Interstate 565 West

Beginning at Exit 21, U.S. 72 Alternate follows all of Interstate 565 west to I-65 and SR 20. The highway doubles as both Appalachian Development Corridor V and the Trail of Tears Corridor.

06/10/17

Interstate 565 directly replaced Andrew Jackson Way (Old U.S. 72) from Chapman Mountain southwest to Oakwood Avenue / Exit 20. Portions of the original road remain in service as local frontage roads.

06/10/17

Exit 20 constitutes a wye interchange with Andrew Jackson Way south at Oakwood Avenue. Andrew Jackson Way continues to Five Points and Echols Hill. Oakwood Avenue travels west from Oak Park and Chapman Mountain to Memorial Parkway and Brandontown. Exits 19 B/A follow to Downtown and U.S. 231/431.

06/10/17

I-565/U.S. 72 Alternate elevate onto a viaduct from Oakwood Avenue west to a point near Triana Boulevard. The freeway is designated the Admiral Alan B. Shepard, Jr. Highway. Exit 19 B departs in a half mile for Pratt Avenue west to Washington Street north and U.S. 231/431 (Memorial Parkway). Exit 19 A connects with Jefferson Street south from Washington Street south into the Huntsville central business district.

06/10/17

The entrance ramp from Oakwood Avenue adds an auxiliary lane west to Exit 19 B for U.S. 231/431 (Memorial Parkway) and Pratt Avenue west. U.S. 231/431 constitute a an urban expressway to the west of the Downtown Huntsville. The controlled access portion of Memorial Parkway leads northeast to U.S. 72 at Sparkman Drive and south to Martin Road.

06/10/17

Exit 19 A is of a lengthy collector distributor roadway extending west to the systems interchange with U.S. 231/431 (Memorial Parkway). U.S. 231/431 overlap from Fayetteville, Tennessee southward to Governors Drive (SR 53) in Huntsville.

06/10/17

Lowering from the I-565/U.S. 72 Alternate viaduct, the c/d roadway for Exit 19 A separates with the ramp to Pratt Avenue west. Pratt Avenue runs west from Five Points to become University Drive at Church Street. Washington Street carries two way traffic north from Exit 19 B to U.S. 72 east of U.S. 231/431.

12/28/09

The single point urban interchange (SPUI) at Exit 19 A joins Interstate 565 with Jefferson Street south along the couplet with Washington Street north. Jefferson Street leads into Downtown and serves interests to the Von Braun Center via Monroe Street.

06/10/17

The c/d roadway expands to two lanes ahead of the northbound exit ramp to Memorial Parkway for Alabama A & M University, Normal and Meridianville.

12/28/09

The exit for U.S. 231/431 north ties into the Memorial Parkway frontage road system ahead of a slip ramp for the expressway prior to U.S. 72 (University Drive).

12/28/09

Interstate 565 west expands to three lanes from the Washington Street entrance ramp.

06/10/17

The exit for U.S. 231/431 southbound joins Memorial Parkway ahead of Clinton Avenue (former SR 20). U.S. 231/431 separate one mile to the south at Governors Drive. U.S. 231 leaves Huntsville for Arab and Oneonta while U.S. 431 angles southeast to Guntersville, Gadsden and Anniston.

12/28/09

I-565/U.S. 72 Alternate widen to eight overall lanes along the viaduct above Holmes Avenue (Old U.S. 72). The freeway advances one mile west to a modified diamond interchange (Exit 17) with SR 53 (Jordan Lane).

06/10/17

The viaduct lowers to grade level after Broglan Branch and the speed limit along Interstate 565 west increases to 70 m.p.h..

06/10/17

SR 53 travels the length of the state from the Florida border at Grangeburg to Ardmore on the Tennessee border. However, most of the route is unsigned, underlaying U.S. 231 from Dothan to Huntsville. SR 53 branches west from U.S. 231 (Memorial Parkway) along Governors Drive (Old SR 20) to Exit 17 and Jordan Lane north.

