U.S. Route 78 in Alabama

Summary

U.S. Route 78 (US 78) is a major east–west U.S. Highway across the central part of Alabama. It is internally designated State Route 4 (SR 4) by the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT), though the only section of SR 4 that is signed is along portions mainly west of Jasper. The section from the Mississippi state line to near Graysville is concurrent with Interstate 22 (I-22); from Graysville south to Birmingham, US 78 takes its original routing. East of Birmingham to the Georgia state line, US 78 has been replaced as a major through-route by I-20. The two routes roughly parallel each other, with junctions at Leeds and Pell City.[1][2]

U.S. Route 78 marker

U.S. Route 78

State Route 4
Map
US 78 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by ALDOT
Existed1926–present
Major junctions
West end I-22 / US 78 at the Mississippi state line
Major intersections
East end US 78 at the Georgia state line
Location
CountryUnited States
StateAlabama
CountiesMarion, Walker, Jefferson, Saint Clair, Talladega, Calhoun, Cleburne
Highway system
  • Alabama State Highway System
SR 77 SR 79
SR 3SR 4 SR 5

West of Jasper, old US 78 is signed as SR 118 to Guin, and the segment from Guin northward to I-22 at Hamilton is signed as US 43/US 278.

Route description edit

I-22 concurrency edit

Jefferson County edit

US 78 leaves its concurrency with I-22 at exit 85 and joins SR 5 near Graysville. One mile later, it has an interchange linking Graysville and West Jefferson. It then has an interchange with Hillcrest Road in Adamsville before crossing through Forestdale and Birmingham.[1]

In the neighborhood of North Pratt, US 78/SR 5 has an interchange. The road then curves south after intersecting with SR 378. It then meets I-20/I-59 at Birmingham–Southern College. Near Legion Field, US 78 turns east along US 11, while SR 5 turns west along US 11. In the downtown area of Birmingham, US 11/US 78 split into a one-way pair where they meet with I-65. Eastbound US 78 continues east along 3rd Avenue N before turning south onto 13th Street N; westbound traffic continues west along 1st Avenue N before turning north onto 9th Street. US 78 parallels the railroads, including Amtrak's Crescent service; Amtrak trains stop at Birmingham station near 1st Avenue N and 19th Street N. US 78 turns south along 24th Street and then turns east along another one-way pair. Eastbound traffic travels along 4th Avenue S, while westbound traffic travels along 3rd Avenue S. US 31 and US 280 indirectly serve US 78 at a RIRO one block after the split. The split ends at 36th Street S. Starting in Irondale, US 78 begins to have numerous direct or indirect encounters with I-20. In Leeds, it intersects US 411/SR 119 before entering St. Clair County.[1]

Jefferson County to Georgia state line edit

US 78 parallels I-20 all the way toward Augusta, Georgia. US 78 enters I-20 at Cooks Springs and leaves the freeway at the next exit near Pell City. US 78 enters the downtown area of Pell City and intersects with US 231. After leaving Pell City and entering Riverside, US 78 finds itself paralleling the Coosa River. After meeting I-20 again, US 78 crosses over a narrow two-lane truss bridge. After crossing the river, the route enters Lincoln and eventually intersects with SR 77 near downtown. The route also enters Oxford and meets SR 202, SR 21, and US 431; US 78 meets US 431 at a one-quadrant interchange. SR 9 runs concurrently with US 78 before entering downtown Heflin. As US 78 leaves the downtown area, US 78 meets with SR 46. US 78 serves Edwardsville and Fruithurst before entering the state of Georgia.[2]

History edit

US 78 was formed in 1926 along most of its current route; at the time, it was signed as SR 51, most of SR 8, SR 40, and a part of SR 4.[3] US 78N (former SR 8) and US 78S (former SR 4) were also formed between Heflin, Alabama and Villa Rica, Georgia.[4][5] With a revised system of state routes in 1928, US 78 and US 78N were coupled with SR 4, while US 78S was coupled with SR 46.[6] In 1934, in an effort to abandon almost all suffixed U.S. Routes,[7] US 78S was renumbered to US 78 Alt., while US 78N became part of US 78.[8]

