U.S. 43
Looking south from the U.S. 84 at the diamond interchange with U.S. 43. U.S. 43 travels just west of Grove Hill along a four lane bypass. - 05/09/2009
Traveling nearly the height of the state, U.S. 43 originates in Prichard near the Gulf Coast and leaves Alabama north of Florence. U.S. 43 serves the Black Belt Region north from the Mobile area to Wagarville, Grove Hill, Thomasville and Demopolis. An overlap with U.S. 11 takes the route northeast to Tuscaloosa, where it crosses the Black Warrior River as the main route into Northport.
Beyond Northport, U.S. 43 becomes rural again and continues north to split with SR 13, its unsigned counterpart from Prichard, near Berry. SR 13 provides the most direct route north to Russellville via Haleyville and Phil Campbell while U.S. 43 loops westward to Fayette, Winfield and Hamilton. U.S. 43 and SR 13 recombine ahead of Russellville along a four lane highway extending north to the Shoals area of Tuscumbia, Muscle Schoals and Florence.
U.S. 43 Alabama Guides
North
Mobile to Mount Vernon - 50 photos
McIntosh to Grove Hill - 65 photos
Thomasville to Linden - 66 photos
Demopolis to Eutaw - 74 photos
U.S. 11/43 - Eutaw to Tuscaloosa - 65 photos
Tuscaloosa - 17 photos
South
Within Mobile County, U.S. 43 was realigned from Wilson Avenue through Prichard eastward onto Telegraph Road with approval by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on October 3, 1981. U.S. 43 was later truncated from Mobile northward to the grade separation of Bay Bridge Road over Telegraph Road as part of a realignment of U.S. 90 in 2001. North at Grove Hill, a new four lane bypass was completed by 2000, shifting U.S. 43 away from the town center. The 6.75 mile along realignment was approved by AASHTO on April 7, 2000.
U.S. 43 State Routes
- State Route 13
SR 13 follows all of U.S. 43 northward 226.727 miles from the south end in Prichard to Fayette County. - State Route 18
Where SR 13 becomes a signed route, SR 18 takes over alongside U.S. 43 westward 13.49 miles to Fayette. - State Route 171
SR 171 continues U.S. 43 northward from SR 18 at Fayette 37.869 miles to Hamilton. - State Route 17
Having doubled as the first 43 miles of U.S. 45 in Lower Alabama, SR 17 accompanies U.S. 43 northeast from Hamilton 54.979 miles to Florence. The overlap with U.S. 72 is also part of SR 2. - State Route 13
SR 13 combines with U.S. 43/SR 17 in Franklin County and follows the US Highway 48.77 miles north to the Tennessee state line.
Former U.S. 43 - Telegraph Road, Beauregard Street, Broad Street - Mobile
north
Shield assembly posted ahead of the U.S. 98 turn from Broad Street north to St. Anthony Street west. U.S. 43/45 previously overlapped with U.S. 98 north along this 0.3 mile stretch of Broad Street. Bot dots here were removed by Fall 2001.
10/26/99
This U.S. 43 marker along Broad Street north was removed by January 8, 2002, at the same time the button copy overheads posted beyond St. Francis Street were replaced. The U.S. 45 shield was removed by Spring 2002.
10/26/99
U.S. 45 separated from U.S. 43 north alongside U.S. 98 on Spring Hill Avenue west to St. Stephens Road north. These signs were replaced by November 2001.
10/26/99
Broad Street north at the former separation of U.S. 45/98 from U.S. 43. Truck U.S. 90 was replaced with a realignment of the U.S. 90 mainline around Downtown Mobile in 1999.
10/26/99
Shields for U.S. 43, U.S. 90 and U.S. 98 Truck at Beauregard Street and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue in Mobile. The U.S. 43 marker was removed from this assembly by January 8, 2002.
12/07/01
U.S. 43 branched east from the northbound beginning of I-165 onto Conception Street Road to the Viaduct Bridge linking with Telegraph Road. The Viaduct Bridge permanently closed and was subsequently demolished in 2002.
07/01/00
Northbound on old U.S. 43 (Conception Street Road) ahead of the closed Viaduct Bridge to Telegraph Road. U.S. 43 originally crossed part of the Alabama State Docks railroad lines over the three lane span.
02/25/02
Conception Street Road turns left to pass underneath the adjacent Interstate 165 viaduct. A sign bridge and shield assembly remained in place until the Viaduct Bridge was dismantled in late 2002.
