This looks interesting. It appears that the highway is/was planned to cross the river and connect to US 431 or SR 79.
Satellite:https://maps.google.com/?ll=34.435301,-86.217356&spn=0.049907,0.099134&t=h&z=14
Street view:https://maps.google.com/?ll=34.434741,-86.210638&spn=0.000018,0.012392&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=34.434741,-86.210638&panoid=js2eiFRlfZ7mRY0pLe0Paw&cbp=12,247.87,,0,0 (https://maps.google.com/?ll=34.434741,-86.210638&spn=0.000018,0.012392&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=34.434741,-86.210638&panoid=js2eiFRlfZ7mRY0pLe0Paw&cbp=12,247.87,,0,0)
I think it's a highway built towards the Monsanto chemical plant, which closed in the early 1980s. It doesn't seem to go towards anything else, except Guntersville State Park. Interesting...it received its current designation long after the plant closure (as per wiki).
It seems very strange that it would have been built just for the plant...especially considering the way the intersection at 227 is set up.
Wiki's a little off on the timing of the designation. It was designated by 1995. Prior to that, AL 62 was used for what is now AL 144 between AL 77 and US 431 south of Gadsden.
But yes, the road itself was built specifically for the plant. Not sure about why the designation came about...
If you follow SR-227 east, the through movement becomes CR-400 and CR-843, ending near Dawson. These county roads were built at about the same time, connecting the plant to I-59. I suppose it could have been planned as part of the Atlanta spur of the high-priority corridor on US 72, but sources put that along SR-35.
Quote from: froggie on August 26, 2014, 05:07:47 PM
Wiki's a little off on the timing of the designation. It was designated by 1995. Prior to that, AL 62 was used for what is now AL 144 between AL 77 and US 431 south of Gadsden.
If anyone wants to do the thankless task of correcting the articles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_U.S._Roads/Alabama/All-time_list
Maybe it was part of a grander plan to provide another crossing of the Tennessee River to bypass the Guntersville/Albertville/Boaz areas, but I haven't seen any evidence anywhere to support that. The whole thing is just...odd.
Shameless plug, but my Northeast Alabama Road Meet (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=12506.0) in a couple of months will feature this as part of the tour.