Interstate 59 South - Georgia to Gadsden

The Alabama welcome sign stands along I-59 south of the Georgia state line near the crossing of Red River Branch.

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The Alabama and Georgia state line marks the boundary between Eastern and Central Time Zones. Travelers along Interstate 59 southbound gain an hour.

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Interstate 59 heads 42.46 miles southwest through Dekalb County.

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A tourist information center and rest area follow along I-59 southbound near Red River Branch and Fox Mountain.

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The first exit within the Heart of Dixie joins Interstate 59 south with Dekalb County Route 140 at the unincorporated community of Sulphur Springs.

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The diamond interchange (Exit 239) with Dekalb County Route 140 (Sulphur Springs Road) is a half mile south of the Alabama Welcome Center. U.S. 11 parallels the freeway just to the east from Rising Fawn, Georgia to Rodgers.

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Exit 239 parts ways with Interstate 59 south for Sulphur Springs Road. CR 140 traverses Sand Mountain westward to SR 75 at Ider. Sulphur Springs lies to the west of CR 140 via CR 738.

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Interstate 59 is designated the Korean Way Memorial Highway in northeastern Alabama. The lightly traveled freeway parallels Little Ridge and Big Ridge throughout much of Dekalb County.

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The city of Fort Payne is the next major population center along Interstate 59 south in 18 miles while Gadsden is less than an hour away.

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CR 751 spans I-59 east from Sand Valley at milepost 236.2 en route to parallel U.S. 11 at Rogers.

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Traveling through Dugout Valley along Dry Creek, the roadways of Interstate 59 diverge just west of the U.S. 11 turn across Big Ridge toward Hammondville.

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One mile north of the diamond interchange (Exit 231) with SR 117 at the town of Hammondville.

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SR 117 heads 1.52 miles northwest from Interstate 59 through Whiteoak Gap to SR 40. SR 117 turns north from there 37 miles to Ider, Flat Rock, Stevenson and the Tennessee state line.

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SR 40 constitutes a 21.18 mile long route west from SR 117 to Henagar and SR 35 by Guntersville Lake.

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Heading south from Exit 231, SR 117 drops from Big Ridge to Hammondville and a short overlap with U.S. 11. The state route connects the town with nearby Valley Head, Mentone and Desoto State Park.

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Interstate 59 continues south through Dugout Valley alongside Big Ridge to the County Route 608 overpass.

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Fort Payne is ten miles to the south. Gadsden is 42 miles away via I-59 and U.S. 278/431 east.

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I-59 shifts southward across Big Ridge to the first of three exits for the DeKalb County seat of Fort Payne.

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The diamond interchange (Exit 224) with 49th Street in north Fort Payne opened to traffic on July 30, 2010.

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A new roadway (49th Street) was constructed in conjunction with the exchange at Exit 224 to serve Fort Payne Industrial Park along Gault Avenue (CR 137). Replacing the narrow alignment of 48th Street, the five-lane boulevard traverses across Big Ridge between the freeway and Railroad Valley.

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U.S. 11 switches sides with Interstate 59 south just ahead of Exit 224 and 49th Street. The US route arcs westward to Isbell Field (4A9) before meeting the freeway directly at Exit 222.

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Interstate 59 enters Big Wills Valley southwest from Exit 224 to a point east of Duck Springs in Etowah County.

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Birmingham appears on distance signs for I-59 south for the first time in Alabama beyond 49th Street. Alabama's largest city is 98 miles to the southwest.

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A diamond interchange (Exit 222) joins Interstate 59 with U.S. 11 (Greenhill Boulevard) west of where the route crosses Big Ridge to Gault Avenue and the Fort Payne street grid.

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U.S. 11 lines Gault Avenue through Downtown Fort Payne, vacating the city southward through Little Wills Valley.

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U.S. 11 (Gault Avenue) south to SR 35 (5th Street) and the Appalachian Highlands Scenic Byway leads to Little River Canyon National Preserve.

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Remaining with in the Fort Payne city limits, Interstate 59 continues along the west slope of Big Ridge.

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SR 35 overlaps with U.S. 11 (Gault Avenue) south to Glenn Boulevard west in Fort Payne. The state route climbs onto Big Ridge and meets Interstate 59 at a commercialized diamond interchange (Exit 218).

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SR 35 comprises a 68.29 mile long route from SR 9, south of Gaylesville to Blanche, Fort Payne, Rainsville, Scottsboro and U.S. 72 near Woodville.

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Exit 218 to SR 35 (Glenn Boulevard) in Fort Payne provides the first array of traveler services south along I-59 from Georgia. SR 35 comprises a four lane highway eight miles west from the city to Pine Ridge and Rainsville.

