U.S. Route 431 in Alabama

U.S. Route 431 marker

U.S. Route 431
State Route 1
Route information
Maintained by ALDOT
Length: 352.958 mi[1] (568.031 km)
Existed: 1954 – present
Major junctions
South end:
US 231 / US 231 Bus. / US 431 Bus. / SR 1 / SR 210 in Dothan
  US 280 in Phenix City
US 80 in Phenix City
I‑85 / US 29 in Opelika
I‑20 east of Oxford
US 278 in Gadsden
US 411 in Gadsden
I‑59 in Attalla
US 231 in Huntsville

I‑565 / US 72 Alt. in Huntsville
US 72 in Huntsville
North end: US 231 / US 431 towards Fayetteville, TN
Location
Counties: Houston, Henry, Barbour, Russell, Lee, Chambers, Randolph, Cleburne, Calhoun, Etowah, Marshall, Madison
Highway system
  • Alabama State Routes
← US 411I‑459 →
← SR 959SR 2 →

U.S. Highway 431 (US-431), internally designated by the Alabama Department of Transportation as State Route 1 (SR-1), is a major north–south state highway across the eastern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. Although US-431's south end is in Dothan, SR-1 continues south for about 13 miles (21 km) along US-231 to the Florida state line.

Route description

Map of Dothan

State Route 1 is primarily the unsigned partner route assigned to U.S. Highway 431. The two routes are co-aligned from the southern terminus of US-431 at Dothan to the Tennessee state line. South of Dothan, State Route 1 is assigned to U.S. Highway 231. The two highways run north from Dothan through the Wiregrass region of southeastern Alabama through the towns of Headland and Abbeville en route to Eufaula, where it intersects U.S. Route 82. North of Eufaula, en route to Phenix City, the highway encounters some of the most sparsely populated parts of the state, only passing near the unincorporated communities of Pittsview, Glenville, and Seale in the 46 mile (74 km) drive between the two cities. In Phenix City, the highway junctions with U.S. Route 280 and U.S. Route 80. North of Phenix City, en route to Opelika, US 431 and US 280 join together for a concurrency, passing through the cities of Smiths Station and Salem on the way into Opelika. In Opelika, the two highways cross Interstate 85 and split in Opelika; US 431 continuing northeastward and US 280 northwestward. North of Opelika, the highway encounters rural terrain again, passing through the cities of LaFayette, Roanoke, and Wedowee en route to Anniston. In Oxford, just south of Anniston, the highway intersects Interstate 20, joining I-20 for an approximately three-mile concurrency, after which it goes through Anniston, northward into Gadsden, where it joins with US-278, crosses Interstate 59, and shares a brief wrong-way concurrency with US-11 in nearby Attalla, after which it continues northwestward, splitting from US-278 northwest of Attalla and later passing through Guntersville en route to Huntsville. In Huntsville, US-231 and US-431 (Governors Drive) junction again as Memorial Parkway, and State Route 1 is partnered with both U.S. Highways until they cross into Tennessee.

From its point of origin in Houston County, State Route 1 is aligned very close to the Alabama-Georgia border, coming within less than one mile (1.6 km) of the border at both Eufaula and Phenix City. At Phenix City, US-431 and unsigned State Route 1 begin a concurrency with U.S. Highway 280 and unsigned State Route 38 and turn to the northwest. At Opelika, US-431 and State Route 1 divert from US-280 and resume their northward orientation.

East of Oxford, State Route 1 and US-431 merge with westbound Interstate 20 and run concurrently with Interstate 20 from Exit 191 to Exit 188. At Oxford, State Route 1 and US-431 begin a gradual northwestward trajectory, passing through Anniston, Gadsden and Guntersville. The two routes resume their northward orientation upon merging with U.S. Highway 231 at Huntsville.

The portion through Oxford and Anniston is currently routed via Veterans Memorial Parkway as of December 21, 2015. Prior to this date, this portion was routed via Quintard Avenue, which constitutes the major north-south business and local route through these cities and is a congested route with many traffic signals and no room for widening. [2]

Four lane routing

One of the criticisms of US-431 in its entirety from Kentucky to Alabama was that it was mainly a two lane road. ALDOT has prioritized four laning the route in Alabama as a viable north–south road corridor in the eastern part of the state.

