State Route 147 is a public highway

Highway

A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...

 maintained by the 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...

 in east central Alabama. The highway acts as a connector between U.S. Highway 29 and Interstate 85 in the southern part of Auburn, Alabama

Auburn, Alabama

Auburn is a city in Lee County, Alabama, United States. It is the largest city in eastern Alabama with a 2010 population of 53,380. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area...

, U.S. Highway 280 in northern Auburn, and U.S. Highway 431 between Auburn and Lafayette, Alabama.

State Route 267

State Route 267 (Alabama)

State Route 267 is a state highway in Alabama and a loop route of State Route 147, bypassing downtown Auburn to the west. For its entire 5.1 mile length, SR-267 is known as the Shug Jordan Parkway .-Route description:With the exception of a segment at the northern terminus, State Route 267 lies...

 is a bypass of SR-147.

Route description

SR-147 lies mostly within the city limits of Auburn, Alabama

Auburn, Alabama

Auburn is a city in Lee County, Alabama, United States. It is the largest city in eastern Alabama with a 2010 population of 53,380. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area...

. Approximately one mile of the road runs through unincorporated Lee County

Lee County, Alabama

Lee County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. It is named in honor of Robert E. Lee, commanding general of the Confederate Army. As of 2010 the population was 140,247. It is part of the Auburn, Alabama Metropolitan Area. The county seat is Opelika, and the largest city is Auburn...

, while 4.2 miles (6.8 km) lies in rural Chambers County

Chambers County, Alabama

Chambers County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Henry H. Chambers, who served as a United States Senator from Alabama. As of 2010 the population was 34,215. Its county seat is Lafayette...

.

• SR-147 is routed along College Street in Auburn
  Auburn, Alabama
  Auburn is a city in Lee County, Alabama, United States. It is the largest city in eastern Alabama with a 2010 population of 53,380. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area...
  
   from its beginning through mile 8.6.
• SR-147 shares a route with State Route 14
  State Route 14 (Alabama)
  State Route 14 in Alabama, also known as SR-14, is a public highway maintained by the state of Alabama. SR-14 runs from west to east through the central portion of the state...
  
   for one block in downtown Auburn.
• SR-147 is routed along Birmingham Highway in Auburn from mile 8.6 to mile 9.0.
• SR-147 shares a route with U.S. Highway 280 (State Route 38) from mile 8.6 to mile 9.0.
• SR-147 is routed along Heath Road in northern Auburn.

History

In 1939, the state of Alabama constructed the original segment of SR-147, connecting U.S. Highway 29 in downtown Auburn to what was then U.S. Highway 241 (now US-280) at The Bottle

The Bottle, Alabama

The Bottle, Alabama is a community located in the northern corporate limits of Auburn, Alabama. The Bottle is located at the intersection of U.S...

. In 1947, SR-147 was extended north three miles (5 km) to Gold Hill

Gold Hill, Alabama

Gold Hill is an unincorporated community north-centrally located in Lee County, Alabama, United States, just a few hundred feet south of the Chambers County line. It is part of the Columbus, Georgia-Alabama Metropolitan Area...

. The final extension from Gold Hill to U.S. Highway 431 to complete the northern portion of the highway did not occur until 1960. In 1998, the relocation of U.S. Highway 29 to the Interstate 85 freeway led to the movement of the southern terminus of the highway from the intersection of Mitchum Avenue and College Street in downtown Auburn to a point four miles (6 km) south at the College Street interchange with Interstate 85.

Future

In 2006, the Alabama Department of Transportation began a relocation study for the southern half of SR-147. The study is to look at the possibility of rerouting the highway some four miles (6 km) west of Auburn, along the route of the proposed Auburn Outer Loop. The proposed relocation would begin at Interstate 85 at the under-development Cox Road interchange (Exit 50) and would travel north thirteen miles (19 km) to connect with US-280 at mile marker 101.4, where it would join the current northern section of SR-147.

Major intersections

Alabama 147 intersects with the following highways:

• Interstate 85 at Exit 51 in southern Auburn
  Auburn, Alabama
  Auburn is a city in Lee County, Alabama, United States. It is the largest city in eastern Alabama with a 2010 population of 53,380. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area...
  
   (mile 0.0).
• U.S. Highway 29 (State Route 15) in southern Auburn (mile 0.0).
• State Route 267
  State Route 267 (Alabama)
  State Route 267 is a state highway in Alabama and a loop route of State Route 147, bypassing downtown Auburn to the west. For its entire 5.1 mile length, SR-267 is known as the Shug Jordan Parkway .-Route description:With the exception of a segment at the northern terminus, State Route 267 lies...
  
   in southern Auburn (mile 1.4).
• State Route 14
  State Route 14 (Alabama)
  State Route 14 in Alabama, also known as SR-14, is a public highway maintained by the state of Alabama. SR-14 runs from west to east through the central portion of the state...
  
   in downtown Auburn (mile 3.9-4.0)
• State Route 267
  State Route 267 (Alabama)
  State Route 267 is a state highway in Alabama and a loop route of State Route 147, bypassing downtown Auburn to the west. For its entire 5.1 mile length, SR-267 is known as the Shug Jordan Parkway .-Route description:With the exception of a segment at the northern terminus, State Route 267 lies...
  
   in northern Auburn (mile 5.8)
• U.S. Highway 280 (State Route 38) in northern Auburn (mile 8.6-9.0)
• U.S. Highway 431 (State Route 1
  State Route 1 (Alabama)
  U.S. Highway 431 , internally designated by the Alabama Department of Transportation as State Route 1 , is a major north–south state highway across the eastern part of the U.S. state of Alabama...
  
  ), ten miles (16 km) south of Lafayette (mile 16.9).