02/25/02
Viewing the closed Viaduct Bridge from adjacent the I-165 viaduct. An abutment from a former ramp once linked Telegraph Road with Joachim Street. This connection was previously removed during construction of Interstate 165.
01/08/02
U.S. 43 trailblazer posted where Dekle Road transitions north onto Telegraph Road. Reassurance shields for U.S. 43 and U.S. 90/98 Truck were last posted along this roadway in November 2001. Telegraph Road remains with four lanes northward to the end of U.S. 43 at Bay Bridge Road.
04/24/09
A multi lane access roads links U.S. 90 (Bay Bridge Road) with Telegraph Road and the south end of U.S. 43. The connector was previously named Traffic Street, which is a local street nearby disconnected from the roadway.
11/21/08
A U.S. 43 shield previously posted on the access road linking U.S. 90 with Telegraph Road. U.S. 43 travels north through Prichard from this connection.
10/25/03
Shield assembly posted at the west end of the access road joining U.S. 43 (Telegraph Road) with U.S. 90/98 Truck (Bay Bridge Road). The truck route for U.S. 98 overlays U.S. 90 east across the Cochrane-Africatown Bridge onto Blakeley Island and U.S. 90 west to Interstate 165.
10/25/03
South
Southbound Telegraph Road at the former Viaduct Bridge. Telegraph Road defaults onto adjacent Dekle Road through the Alabama State Docks area to Delchamps Road and Beauregard Street.
01/08/02
Remaining overhead signs along the Viaduct Bridge ahead of the ramps to I-165 south at Beauregard Street.
01/08/02
For a short time, the Telegraph Road (U.S. 43) ramp to the left side of Interstate 165 was closed. This ramp reopened to connect the renovated GM&O Transportation Center with Water Street south.
02/25/02
Posted below the I-165 southbound viaduct where Conception Street Road turns north, this assembly was the last U.S. 43 shield remaining along the original alignment through Mobile. The signs were replaced by 2011 and still show U.S. 43 to 2016.
11/03/03
U.S. 43 shield assembly posted with U.S. 90-98 Truck along Beauregard Street west of Interstate 165 at Water Street. Shields for U.S. 43 and U.S. 90 Truck were removed by January 2002.
06/11/01
U.S. 43 reassurance marker posted on Broad Street south after the intersection with Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Beauregard Street.
06/11/01
U.S. 43 originally ended at the intersection of Broad and Government Streets west of Downtown Mobile. With the relocation of U.S. 90 onto a loop north of Downtown Mobile, U.S. 43 was truncated northward to the Telegraph and Bay Bridge Road grade separated intersection in Prichard. This coincided with the 2002 demolition of the U.S. 43 Telegraph Road Viaduct Bridge through the State Docks area.
10/26/99
U.S. 43 end signage remained in place until November 2001. Historically U.S. 31, U.S. 45, and U.S. 90 Alternate terminated here as well. U.S. 31 and U.S. 45 were dropped along concurrent routes with U.S. 90/98 by the early 1990s. U.S. 90 Alternate followed Government Street east through the Bankhead Tunnel when the Mobile River crossing was tolled.
10/26/99
scenes
Steel Drive joins U.S. 43 with the AM/NS Calvert steel plant in northeastern Mobile County. Work on building the plant began in 2007 with completion in 2010. The plant employs 1,600 people. ALDOT upgraded a signalized intersection with U.S. 43 into a trumpet interchange to accommodate traffic to the facility.
01/01/10
Steel Drive passes over a Norfolk Southern Railroad before splitting into ramps for U.S. 43 north to Wagarville and south to Mt. Vernon.
01/01/10
U.S. 43 joins the AM/NS Calvert plant with Thomasville and Demopolis to the north and Satsuma and Mobile to the south.
01/01/10
U.S. 43/SR 69 cross the Black Warrior River across a high span west of Downtown Tuscaloosa.
08/10/02
Photo Credits:
- Alex Nitzman: 10/26/99, 07/01/00, 06/11/01, 12/07/01, 01/08/02, 02/25/02, 10/25/03, 11/03/03
- ABRoads: 04/24/09
- AARoads: 06/11/01, 08/10/02, 11/21/08
- Brent Ivy: 01/01/10
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Page Updated Thursday August 11, 2022.