Interstate 85 in Alabama

Interstate 85 (I-85) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Montgomery, Alabama, to Petersburg, Virginia. In Alabama, the Interstate Highway runs 80.008 miles (128.760 km) from I-65 in Montgomery northeast to the Georgia state line near Valley. I-85 is the primary highway between Montgomery and Atlanta. The Interstate also connects Montgomery with Tuskegee, Auburn, Opelika, and, indirectly, Phenix City and Columbus, Georgia.

Interstate 85
I-85 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by ALDOT
Length	80.008 mi[1] (128.760 km)
Major junctions
South end	Future I-685 / I-65 / US 82 in Montgomery
	US 80 / US 231 / SR 21 in Montgomery SR 108 in Mt. Meigs SR 81 near Tuskegee US 29 in Auburn US 280 / US 431 in Opelika US 29 in Valley
North end	I-85 at the Georgia state line near Valley
Location
Counties	Montgomery, Macon, Lee, Chambers
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future Alabama Highways Interstate U.S. State ← US 84 → SR 85

Route description

I-85 begins at a six-ramp modified directional-T interchange with I-65 southwest of downtown Montgomery. In addition to the ramps to and from I-65, the terminating Interstate's dual carriageways continue west a short distance and become Day Street; the interchange also includes a ramp from southbound I-65 to Day Street and from Day Street to northbound I-65. I-85 heads east toward downtown Montgomery as an eight-lane freeway. The highway has a pair of half-diamond interchanges with Court Street (northbound exit, southbound entrance) and Union Street (southbound exit, northbound entrance). The one-way pair of Arba Street and South Street serve as frontage roads for the northbound and southbound lanes, respectively, along the southern edge of downtown. The interchanges provide access to the Alabama State Capitol and Alabama State University. Southeast of downtown Montgomery, I-85 has a pair of half-interchanges with Forest Avenue (northbound exit, southbound entrance) and Mulberry Street (southbound exit, northbound entrance).[2]

I-85 leaves the core of Montgomery and has a diamond interchange with Ann Street and a six-ramp partial cloverleaf interchange with Perry Hill Road. The freeway's next junction is with East Boulevard, which forms part of a circumferential highway around Montgomery; the partial cloverleaf interchange includes a flyover ramp from northbound East Boulevard to southbound I-85. East Boulevard carries US 231 and Alabama State Route 21 (SR 21) through the interchange and US 80 south from the interchange; US 80 joins I-85 heading east from Montgomery. I-85's interchange with SR 271 provides access to Auburn University at Montgomery. The Interstate drops to four lanes between SR 271 and the next interchange with SR 110 and SR 126 (Atlanta Highway), where the route leaves the city of Montgomery.[2]

I-85 and US 80 parallel SR 126 east through the community of Mount Meigs and through an unused directional-T interchange with State Route 108, which is also future I-85. This is among the largest and tallest interchanges in the state, featuring SR 126 & SR 293 on both sides of the Interstate and freeway state route. US 80 splits east onto Atlanta Highway at a diamond interchange, and I-85 heads east-north-east, leaving Montgomery County and entering Macon County at Line Creek. Another access to US 80 is provided at Shorter via an interchange with unsigned SR 138. The Interstate meets the southern end of SR 229 south of SR 229's crossing of the Tallapoosa River and the southern end of SR 49 near the town of Franklin. I-85's interchange with SR 81 connects the freeway with the Macon County seat of Tuskegee and Tuskegee University. The Interstate's final access to US 80 is via SR 186 (Wire Road), beyond which the freeway passes through a portion of Tuskegee National Forest.[2]

I-85 continues northeast into Lee County. On the southern edge of Auburn, the freeway has an interchange with Auburn Technology Parkway. US 29 joins I-85 at its next interchange with College Street; SR 147 continues north along College Street toward Auburn University. I-85 and US 29 continue northeast through the city to an interchange with Bent Creek Road, which provides access to Auburn University Regional Airport. The freeway continues northeast into the city of Opelika, the county seat of Lee County. I-85 gains a second U.S. Highway concurrency at its four-ramp partial cloverleaf interchange with Gateway Drive, where US 280 joins from the north. The three highways cross over a Norfolk Southern Railway line just west of their four-ramp partial cloverleaf interchange with SR 51 and SR 169 south of downtown Opelika.[2]

I-85 North exit 70 toward Cusseta, Alabama

US 280 splits east toward Phenix City and Columbus at the next interchange with US 431. US 29 diverges from I-85 at the following interchange, and the Interstate leaves the city of Opelika beyond its junction with Andrews Road. The interstate enters Chambers County at its interchange with County Road 388 (CR 388), which leads to Cusseta. I-85 meets CR 208 in the unincorporated area of Huguley west of the city of Valley. Southbound I-85 has a welcome center between CR 208 and the freeway's final interchange in Alabama, a junction with US 29 between the cities of Valley to the south and Lanett to the north. I-85 crosses the Chattahoochee River on its way toward LaGrange and Atlanta.[2]

History

The construction of the downtown part of the interstate in Montgomery destroyed a significant part of the traditionally African-American community in that area.

