Alabama...


Introduction:
Unlike most other states, Alabama does not officially designate any partially-controlled access expressways. It builds new-alignment routes, but since it makes no attempt at access control, these routes have many driveways on them. Alabama does, however, have a system of high-speed arterial highways. For information on these highways, see: Alabama’s High Speed Arterials.

There are three expressways that exist in Alabama, and each has partial access control for a different reason. The Foley Beach Express is a privately-owned route. The expressway segment of AL 152 alternates between being “freeway” and having at-grade intersections with frontage roads. AL 255 is a future freeway, with the ROW existing for future interchanges.

Foley Beach Express:
A privately built 4-lane divided on a limited-access right of way that ends in a toll bridge providing access to Orange Beach.

  For more information, including pictures of the Foley Beach Express click here.

Junction Log:

History:

Future Improvements:
Hurricane Katrina exposed the need for additional hurricane evacuation routes in this area. Therefore, the Foley Beach Express will be extended north to I-10. The federal government has contributed $26 million to the project, the county is contributing $5.4 million, and the state is covering the cost of the interchange with I-10. The county plans to initially build the highway as a super-2 expressway, since an evacuation route is needed immediately and it could take eight years to build a 4-lane route. It will then widen the route to four lanes. A northward extension to I-65 has been proposed, but is not funded at this time.

AL 152:
Although the South Blvd and East Blvd segments of the Montgomery Beltway are crowded signal-ridden strip mall boulevards, the northern portion is an expressway.

AL 255:
South of Plummer Rd., AL 255 is a freeway. North of it, AL 255 has at-grade interchanges with a wide median space to build the interchanges later.

On January 28, 2005, ALDOT opened the frontage roads of AL 255 from AL 53 to Pulaski Pike northwest of Huntsville. Later in 2005 the frontage roads will be opened one mile east of Pulaski Pike.  This road will eventually stretch to US 231/431 and to US 72 east, creating a circle around the city of Huntsville. The freeway main lanes for this road will be built at an unknown date in the future, although an interchange at AL 53 will be built in the near future.

Sources:
Cody Goodman, aaroads.com, Evans A. Criswell, Adam Froehlig, Jim Geiger, William S. Riddle IV, Chris Holder, Foley Beach Express, Mobile Press Register

Last Updated: 11/16/05

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