The routing of US 78 in the Birmingham area has changed several times over the years. Prior to 1941, US 78 traveled along 16th Avenue Thomas before turning south along present-day US 78. The route then traveled east along 12th Avenue W, Bankhead Highway, then south along 3rd Street N, and then east along 8th Avenue N.[9] The routing changed in 1941 to travel further along 8th Street W near Birmingham-Southern College and then turn east along 8th Avenue W, passing on the north side of historic Legion Field.[10] Before the early 1950s, US 78 east followed a two-lane road through the heart of Graysville (Main Street) and then shared the current four-lane road until Adamsville when it became Main Street once again and then became Forestdale Boulevard near the present interchange of US 78 and Minor Parkway. The original route crossed US 78 and became Pratt Highway, which goes into the old steel mill community of Pratt City and then into Birmingham. Construction of a 4-lane routing led to a realignment of US 78. Also, US 78 was rerouted onto 3rd Avenue S east of downtown Birmingham.[11]

In 1953, US 78 was rerouted south to bypass Anniston; part of the old alignment became SR 202.[12][13] In 1957, SR 4 was rerouted north between Hamilton and Jasper to serve Natural Bridge and other towns along SR 5 and the newly extended US 278.[14] By 1972, US 78 was rerouted to enter/exit I-20 at Cooks Springs instead of Moody.[15]

Major intersections edit

CountyLocationmi[16]kmExitDestinationsNotes
Marion0.0000.000 
 
 
 
I-22 west / US 78 west – Tupelo
Continuation into Mississippi
3.936.323   CR 33 / SR 4 – BexarWestern end of SR 4 overlap
Hamilton7.8012.557  
 
CR 94 to SR 74 – Weston, Hamilton
Provides access to US 278 east and to SR 19 Red Bay
11.4518.4311  SR 17 – Hamilton, Sulligent, York, Butler, MobileAlso connects to SR 19
14.4623.2714  CR 35 – Hamilton
16.9127.2116    US 43 / US 278 / SR 171 – Hamilton, Guin
22.5236.2422  CR 45
26.2442.2326  SR 44 – Brilliant, GuinAlso serves the community of Twin
Winfield29.9248.1530  SR 129 – Brilliant, Winfield
34.3855.3334  SR 233 – Glen Allen, Natural Bridge
Walker39.6263.7639  SR 13 – Natural Bridge, EldridgeAlso access to Fayette and Tuscaloosa via SR 13 south
Carbon Hill46.8775.4346  CR 11 – Carbon Hill, Nauvoo
51.8383.4152  SR 118 – Carbon Hill
53.4786.0553SR 102Exit not signed
Jasper57.4092.3857 
 
SR 118 east – Jasper
60.5497.4361  SR 69 – Jasper, Tuscaloosa
62.75100.9963  SR 269 – Jasper, Parrish
65.26105.0365Industrial Parkway – Jasper
70.03112.7070  CR 22 – Cordova, Parrish
71.99115.8672  CR 61 – Cordova
78.36126.1178  CR 81 – Dora, Sumiton
JeffersonWest Jefferson80.75129.9581  CR 45 – West Jefferson
Graysville85.24137.1885 
 
 
 
I-22 east (SR 4 east) / SR 5 north – Birmingham, Adamsville
Eastern end of I-22 overlap; western end of SR 5 overlap
Adamsville89.27143.67  CR 65 to Hillcrest Road
Birmingham93.45150.39Daniel Payne Drive
95.58153.82 
 
 
 
SR 378 east (Finley Boulevard) to I-65
96.14154.72   
 
I-20 / I-59 to I-65
97.25156.51 
 
 
 
US 11 south / SR 5 south (SR 7 / 3rd Avenue West)
Eastern end of SR 5 overlap; western end of US 11 overlap
98.86159.10Southwestern end of one-way segment
98.98159.29 
 
I-65 south / 10th Street North / 11th Street North – Montgomery
Access only from US 11 north to I-65 south and from I-65 north to US 11 north; I-65 exit 260B
99.34159.87Northeastern end of one-way segment
100.35161.50 
 
US 11 north (1st Avenue North)
Eastern end of US 11 overlap
100.58–
100.78
161.87–
162.19
 
 
 