Future

An extension of Interstate 85 is proposed west from Montgomery to interchange with Interstate 20 and Interstate 59 just east of the Mississippi-Alabama state line,[3] where it will connect with I-20 and I-59 near Cuba, Alabama. This extension will roughly follow the route of U.S. 80, going through or bypassing Selma and Demopolis.[4] The FHWA approved the alignment on February 17, 2011 after AASHTO approved at its Fall 2010 meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi. Also approved was the proposal to re-designate part of existing I-85 south and east of Montgomery to be bypassed as part of the extension of I-85 as I-685. Alabama has permission to co-sign this part of I-85 as I-685 until the new alignment is built.[5] This section is also envisioned by some as part of a proposed Interstate 14.

If this extension were to be completed, I-85 and I-20 would meet each other twice and the extension of I-85 would run east-west.

Exit list

County	Location	mi[1][2]	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Montgomery	Montgomery	0.000	0.000	—	I-65 / US 82 (SR 6) / Day Street west – Mobile, Birmingham	Southern terminus; I-65 exit 171; no access from eastbound Day Street to southbound I-65 or from northbound I-65 to Day Street; future western terminus of I-685
		0.790	1.271	1	Court Street	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		1.290	2.076	1	Union Street	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		2.130	3.428	2	Forest Avenue	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		2.320	3.734	2	Mulberry Street	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		3.004	4.834	3	Ann Street
		4.734	7.619	4	Perry Hill Road
		6.546	10.535	6	US 80 west (SR 8 west) / US 231 (SR 53) / SR 21 (East Boulevard)	Southern end of US 80 / SR 8 concurrency
		9.037	14.544	9	SR 271 (Taylor Road) to US 231 (SR 53)	Auburn University at Montgomery
		11.009	17.717	11	SR 110 / SR 126 (Atlanta Highway) – Mitylene, Mount Meigs
	​	14.440	23.239	15	SR 108 west – Pike Road	Future I-85 rerouting; future eastern terminus of I-685
	Waugh	16.067	25.857	16	US 80 east (SR 8 east) / SR 126 – Mount Meigs, Waugh	Northern end of US 80 concurrency
Macon	Shorter	22.216	35.753	22	SR 138 to US 80 – Shorter	SR 138 is unsigned from I-85
	​	26.058	41.936	26	SR 229 north – Tallassee
	Franklin	32.370	52.094	32	SR 49 north – Tuskegee, Franklin
	Tuskegee	38.818	62.472	38	SR 81 – Notasulga, Tuskegee
	​	42.311	68.093	42	SR 186 east (Wire Road) to US 80 – Tuskegee, Auburn	Tuskegee National Forest; to US 29
Lee	Auburn	49.921	80.340	50	Auburn Technology Parkway
		51.438	82.781	51	US 29 south (SR 15 south) / SR 147 (College Street) – Auburn	Southern end of US 29/SR 15 concurrency
		57.028	91.778	57	Bent Creek Road
	Opelika	58.754	94.555	58	US 280 west (SR 38 west / Gateway Drive)	Southern end of US 280/SR 38 concurrency
		60.773	97.805	60	SR 51 / SR 169 – Opelika, Hurtsboro
		62.197	100.096	62	US 280 east (SR 38 east) / US 431 (SR 1) – Opelika, Phenix City, Eufaula, Dothan	Northern end of US 280/SR 38 concurrency
		64.551	103.885	64	US 29 north (SR 15 north) – Opelika	Northern end of US 29/SR 15 concurrency
	​	66.731	107.393	66	Andrews Road To US 29
Chambers	​	70.394	113.288	70	CR 388 – Cusseta
	Huguley	76.908	123.771	77	CR 208 – Valley, Huguley
	Valley	79.365	127.726	79	US 29 (SR 15) – Lanett, Valley
		80.008	128.760	—	I-85 north (SR 403) – Atlanta	Continuation into Georgia over the Chattahoochee River
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

See also

•  United States portal
•  U.S. roads portal

References

1. Alabama Department of Transportation. "Milepost Maps". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
   • Montgomery County Archived April 27, 2015, at the Wayback Machine (PDF)
   • Macon County Archived April 27, 2015, at the Wayback Machine (PDF)
   • Lee County Archived April 27, 2015, at the Wayback Machine (PDF)
   • Chambers County Archived April 27, 2015, at the Wayback Machine (PDF)
2. Alabama Department of Transportation. "General Highway Maps". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
   • Montgomery County Archived April 27, 2015, at the Wayback Machine (PDF)
   • Macon County Archived April 27, 2015, at the Wayback Machine (PDF)
   • Lee County Archived April 27, 2015, at the Wayback Machine (PDF)
   • Chambers County Archived April 27, 2015, at the Wayback Machine (PDF)
3. Volkert and Associates, I-85 Extension Corridor Study & EUIS Archived December 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
4. Hinnen, Jerry. Shelby shares views with Hale, Greene counties Posted by the Demopolis Times, January 17, 2005.
5. FHWA letter downloaded from http://cms.transportation.org/sites/route/docs/Alabama%20Interstate%20FHWA%20Decision%20Letter.pdf%5B%5D April 14, 2011

External links

• Media related to Interstate 85 in Alabama at Wikimedia Commons