06/10/17

SR 53 (Governors Drive) ties into the diamond interchange (Exit 17) with Jordan Lane from the east. Jordan Lane leads south to Patton Road and Huntsville Botanical Gardens. SR 53 (Jordan Lane) angles northwest from U.S. 72 (University Drive) and Brandontown to Ardmore and I-65 at Exit 365.

06/10/17

A split diamond interchange at Exit 15 joins I-565/U.S. 72 Alternate west next with Sparkman Drive north, Bob Wallace Avenue east, Old Madison Pike west and the Space and Rocket Center.

06/10/17

Bob Wallace Avenue heads west from Memorial Parkway and West Huntsville to become Sparkman Drive north to the University of Alabama in Huntsville campus. The former alignment of SR 20 west to Madison, Old Madison Pike connects I-565 with the Bridge Street Towne Center mixed-use development to the west and the Space and Rocket Center to the south.

06/10/17

Accessible via Exit 15, the U.S. Space and Rocket Center faces the south side of I-565 south of the freeway. The two rockets on site are a tribute to space exploration.

06/10/17

Interstate 565 runs along the north side of the Redstone Arsenal west from the U.S. Space and Rocker Center to Zierdt Road.

06/10/17

Rideout Road extends south from Research Park Boulevard (SR 255) at Exit 14 to Gate 9 of the Redstone Arsenal. Rideout Road is restricted to authorized personnel at Goss Road.

06/10/17

A directional cloverleaf interchange joins I-565/U.S. 72 Alternate with SR 255 (Research Park Boulevard) north and Rideout Road south adjacent to a Norfolk-Southern Railroad line. SR 255 is a limited access freeway north from Exit 14 to Dan Tibbs Road.

06/10/17

SR 255 (Research Park Boulevard) north crosses Cummings Research Park, for which it is named. Originally connecting the Redstone Arsenal with U.S. 72 in 1968, extensions of SR 255 were completed north to SR 53 in 1996 and Bob Wade Lane in 2005 (AARoads Wiki, 2025).

06/10/17

I-565/U.S. 72 Alternate west gain two auxiliary lanes from SR 255 to Madison Boulevard. Madison Boulevard (Old SR 20/U.S. 72 Alternate) parallels the freeway west from Exit 13 to just beyond the Madison County line at Exit 5.

06/10/17

The freeway continues along the Huntsville city limits west to the Zierdt Road under pass and Madison city line.

06/10/17

Parallel Madison Boulevard commences west from the wye interchange at Exit 13. Madison Boulevard overtakes Governors Drive and generally serves as an industrial arterial.

06/10/17

I-565/U.S. 72 Alternate span Indian Creek and continue alongside Madison Boulevard (Old SR 20).

06/10/17

The site where Town Madison was developed west of Zierdt Road and south of I-565. A directional T interchange (Exit 10) with Town Madison Boulevard was constructed on here as well.

06/10/17

One mile east of the parclo interchange (Exit 9) with Wall-Triana Highway at Betts Mountain. This and the succeeding exit for the airport were renumbered in 2013 as construction was underway to build the new County Line Road off-ramp at Exit 7.

06/10/17

Wall-Triana Highway spurs south from Exit 9 in Madison to Triana along the Tennessee River. north to central Madison.

06/10/17

A lane drop occurs at Exit 9 for the distributor roadway to Wall-Triana Highway. Wall-Triana Highway becomes Sullivan Street north of parallel Madison Boulevard.

06/10/17

Westbound I-565 at Exit 9 to Wall-Triana Highway. Exit 8 follows to Huntsville International Airport (HSV). Wall-Triana Highway south serves eastern reaches of the airport and Jetplex Industrial Park.

06/10/17

Wall-Triana Highway nearly travels the length of Madison County from the Tennessee River north to Nebo, Dan and Lincoln County, Tennessee. The section between Madison Boulevard (Old U.S. 72 ALT) and Browns Ferry Road is named Sullivan Street.