The old alignment of US 431 between Pittsview and the Barbour County line

Of particular concern was the segment from Seale south to the Barbour County line, where rolling hills along the original alignment limit the visibility of oncoming traffic, contributing to poor decisions by motorists to pass, resulting in numerous head on collisions. In this segment alone, 31 people were killed in crashes between 1992 and 2006, leading Readers Digest to proclaim it one of "America's Deadliest Highways" in 2000.[3] After being contacted by and subsequently meeting the family of a fatal crash victim in 2003, ALDOT Director Joe McInnes decided to expedite the construction on the last remaining stretch of two lane road between Seale and the Barbour County line.[4] This 16 mile section was completed and opened in late 2010. The old alignment in Russell County is still open to traffic and is now labeled County Route 137.

Traveling south from Tennessee, as of mid-2009, US-431 is a four-lane route to Oxford, Alabama. Then, after diverting from I-20 east of Oxford at Exit 191, it reverts to a two-lane highway southward to Opelika, Alabama, with a brief four lane stretch just south of Wedowee, Alabama. From Opelika southward to its southern terminus in Dothan, Alabama, US-431 is now open as a four-lane highway.

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
HoustonDothan0.0000.000
US 231 / US 231 Bus. north / US 431 Bus. north (South Oates Street) / SR 210 (Ross Clark Circle) – Ozark, Enterprise, Ashford, Headland		Southern end of US-431; SR-1 folows US-231 from this point southward
12.72720.482 SR 53 – Cottonwood
14.45823.268
US 84 / US 84 Bus. west (East Main Street) / SR 12 – Ashford		Southern end of concurrency with US-84
14.93324.032 SR 52 – Columbia
17.83828.707
US 84 / US 431 Bus. / SR 1 (Reeves Street) / SR 210 (Ross Clark Circle) – Ozark, Headland, Eufaula		Northern end of concurrency with SR-210/US-84; SR-1 follows Bus 431 through Dothan
HenryHeadland25.75441.447 SR 134 – Abbeville, Headland, Columbia
26.27042.277 SR 173 north – NewvilleSouthern terminus of SR-173
Abbeville39.74863.968 SR 27 – Ozark, Abbeville
42.39668.230 SR 10 – Blue Springs, Abbeville
Barbour​59.97096.512 SR 95 southNorthern terminus of SR-95
Eufaula61.90899.631 SR 131 south – BakerhillNorthern terminus of SR-131
64.058103.091 SR 30 west – Clayton, TroyEastern terminus of SR-30
66.823107.541 US 82 east (Barbour Street) / SR 6 eastSouthern end of concurrency with US-82
68.307109.929 US 82 west / SR 6 west – MontgomeryNorthern end of concurrency with US-82
​74.949120.619 SR 165 north – CottontonSouthern terminus of SR-165
RussellSeale96.895155.937 SR 26 west / CR 18 east – Hurtsboro, Union SpringsEastern terminus of SR-26
99.105159.494 SR 169 north / CR 138 east – Phenix City, SealeSouthern terminus of SR-169
​109.155175.668 SR 165 south (Fort Mitchell Road)Northern terminus of SR-165
Phenix City112.081180.377 US 280 east / SR 38 – Birmingham, Opelika, Columbus, AtlantaWestern end of concurrency with US-280
113.942183.372 US 80 west / SR 8 – MontgomeryWestern end of concurrency with US-80
114.888184.894 US 80 east / SR 8 – ColumbusEastern end of concurrency with US-80
LeeOpelika137.253220.887 I‑85 / US 29 / SR 15 west / US 280 west / SR 38 – Montgomery, AtlantaWestern end of concurrency with US-280; I-85 Exit 62
ChambersWaverly149.840241.144 SR 147 south – AuburnNorthern terminus of SR-147
Lafayette158.859255.659 SR 50
160.794258.773 SR 77 north – WadleySouthern terminus of SR-77
