City: Birmingham, AL

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (205) 458-8002

Address: 5900 Messer Airport Hwy.

Description: One of Birmingham’s big selling points for businesses and residents is the relative accessibility the areas extensive road networks provide. The north/south orientation of I-65 moves goods and people from the Gulf Coast to the heart of the country while I-20 leads east to Atlanta, Georgia, and the Eastern Seaboard. The new I-22 points to Memphis, Tennessee, and beyond while I-20/59 leads to New Orleans, Louisiana. Highway 280, which begins in Birmingham, continues southeasterly to Columbus, Georgia. I-459, Birmingham’s 32-mile long southern bypass provides an alternate route for those wishing to avoid downtown during high traffic hours. Conversely, the proposed northern bypass that will theoretically connect I-59, I-65, and I-20 is still on the drawing board. Unlike neighboring Atlanta where the bypass has long since developed to the point where the quickest route through the city is found by going through the city on I-20, I-459 is (except for high traffic hours) still a bypass.Compared to many cities of its size, travel though the city center is a fairly simple prospect: If you are coming from the north or the south on the interstate, you are on I-65. If you are traveling from the east or northeast on the interstate, you will take I-59/20 and either continue past I-65 or merge with it, depending on where you’re going. The Red Mountain Expressway, a dramatic cut through Red Mountain made in the 1970s, connects I-59/20 with Highway 280 going southeast from the city center. For travelers and commuters living south of the city, I-65 and Highway 280 are the primary routes (some would argue “only”) into the city center. Since the overwhelming bulk of the suburban growth is along both corridors, there is a self-fulfilling element to the high amount of congestion during rush hours on both arteries. Highway 31, which parallels much of I-65, historically was the north/south route through Birmingham. Today, it is still a vibrant, important highway for residents, but for commuting purposes, it is largely used on a local basis or as an alternate route in case of catastrophic congestion on I-65. Another alternate route is Green Springs Highway, which parallels I-65 as both enter Homewood from downtown. Green Springs Highway follows SR 149 until it reaches Columbiana Road passing through Vestavia Hills and then on to Hoover as is one of the few options to I-65 going in and out of the city on the south side. North of Birmingham, the communities of Gardendale and Fultondale have grown in recent years, and I-65 has been widened to accommodate that growth. The Fieldstown Road exit in Gardendale in particular keeps expanding, and during high-volume times, expect some slowdowns at this point. To the east, dramatic growth in Leeds and Trussville along the I-20 and I-59 corridors, respectively, means that these formerly sleepy towns are now part and parcel of Birmingham’s commuter system. Highway 280, known by some old timers as the “Old Florida Short Route” (an irony I won’t comment on) is just about the only game in town for those living south of town along Highway 280 in neighborhoods such as Chelsea, Shoal Creek, Mt. Laurel, and Meadow Brook. Locals have their favorite short cuts along Caldwell Mill Road, Valleydale Road, Cahaba Valley Road/Highway 119, and others when the traffic is particularly bothersome. If you don’t know these winding roads, don’t bother trying: Your best bet is probably to take your chances on Highway 280.