Interstate 65 Alabama

[ATLRedSoxFan]

I was wondering why when I-65 was planned in Alabama, it wasn't routed through Huntsville. I know I-565 was later added in the 80's, but with a NASA lab there and the fact it's one of Alabama's four largest cities, you would think it would be in the direct path. Of course, when Interstates were built, the tendency was to have interstates parallel a US route, and I-65 follows US 31. I did a search, but couldn't find anything.

[RoadWarrior56]

I don't claim to have any knowledge on this subject.  But besides the isue of the most direct route between Nashville and Birmingham, which is the US 31 corridor, I suspect the other reason is that Huntsville was a much smaller and less important city in the early to mid 50's than it is now.

[codyg1985]

I-65 was planned before Huntsville got NASA I believe, despite Huntsville already having Redstone Arsenal. Even though it does go closer to Decatur it still doesn't go through it. I suspect that if I-65 was to have been built to serve Huntsville it still would have not went through it, but around it, possibly going through Madison instead. It would have been interesting if I-65 would have been routed up Memorial Pkwy, but I doubt that would have happened.

[mgk920]

Doesn't I-65 actually pass through Huntsville now, or at least go along its city limits?

Mike

[codyg1985]

Doesn't I-65 actually pass through Huntsville now, or at least go along its city limits?

Mike

Technically, yes it does touch the Huntsville City Limits just north of the I-565 interchange. It is crazy how far out Huntsville has annexed land.

[wriddle082]

Doesn't I-65 actually pass through Huntsville now, or at least go along its city limits?

Mike

Technically, yes it does touch the Huntsville City Limits just north of the I-565 interchange. It is crazy how far out Huntsville has annexed land.

So Huntsville is in both Madison and Limestone Counties?

[Bryant5493]

Doesn't I-65 actually pass through Huntsville now, or at least go along its city limits?

Mike

Technically, yes it does touch the Huntsville City Limits just north of the I-565 interchange. It is crazy how far out Huntsville has annexed land.

So Huntsville is in both Madison and Limestone Counties?

Yes, it is.

Huntsville city limit map


Be well,

Bryant

[codyg1985]

Doesn't I-65 actually pass through Huntsville now, or at least go along its city limits?

Mike

Technically, yes it does touch the Huntsville City Limits just north of the I-565 interchange. It is crazy how far out Huntsville has annexed land.

So Huntsville is in both Madison and Limestone Counties?

Yes, it is.

Huntsville city limit map


Be well,

Bryant

Due to all of the annexations by Huntsville, the city of Madison is now completely landlocked. That map doesn't show some of the latest annexations by Huntsville in Limestone County, but it is pretty close.

Notice how Decatur city limits also stretches to the I-65/565 interchange.  

There was a proposal a few years ago for Huntsville to annex land in Morgan County south of Ditto Landing (where US 231 crosses the Tennessee River) for a developer.  The city of Decatur protested this on the ground that Huntsville would have to cross a body of water to annex the land. I don't see how that stood up since Decatur has already done the same thing with the same body of water (Tennessee River).

[Alex]

Was messing around with Huntsville data in ArcMap a few months ago and decided to output what I had annotated to see those city limits. Here it is:



Click for larger (1.3 MB).

[formulanone]

I'm guessing city planners didn't want the Interstate ripping through the guts of their city, potentially staving off urban blight, the added expense of city land versus farmland, relocating businesses, et cetera.

[brownpelican]

Was messing around with Huntsville data in ArcMap a few months ago and decided to output what I had annotated to see those city limits. Here it is:



Click for larger (1.3 MB).

Talk about Kansas City-styled annexation...

[codyg1985]

I'm guessing city planners didn't want the Interstate ripping through the guts of their city, potentially staving off urban blight, the added expense of city land versus farmland, relocating businesses, et cetera.

We sort of already have something like that in the form of Memorial Pkwy that is the city's major artery and most heavily-traveled road that runs north-south. Parts of it is a Texas-style freeway with one-way frontage roads and other parts are being upgraded. It isn't a wide as a typical interstate, even by urban standards, but it does divide the city.