06/10/17

Glenn Hearn Boulevard spurs south from Madison Boulevard to the passenger terminal of Huntsville International Airport (HSV).

06/10/17

A trumpet interchange (Exit 8) joins I-565/U.S. 72 Alternate with Glenn Hearn Boulevard southbound into the HSV Airport.

06/10/17

Construction started in December 2013 expanded the previous wye interchange (Exit 7) joining I-565 east with County Line Road to include new loop ramps from I-565 west and to I-565 east.

06/10/17

County Line Road runs along the western periphery of Huntsville International Airport (HSV) south to agricultural areas north of the Tennessee River.

06/10/17

Madison Boulevard ties into County Line Road at the westbound ramps with I-565. County Line Road north serves a number of subdivisions from Interstate 565 to U.S. 72 through the city of Madison. Exit 7 opened to traffic on the morning of April 10 (WAAY, 2015).

06/10/17

Entering Limestone County at the County Line Road overpass, I-565/U.S. 72 Alternate proceeds west through the original wye interchange with Madison Boulevard.

06/10/17

A north side frontage road (Old SR 20) extends west from County Line Road to Exit 3.

06/10/17

This distance sign was a copy of a prior assembly removed during road work adding a third westbound lane ahead of Exit 7. It replaced an assembly referencing I-65 at four miles and Decatur at 11 miles. The incorrect sign was ultimately removed during expansion of I-565 in 2021.

06/10/17

Interstate 565 crosses Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge at Beaverdam Swamp one mile ahead of Exit 3 to Greenbrier Parkway north and Swancott Road south.

06/10/17

Swancott Road (Limestone County Route 115) leads south from Exit 3 to Wheeler Lake. Greenbriar Road branches north from Greenbriar Parkway nearby to Greenbrier.

06/10/17

The original diamond interchange (Exit 3) joining I-565 with Greenbriar Road was expanded with a loop ramp from the freeway east to Greenbriar Parkway north during 2021 widening. Frontage roads line both sides of the freeway Greenbrier Road west to Mooresville.

06/10/17

The last reassurance marker for Interstate 565 west.

06/10/17

Mooresville Road stems north from Old Highway 20 and the town of Mooresville to meet Interstate 565 at a diamond interchange (Exit 2).

06/10/17

The lone remaining distance sign along the Huntsville freeway spur lists Mooresville and Decatur at the crossing of Limestone Slough.

03/21/16

Interstate 565 west converges with I-65 at a directional cloverleaf interchange (Exits 1) in two miles.

06/10/17

Spanning Limestone Creek on Interstate 565 west, a half mile from Exit 2 to Mooresville Road (Limestone County Route 71). CR 71 travels north to SR 53 outside Ardmore and locally to Bella Mina.

06/10/17

Exit 2 leaves I-565/U.S. 72 Alternate west for CR 71 (Mooresville Road). Old Highway 20 spurs west from Mooresville to Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge.

06/10/17

Opened in 1990, the Mooresville bypass opened leads Interstate 565 directly to the exchange with I-65 at Exit 1. Exit 1 departs west beyond Piney Creek.

06/10/17

Two lanes separate from I-565/U.S. 72 Alternate at Exit 1 for Interstate 65 north to Athens and Nashville and south to Cullman and Birmingham.

06/10/17

Interstate 65 travels 79 miles south to Birmingham. North from I-565, I-65 enters Tennessee near Ardmore in 26.3 miles.

06/10/17

Interstate 65 reaches Montgomery in 170 miles and Mobile in 335 miles. Nashville is 109 miles to the north.

06/10/17

Interstate 565 ends where SR 20 west begins. U.S. 72 Alternate continues west along Huntsville-Decatur Highway to U.S. 31 and Decatur.

06/10/17

Two years of construction culminated with the opening of a new overpass joining Bibb Garrett Road north and Mitchell Road south across U.S. 72 ALT/SR 20. RIRO ramps lead to roundabouts with the respective roads. The grade separation opened in June 2023 (Plotka, 2023).

06/10/17