 
25th Street South / 27th Street South to US 31 / US 280
106.65171.64 
 
To I-20 – Birmingham, Atlanta
Leeds113.37182.45  I-20 – Birmingham, Atlanta
116.20187.01 
 
SR 119 south
116.64187.71 
 
 
 
US 411 north / SR 25 north (9th Street)
Western end of SR 25 overlap
117.04188.36 
 
SR 25 south – Vincent
Eastern end of SR 25 overlap
St. Clair128.67207.07 
 
I-20 west – Birmingham
Western end of I-20 overlap
Pell City131.50211.63 
 
I-20 east – Atlanta
Eastern end of I-20 overlap
134.77216.89 
 
To US 231
Riverside138.94223.60  I-20 – Birmingham, Atlanta
TalladegaLincoln145.10233.52  
 
SR 77 to I-20
CalhounOxford155.96250.99  
 
SR 202 to I-20
161.86260.49  
 
  SR 21 to I-20 – Anniston, Talladega
Access to Talladega Municipal Airport
164.35264.50 
 
 
 
To US 431 / I-20 – Anniston
168.15270.61  
 
 
 
SR 301 to I-20 / US 431
172.22277.16 
 
SR 9 north – White Plains, Piedmont
Western end of SR 9 overlap
Cleburne173.88279.83 
 
SR 281 south (Talladega Scenic Drive) – Cheaha State Park
Heflin176.49284.03 
 
 
 
SR 9 south to I-20 – Lineville, Montgomery
Eastern end of SR 9 overlap
177.72286.01 
 
 
 
SR 46 east to I-20 – Ranburne
193.67311.68 
 
 
 
US 78 east / SR 8 east – Tallapoosa
Continuation into Georgia
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Google (January 2, 2023). "Overview Map of US 78 (AL; 1)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Google (January 5, 2023). "Overview Map of US 78 (AL; 2)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  3. ^ Salmon, F.A. (1926). System of State Roads (Map). 1:887,000. Montgomery: Alabama State Highway Department. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  4. ^ Bureau of Public Roads & American Association of State Highway Officials (November 11, 1926). United States System of Highways Adopted for Uniform Marking by the American Association of State Highway Officials (Map). 1:7,000,000. Washington, DC: United States Geological Survey. OCLC 32889555. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  5. ^ Alabama State Highway Department (1925). Progress Map Showing Roads Completed and Under Construction (Map). 1:1,303,406. Montgomery: Alabama State Highway Department. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  6. ^ Alabama Highway Department (1928). State Road Map of Alabama (Map). 1:1,000,000. Montgomery: Alabama Highway Department. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  7. ^ U.S. Route Numbering Committee (1934). [Report of the U.S. Route Numbering Committee to the Executive Committee] (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway Officials. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  8. ^ General Drafting Company, Inc. (1934). State Road Map of Alabama (Map). 1:1,000,000. Montgomery: Alabama Highway Department. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  9. ^ Alabama Highway Department (1939). Alabama Official Highway Map (Map). 1:750,000. Montgomery: Alabama Highway Department. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  10. ^ Alabama Highway Department (1941). Alabama Highways (Map). 1:760,000. Montgomery: Alabama Highway Department. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  11. ^ Alabama Highway Department (1954). Alabama Highways (Map). 1:950,000. Montgomery: Alabama Highway Department. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  12. ^ U.S. Route Numbering Committee (1953). [Report of the U.S. Route Numbering Committee to the Executive Committee] (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway Officials. Retrieved January 5, 2023 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  13. ^ Alabama Highway Department (1953). Official Highway Map (Map). 1:1,000,000. Montgomery: Alabama Highway Department. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  14. ^ Alabama Highway Department (1957). Official 1957 Alabama Highway Map (Map). 1:825,000. Montgomery: Alabama Highway Department. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  15. ^ Alabama Highway Department (1972). Official 1972 Alabama Highway Map (Map). 1:950,000. Montgomery: Alabama Highway Department. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  16. ^ "Milepost Web". Alabama Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 28, 2022.

External links edit

Template:Attached KML/U.S. Route 78 in Alabama
KML is not from Wikidata
  •   Media related to U.S. Route 78 in Alabama at Wikimedia Commons