RandolphRoanoke180.783290.942 SR 22 – Roanoke, Rock Mills
Wedowee194.314312.718 SR 48 west – R. L. Harris DamSouthern end of concurrency with SR-48
194.437312.916 SR 48 east (Woodland Avenue)Northern end of concurrency with SR-48
CleburneHollis Crossroads212.540342.050 SR 9 – Ashland, Montgomery, Atlanta
​217.805350.523 SR 281SR-281 crosses US-431 on an overpass, but the two routes do not actually intersect. SR-281 is accessible via a county road just south of the overpass.
CalhounOxford221.328356.193 I‑20 east – AtlantaEastern end of concurrency with I-20; I-20 Exit 191
225362 I‑20 west – BirminghamWestern end of concurrency with I-20; I-20 Exit 188
US 78 / SR 4Partial Interchange
Anniston SR 21 (McClellan Boulevard) – Anniston, JacksonvillePartial cloverleaf/trumpet interchange
Alexandria242.035389.518 SR 144 west – OhatcheeEastern terminus of SR-144
​247.070397.621 SR 204 east – JacksonvilleWestern terminus of SR-204
EtowahGadsden258.458415.948 US 278 east (Piedmont Cut-Off) / SR 74 – Hokes Bluff, Piedmont, AtlantaEastern end of concurrency with US-278
260.232418.803 SR 291 south (Hood Avenue) to I‑759 – Gadsden State Community CollegeNorthern terminus of SR-291
260.519419.265 US 411 (Albert Rains Boulevard) / SR 25 – Rainbow City, Ashville, CentrePartial cloverleaf interchange
261.994421.638 SR 211 north (North 12th Street)Southern terminus of SR-211
265.274426.917 I‑59 – Birmingham, ChattanoogaI-59 Exit 183
Attalla266.117428.274 US 11 north (3rd Street) / SR 7 northSouthern end of concurrency with US-11
266.449428.808 US 11 south (3rd Street) / SR 7 southNorthern end of concurrency with US-11
268.363431.888 US 278 west / SR 74 west – CullmanWestern end of concurrency with US-278
268.829432.638 SR 77 south – Lincoln, Walnut GroveNorthern terminus of SR-77
Sardis City277.880447.205 SR 205 northSouthern terminus of SR-205
MarshallBoaz280.544451.492 SR 168 (Mill Avenue) – Douglas
Albertville286.741461.465 SR 75 to SR 68 – Geraldine
Guntersville292.423470.609 SR 205 southNorthern terminus of SR-205
294.742474.341 SR 79 south – Blountsville, BirminghamSouthern end of concurrency with SR-79
295.822476.079 SR 69 south – Cullman, ArabNorthern terminus of SR-69
296.190476.672 SR 227 south (Lusk Street) – Lake Guntersville State ParkNorthern terminus of SR-227
302.114486.205 SR 79 north – ScottsboroNorthern end of concurrency with SR-79
MadisonHuntsville333.702537.041 US 231 south (Memorial Parkway) / SR 53 north (Governors Drive) – Arab, DecaturSouthern end of northern concurrency with US-231; southern end of northern signed segment of SR-53
334.700538.647
I‑565 / US 72 Alt.
335.207539.463 US 72 west / SR 2 west / University DriveSouthern end of concurrency with US-72
336.884542.162 US 72 east / SR 2 eastNorthern end of concurrency with US-72
Hazel Green352.958568.031 US 231 / US 431 northContinuation into Tennessee; northern terminus of SR-1
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Milepost Maps (PDF) (Map). Cartography by ALDOT Bureau of Transportation Planning, Survey & Mapping Division. Alabama Department of Transportation. 1999.
  2. ↑ Burkhalter, Eddie (27 September 2013). "Bids opened for final leg of Veterans Memorial Parkway". Anniston Star. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  3. ↑ http://www.governorpress.alabama.gov/pr/co-2006-05-24-transportation.asp
  4. ↑ "Long road to rehabilitation nearly over for east Alabama's deadly U.S. 431". AL.com.

External links

Route map: Bing / Google

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