Prichard, AL

U.S. 43 follows Telegraph Road along the east side of Prichard, separating residential areas of Prichard with industrial areas along the parallel Norfolk Southern Railroad line. U.S. 43 ends at the grade separated intersection with U.S. 90/98 Truck (Africatown Boulevard) on the Mobile city line. A road diet made by 2017 restriped Telegraph Road from four lanes to two through lanes with a continuous center turn lane.

Prior to Fall 2001, U.S. 43 extended south from Prichard into Mobile, following Telegraph Road to Conception Street Road and the intersection of Beauregard and Water Streets. The Telegraph Road viaduct over the Alabama State Docks Railroad was demolished at the time, leading to the truncation of U.S. 43 northward to U.S. 90 at Bay Bridge Road.

U.S. 45 (St. Stephens Road) branches northwest from U.S. 98 (Spring Hill Avenue) through Allenville and Toulminville in Mobile. U.S. 45 enters Prichard at Prichard Avenue and parallels the city line northwest to a six-ramp parclo interchange with Interstate 65. The four-lane commercial boulevard continues north to the Eight Mill community.

St. Stephens Road reduces to two lanes at Crystal Springs Road.U.S. 45 transitions into a rural highway from there and winds north to a diamond interchange with SR 158 and the community of Kushla before exiting the city.

Formerly named Bay Bridge Road, Africatown Boulevard joins Craft Highway and I-165 with Telegraph Road (old U.S. 43) south to the Alabama State Docks, and the Cochrane-Africatown Bridge over the Mobile River. U.S. 90 and U.S. 98 Truck follow the arterial east to Blakeley Island and U.S. 98 at Battleship Parkway.

Alabama State Route 194 followed Meaher Avenue from Wilson Avenue (former U.S. 43, U.S. 43 Alternate, and SR 193) to U.S. 43 (Telegraph Road) through central Prichard. The west end of the street was demolished with construction of Interstate 165, with the street redirected northward onto Bernard Street.

Alabama State Route 194 along Meaher Avenue in 1961

Craft Highway is an urban arterial linking U.S. 45 (St. Stephens Road) and the north end of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue in Mobile with Africatown Boulevard and the I-165 frontage road system east of the Prichard city center. Craft Highway north from I-165 to Wilson Avenue at the Chickasaw city line was renamed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. Craft Highway resumes in name north from Wilson Avenue to U.S. 43 (Telegraph Road).

U.S. 43 is named for John Craft throughout the state of Alabama. Craft Highway south through Prichard and U.S. 45 in Mobile was the alignment of U.S. 43 in 1947. It was redesignated as U.S. 43 Alternate when U.S. 43 shifted east onto Telegraph Road.

One-way frontage roads accompany both sides of the I-165 viaduct north from Africatown Boulevard at Exit 2 to Whistler Street at Exit 1 A. Opened in 1994, the two to three lane roads were built in conjunction with the freeway to link I-165 with the various cross streets in the city. Texas style U-turn ramps join the roadways at Africatown Boulevard, by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Wilson Avenue and near Price Avenue.

Lovejoy Loop encircles the Prichard business district along Wilson Avenue. The loop formed part of one-way couplet for Alabama State Route 193, before Wilson Avenue was built in between. The two to three lane loop was restriped for two-way traffic by 2011.

Formerly a through street connecting the Prichard city center with U.S. 45 (St. Stephens Road) at Boaz Street, Main Street angles west from Prichard Avenue and City Hall and north below I-65 to end at Eightmile Creek.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive extends north from Craft Highway south and Bay Bridge Road east from central Prichard to Wilson Avenue at the Chickasaw city line. A local through road, MLK Drive was formerly a part of Craft Highway and the historic alignment of U.S. 43 north to Chickasaw and south to U.S. 43 at Toulminville in Mobile. Construction of Interstate 165 included a realignment of Bay Bridge Road to the south, shifting the through movement from Craft Highway at Conception Street Road, to Craft Highway north to Bay Bridge Road east.

Paper Mill Road loops northwest from the industrial Magazine area by the Cochrane-Africatown Bridge to the intersection of U.S. 43 (Telegraph Road) and Diaz Street in Prichard.

Prichard Avenue angles northeast from Mobile Street to Toulmans Spring Branch and east to the Prichard city center and the A.J. Cooper Municipal Complex at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. Mobile Street south connects Prichard Avenue with the Crichton area of Mobile and U.S. 98 (Spring Hill Avenue).

Whistler Street extends northwest from Elm Street as a collector route to Interstate 165 at Exit 1A and Shelton Beach Road (SR 213) at Eight Mile. Aldock Road stems northeast from Whistler Street to Chickasbogue Park.

Wilson Avenue constitutes the main route north from U.S. 45 (St. Stephens Road) through the Prichard business district to U.S. 43 (Telegraph Road) in Chickasaw. The urban arterial represents the original route of U.S. 43 from its former overlap with U.S. 45 to Craft Highway through Chickasaw. When U.S. 43 shifted east to Telegraph Road, Wilson Avenue was redesignated Alternate U.S. 43. SR 193 followed Wilson Avenue from at least 1952 to 1977 as well.

Wilson Avenue used to split into a one-way street couplet utilizing the Lovejoy Loop through the Prichard city center. Sometime after 1977, Wilson Avenue was constructed between the loop as a continuous road.