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Southbound reassurance marker posted after Exit 205. Frontage roads (Industrial Lane / Briarwood Avenue) accompany the freeway to County Route 51 (Lebanon Road).

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Collinsville, the last exit in DeKalb County, follows in 14 miles. Gadsden is 39 miles away via I-59 and U.S. 278/431 east.

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Outside the city limits of Fort Payne, Interstate 59 separates with a forested median.

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The scene along Interstate 59 south near the community of Lebanon through Big Wills Valley.

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Dekalb County Route 483 spans I-59 from parallel CR 51 through Portersville Gap to U.S. 11 in Little Wills Valley.

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The diamond interchange at Exit 205 joins I-59 with SR 68 west toward Boaz and Albertville along U.S. 431.

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SR 698 travels 18.8 miles west from Interstate 59 at the town of Collinsville to Dawson, Crossville, and SR 75 outside Albertville. SR 168 branches west from SR 68 at Kilpatrick to Boaz.

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SR 68 follows Little Wills Creek across Big Ridge from I-59 to U.S. 11 at the Collinsville town center.

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Beyond a short overlap with U.S. 11 (Valley Avenue) in Collinsville, SR 68 climbs onto Lookout Mountain east en route to Weiss Lake and Centre.

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Removed by 2024, the junction SR 68 shield stood along the off-ramp at Exit 205. Measuring 52.93 miles in length, SR 68 east becomes Georgia State Route 114 northeast of Gaylesville.

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Leaving Collinsville, I-59 continues on the east side of Big Wills Valley along Big Ridge.

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Interstate 59 passes over Stephens Gap Road ahead of the southeastern curve across Big Ridge.

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Curving southeasterly along Interstate 59 across Big Ridge. The freeway lowers into Little Wills Valley and lines Lookout Mountain to Gadsden.

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The first of three Gadsden exits joins Interstate 59 with SR 211 (Noccalula Parkway) at the town of Reece City in one mile.

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SR 211 (Noccalula Parkway) meanders southeast from Exit 188 onto Lookout Mountain to north Gadsden and Noccalula Falls, a 90 foot cascading waterfall surrounded by a city park.

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Interstate 59 switches sides with U.S. 11 again as both advance southwest through Little Wills Valley. SR 211 ends at the parallel US highway 0.42 miles to the north in Reece City.

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SR 211 provides an alternate route to Downtown Gadsden south to U.S. 278/431 (Meighan Boulevard).

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Interstate 59 parallels Little Wills Creek and the Gadsden city limits southwest along Lookout Mountain.

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Downtown Gadsden is nine miles away via Interstate 59 and U.S. 278/431 east. Birmingham is an hour drive to the southwest.

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A forested median separates the roadways of Interstate 59 along Lookout Mountain south of U.S. 11 and Reece City.

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The first guide sign for Interstate 759 (Gadsden Spur) precedes Exit 183 by two miles.

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U.S. 278/431 overlap for 7.99 miles from East Gadsden through Downtown Gadsden to Attalla. The routes meet Interstate 59 at a split diamond interchange (Exit 183) with Cleveland Avenue in one mile.

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U.S. 278 joins Gadsden and Attalla with Piedmont to the east and Cullman to the west. U.S. 431 enters Attalla from Guntersville and Albertville to the north and departs for Anniston and Oxford to the south.

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I-59 spans U.S. 278/431 and parallel Cleveland Avenue one mile ahead of Interstate 759 east to South Gadsden and U.S. 411 near Rainbow City.

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I-59 crosses Big Wills Creek south between the Cleveland Avenue entrance ramp and Exit 182 to Interstate 759.

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The 4.54 mile long Gadsden Spur opened from I-59 at Exit 182 east in 1986.

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Gore point signs at freeway to freeway connections generally feature the route shield per ALDOT signing practices.

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A pair of shields precede the loop ramp from I-59 south onto I-759 south. A ramp stub present alludes to a proposed westward extension of Interstate 759 to Attalla.

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06/18/05

SR 77 (Gilbert Ferry Road) meets I-59 south next at folded diamond interchange (Exit 181) north of Northeast Alabama Regional Airport (GAD).

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SR 77 (Gilbert Ferry Road) loops southward from U.S. 431 at Ridgeville and bypasses Attalla east to Interstate 59.

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East from Exit 181, SR 77 follows Grand Avenue through Rainbow City. The state route continues from U.S. 411 to Southside and Talladega on a 112.33 mile long course to Lafayette.

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Leaving the Gadsden and Attalla area, Interstate 59 enters Canoe Creek Valley on the seven mile approach to Steele.

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Little Canoe Creek flows southeast from Red Mountain to separate Etowah and St. Clair Counties across Interstate 59.

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