alabama Great Southern Railroad
Alabama Great Southern Railroad
The Alabama Great Southern Railroad is a railroad in the U.S. states of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. It is an operating subsidiary of the Norfolk Southern Corporation , running southwest from Chattanooga to New Orleans through Birmingham and Meridian...
(AGS) through the northern terminus, the highway in its entirety is elevated along a continuous bridge span. I-359 also features a wrong-way concurrency for its entire duration with travel from downtown Tuscaloosa being signed as both I-359 and SR 69 south and US 11 north, and with travel from the south being signed both I-359 and SR 69 north and US 11 south.
History
In the early 1960s, local planners and elected officials stated the need for direct access to Interstate 59 from the city of Tuscaloosa. As annexation had not yet brought the city limits to the I-59 corridor, Interstate 359 was originally to be the only access provided to I-59 directly from Tuscaloosa. The route as originally envisioned, was to have no exits for the duration of its route between its southern terminus at I-59 and its northern terminus at 15th Street in downtown Tuscaloosa.Actual planning for I-359 commenced in 1961, and by 1971, the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) announced that federal funding would be sought for its construction. Planning for the corridor continued throughout the 1970s, only to stall briefly due to complications with the required environmental impact assessment
Environmental impact assessment
An environmental impact assessment is an assessment of the possible positive or negative impact that a proposed project may have on the environment, together consisting of the natural, social and economic aspects....
associated with the project. By 1976, it was announced I-359 would have an exit both at 35th Street and 15th Street in order to improve access to both the University of Alabama and Stillman College
Stillman College
-Marching Band:The school's marching band is named the Blue Pride Marching Band.In February 2010, Stillman College dedicated the brand new facility, the Thomas Lyle Band Center, named in honor of former band director Thomas Lyle, in conjunction with the Wynn Fine Arts Center.Organizations include:...
.
In 1977, ALDOT publicly unveiled the final routing of the route and presented it at a series of public meetings in August 1977. The selected route resulted in the slight relocation of 35th Street, the construction of a bridge along 31st Street over the freeway and the construction of a continuous viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
along the final leg of the freeway through its 15th Street junction. Plans were also unveiled to add an additional travel lane in each direction along I-20/59 between its junction with I-359 and McFarland Boulevard.
Following the acquisition of the necessary right-of-way, phasing of the project was released in June 1979. The first phase included the completion of the interchange at I-20/59 and lane expansion; the second phase included the segment between I-20/59 and the AGS railroad crossing; and the third phase included the elevated segment through the northern terminus in downtown Tuscaloosa. Construction would commence in 1980 on the first phase, with the bid for the second phase setting a then-record for cost for a Tuscaloosa road project at $11,884,450. As construction was wrapping up on phase two, phase three of the project again set a record cost at $17.4 million in January 1982. The phase included the completion of the viaduct section of the freeway, constructed at an average elevation of 22 feet (6.7 m) above grade. The first segment of I-359 opened to traffic in October 1982 between I-20/59 and Exit 1. Costing $41 million at completion, I-359 was officially dedicated and opened for traffic on September 13, 1983.
Exit list
The entire route is in TuscaloosaTuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
, Tuscaloosa County
Tuscaloosa County, Alabama
Tuscaloosa County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama.It is named in honor of the pre-Choctaw chief Tuskaloosa. In 2010, the population was 194,656...
.
{|class="wikitable"
!Mile
!Exit
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|0.00
|
|
|Southbound exit and northbound entrance
|-
|0.39
|0
|, Meridian
Meridian, Mississippi
Meridian is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi. It is the sixth largest city in the state and the principal city of the Meridian, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area...
|northbound signed as Exits 0A (eastbound) & 0B (westbound)
|-
|1.05
|1
|35th Street – University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
|
|-
|2.59
|2
|
|
|-
|2.76
|
|
|Northbound exit and southbound entrance
External links
- Interstate 359 Alabama @ Interstate-Guide.com
- Alabama @ SouthEastRoads.com - Interstate 359
- Kurumi - I-359 Alabama