Interstate 59 (I-59) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Slidell, Louisiana, to just outside of Wildwood, Georgia. In the U.S. state of Alabama, I-59 travels from the Mississippi state line near Cuba to the Georgia state line northeast of Hammondville. It serves as the main Interstate Highway connecting the cities of Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Gadsden. For more than half of its length in the state, I-59 runs concurrently with I-20. Past the routes' split in eastern Birmingham on their way to Georgia, I-20 takes a shorter path through Birmingham's eastern suburbs and the southern foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, while I-59 follows a longer route through the city's northern suburbs and over the mountains on its way to Gadsden.
Of the four states which I-59 covers, the segment in Alabama is the longest and accounts for more than half of its entire length overall. The Interstate parallels the older U.S. Route 11 (US 11) corridor for its full extent within the state. I-59 was first signed into the Interstate Highway System in 1957, and construction began in 1960. The portions of the highway were completed slowly, with the very last segment being opened in 1980. Since then, many projects have been undertaken on I-59 to relieve congestion within the metropolitan areas it passes. The Interstate has three auxiliary routes: I-359 in Tuscaloosa, I-459 within the Birmingham metropolitan area, and I-759 in Gadsden.
Route description Like all other Interstate, U.S., and state highways in Alabama, I-59 is a part of the National Highway System for its entire length in the state. Annual average daily traffic along the Interstate varied, with the busiest stretch of the Interstate being the concurrency with I-20 at the SR 79 interchange east of Birmingham, carrying a total of 150,954 vehicles in 2023. The lowest amount was 15,342 vehicles in northeastern DeKalb County near the Georgia state line.
Mississippi to Birmingham
I-20/I-59 enters Sumter County, Alabama, from Lauderdale County, Mississippi, near the town of Cuba. Immediately upon entering the state, the highway approaches the welcome center for eastbound/northbound travelers and then reaches an interchange for indirect access to US 80. Continuing on through rural forest land, I-20/I-59 crosses the Toomsuba Creek with an interchange shortly after for SR 17 for York at milepost 8. The Interstate travels still in a northeast direction for another before crossing the Sucarnoochee River and meeting SR 28 for Livingston. It treks on for several more miles through wooded areas, crossing the Tombigbee River and entering Greene County. The highway passes by several marshes for a fair distance and approaches a rest area only accessible northbound, with the southbound rest area immediately following. The Interstate next has an interchange with SR 14 northwest of Eutaw with an interchange for US 11/US 43 also serving the city. I-20/I-59 crosses the Buck Creek before entering Tuscaloosa County. Still within forested terrain, the Interstate meets with SR 300 and stays in a northeast direction while skirting by more marshes before bridging the Black Warrior River. The highway turns almost entirely eastward and approaches the commercial developments of Tuscaloosa. Its first interchange is with SR 69 and I-359 for the University of Alabama at a partial cloverleaf interchange (parclo) and turns completely east to enter the city center. At milepost 73, I-20/I-59 meets US 82 (McFarland Boulevard) for downtown. It then has another interchange with US 11 (Skyland Boulevard) at a single-point urban interchange.
The surroundings return to wilderness as I-20/I-59 continues eastward and meets US 11 again at a parclo interchange at milepost 79 for Cottondale. Shortly thereafter, the Interstate approaches a rest area accessible in both directions. The Interstate continues through some industrial development with a Daimler Truck North America station to the north of it. Immediately, the highway slants northeast and crosses the Hurricane Creek. It then skirts around the shoreline of Gallant Lake as it intersects US 11/SR 5. This time, however, US 11 and SR 5 begins a concurrency with the Interstate Highways as they slant northeast from a north direction yet again. The highway turns even more northeast to intersect with SR 216 as it enters forested land again and cuts into Jefferson County. From here, I-20/I-59/US 11/SR 5 continues in a northeastward track before meeting the southern terminus of I-459 in Bessemer at a trumpet interchange, with I-459 branching east to serve the southern suburbs of Birmingham. later, US 11/SR 5 splits off at Academy Drive to serve downtown Bessemer as I-20/I-59 maintain their northeastward track whilst bypassing Bessemer in the process. The highway turns slightly and then more northward to bridge the Valley Creek as it passes along the west side of Bessemer. Turning back northeast and then entirely east, I-20/I-59 enters the developments of Birmingham and passes some of the city's neighborhoods such as Ensley, Belview Heights, and Central Park. It then turns fully eastward and meets US 78 (Arkadelphia Road) at milepost 123. Reaching milepost 124, I-20/I-59 meets I-65 at a large braided interchange. This stretch is most commonly referred to as "Malfunction Junction". Past this interchange, the road turns southeast for a view of the Birmingham skyline before the road angles northeast for another large interchange with US 31 and the western terminus of US 280 (Elton B. Stephens Expressway) which serves the downtown area and the southern suburbs. After exiting downtown but still heading through urbanized development, I-20/I-59 intersects SR 79 (Tallapoosa Street) and then the highway turns southeast again for an interchange for the Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport. After this interchange, I-59 ends its concurrency with I-20 at exit 130, which heads southeast for Atlanta.
Birmingham to Georgia
Having separated from I-20, I-59 stays in a generally northeastward track as it continues through the city's suburban developments. Its next three interchanges are all northbound-only as it has another interchange with US 11 (1st Avenue) and turns east. The Interstate has an indirect connection with SR 75 as it gently ascends a steep incline and enters the Cahaba River watershed whilst passing over US 11 (Gadsden Highway) without directly intersecting it. Next, I-59 turns back to the northeast and meets the northern terminus of I-459 near Trussville as it leaves the developments of Birmingham and enters forested land again. It continues through the forest for and reaches the main exit for Trussville while bypassing Grayson Valley and Chalkville to the southeast. Turning back east again, I-59 bridges the Cahaba River and quickly slants northeast as it has another interchange with indirect access to US 11 and then enters St. Clair County. I-59 passes through more wooded areas before intersecting with SR 174 for Odenville while avoiding Springville to the southeast. It makes another turn to the east for an interchange with SR 23. The direction of the Interstate slants northeast again as it bridges a small stream and passes the shoreline of Pinedale Lake and near Pinedale Shores. The northbound lanes reach a rest area. A brief distance later, I-59 reaches an intersection with US 231 for Ashville as the Interstate bypasses the city to the north. Continuing northeast, the surroundings of the Interstate remain rural, and the Interstate next bridges the Dry Creek before entering Etowah County. At milepost 181, I-59 meets SR 77 at a parclo interchange and approximately a mile later enters the city of Gadsden and intersects the western terminus of I-759 at a tri-stack interchange. Shortly thereafter, I-59 crosses the Big Wills Creek as it enters the city of Attalla and some suburban developments. It intersects US 278/US 431 (Fifth Avenue) for downtown and makes a turn to the northwest, then the northeast. As the Interstate skirts the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, I-59 briefly parallels SR 211 for approximately before intersecting it at milepost 188. The Interstate stays in a northeast direction, then makes a gentle curve to the northwest again where it continues to travel below the foothills of the mountains and crosses over US 11 indirectly for the second time. The Interstate makes a turn back to the northeast and parallels the Big Wills Creek for . During this time, it enters its final county in the state, DeKalb County. At milepost 205, it has an interchange with SR 68 for Collinsville. Bypassing Collinsville to the west, I-59 keeps its northeast trek and once again parallels the Big Wills Creek. I-59 then approaches the commercial developments of Fort Payne as it reaches its next interchange with SR 35 for the downtown area and Pine Ridge. I-59 avoids Fort Payne to the west and immediately after, parallels Isbell Field to the west then crosses a small stream before meeting with US 11 for the last time. I-59 makes a turn to the north and crosses the Big Wills Creek yet again as it reaches an interchange for indirect access to US 11. It crosses underneath the bridge carrying US 11 and makes another curve to the northeast. The Interstate travels through forested land for a few more miles before entering a small amount of development near the town of Hammondville and intersecting SR 40/SR 117 for the center of town. I-59 heads north and a bit northeast where it makes a very gentle descent along the foothills of the mountains. The final interchange it has is at milepost 239 at Sulphur Springs Road with indirect access to US 11 and the southbound lanes have an exit for the welcome center before I-59 exits Alabama into Dade County, Georgia.
History
Planning and construction
The general alignment for the freeway that would eventually become I-59 was included in the National Interregional Highway Committee's report from 1944, titled Interregional Highways, and the subsequent 1947 plan produced by the Public Roads Administration, which was part of the now-defunct Federal Works Agency. When I-59 was first established in the 1957 numbering plan designated by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, its proposed route was roughly the same as it travels today, as it would run from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Meridian, Mississippi. As part of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, Alabama was able to have of Interstate Highways under construction in the state. I-59 was one of these Interstate Highways planned to be built, with its route instead being planned to run from Nashville to New Orleans. The first section of I-59 became under construction in 1959, which was the segment from Argo to St. Clair Springs. Other projects included grading and drainage from St. Clair Springs to Whitney, a distance of . As a result, the planned routing of I-59 would run parallel to US 11, and the four-laned section of US 11 in Bessemer would be converted into an interstate-standard freeway, later I-59. While I-59 was planned to go through the center of Birmingham, residents objected to it. As a result, the city proposed an alternate route for the Interstate Highway to travel north of the Birmingham airport instead of directly through the city which would provide a faster, wider way to Gadsden and points north of it, thus rerouting the Interstate back to Chattanooga.