The below list includes a description and a rough corridor outline for fantasy freeway routes within the state of Alabama. These routes are part of an idea of mine to compile cancelled freeways, the existing system, future proposals, plus some of my own ideas into the Ultimate Fantasy Freeway/Expressway System. This is a "working list" that I will draw upon for future "fantasy freeway" pages on this site.
My take
on a westward extension of this Interstate route. This route would begin
at I-20/59 near Cuba, AL and follow the US 80 corridor east to I-65, bypassing
Demopolis to the south, Uniontown to the north, and Selma to the southwest.
A brief duplex with I-65 in Montgomery, then it replaces I-85 from Montgomery to
Exit 42. Fictional I-16 then follows the AL 186 and US 80 corridor to
Phenix City, where it ties into the US 80 freeway around Phenix City and
Columbus, GA.
The segment from Cuba to Montgomery is real-life proposed as an "I-85 South Extension", sponsored in part by Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL). That extension is currently in the location studies phase. Also, the US 80 freeway at Phenix City was built to accommodate a westward extension west of US 280/US 431, though any such extension seems to have disappeared from ALDOT's 5-year-plan over the past few years.
The
proposed I-22 along the part-complete/part-under-construction Corridor X
freeway, with a twist....I would extend it southeast of I-65 to I-20/59 in the
vicinity of the Birmingham Airport. Such an extension, last I heard, was in
the feasibility study stage.
My take
on the proposed Memphis-Huntsville-Atlanta Interstate, following (from west to
east), a general alignment of US 72/south of Muscle Shoals/ALT US 72/north of
Decatur/I-565/Huntsville South Bypass/near New Hope/near Columbus City/north of
Collinsville/near Gaylesville/enter-GA-along-AL 9.
or 
My
idea for a freeway along the US 45 corridor from Prichard north to the
Mississippi line. It would begin at the I-65/I-165 interchange and head
northerly from there. In an "Ultimate System", this would be part of an
extended I-57 and extend along I-165 and Water St to I-10.
or 
My
take for what has on-and-off been proposed as a "West Alabama Interstate" or
"West Alabama Toll Road"...the premise behind the real life proposal being for
economic development in one of the poorer areas of the state. Some have
proposed it as an "I-61" or "I-63". My "Ultimate
Interstate System" would use I-63.
Fictional US 43 (or I-63) would begin at the junction of I-65 and my Fictional I-210 and
follow the US 43 corridor north to near Demopolis, bypassing Jackson, Grove
Hill, and Thomasville to the west. Near Demopolis it switches to the AL 69
corridor going up towards Tuscaloosa, bypassing Greensboro to the west and
Moundville to the east. It would loop around Tuscaloosa and Northport to
the west, utilizing the "Tuscaloosa/Northport Western Bypass" corridor, then
continue north along existing US 43. Near Bankston, it switches to the AL
13 corridor, bypassing Natural Bridge to the west before returning to the US 43
corridor near Spruce Pine, bypassing Muscle Shoals and Florence to the east and
extending up to the Tennessee line.
My idea
for I-85 would relocate it to run from Panama City, FL through Dothan and
Columbus to La Grange, GA. Within Alabama, it would start at the Florida
line following US 231 up to Dothan, where it then follows the US 431 corridor
north, bypassing Eufaula to the west. Near Glenville, it would depart the
US 431 corridor and head northeast on new alignment, crossing the Chattahoochee
River onto Fort Benning then following I-185 north through Georgia.
The only part of this actually being considered is part of the "Dothan to I-10
Corridor", a proposal for an Interstate-grade facility connecting Dothan to I-10
along the US 231 corridor.
My take
on a northward extension of this Pensacola Interstate. I would have it
follow the AL 113 corridor south of I-65 then bypass Flomaton to the west.
Such an extension was considered about 5 years ago but has since been dropped.
In
conjunction with my Fictional I-16 and Fictional I-85 ideas, this number would
be used for existing I-85 between Tuskegee and I-185 near La Grange, GA.
or 
Freeway upgrade of US 72 from Huntsville to I-24 in Tennessee,
and which could be a Fictional "I-128".
My take
on the somewhat-proposed Mobile Outer Loop (lately called the Mobile West Bypass).
I have a page on it here.
My
number for the proposed (and partially under construction) Montgomery Outer
Loop.
or 
The proposed
"Huntsville North Bypass", extended eastward to US 72 east of Huntsville,
and which could be a Fictional "I-228".
My
fictional extension of I-359 north along AL 69 to US 82 in Northport.
This is my idea for an ultimate version of the existing
"Foley Beach Express". My version would upgrade the existing FBE to
Interstate-grade, extend it south to AL 182, and extend it north to I-65 in the
Bay Minette vicinity. A real-life extension of the FBE to I-10 near
Baldwin CR 83 is currently being considered, but I would take it one step
further and extend it all the way to I-65 and thus give it an I-x65 designation.
or 
This is my idea for a Dothan-to-Montgomery Interstate, branching off of my
Fictional I-85 in Dothan and following the US 231 corridor to Montgomery.
My take
on the proposed Birmingham Northern Beltline, following the proposed corridor
with an extension back to I-20 near Leeds (hence my use of an I-x20 and not
simply using I-459).
and 
There are some who think the Red Mountain Expressway in Birmingham should become
an I-559. I take that one step further and extend a fictional freeway along the US 280 corridor from Birmingham southeast
all the way to Georgia, with the I-559 designation extending to Shelby CR 47
near Chelsea.
Real-life extensions of I-759 in the Attalla/Gadsden area are
currently being considered. My version of the I-759 extensions would run
from US 431 north of Attalla around to US 278 in eastern Gadsden.
There
are four different freeway segments along US 82 under my fantasy system.
All are part of an overall 4-lane corridor for US 82 across Alabama:
#1: This first one would upgrade US 82 to freeway from the Mississippi line to the proposed Black Warrior Loop (a proposed freeway bypassing Northport and Tuscaloosa to the north and east). It would then follow the Black Warrior Loop around to I-20/59, then extend south of I-20/59 back to existing US 82 southeast of Tuscaloosa.
#2: The half-built/half-proposed bypass of Brent and Centreville should become a freeway.
#3: Freeway upgrade of US 82 from west of Prattville to I-65.
#4: This segment of Fictional US 82 would partially loop around Montgomery, using Northern Blvd (AL 152) and Eastern Blvd (mostly US 231). Southeast of Eastern Blvd it would follow existing US 82/231 to the proposed Montgomery Outer Loop and tie into my Fictional I-385 idea listed above.
There are three different US 98 freeway segments under my fantasy system:
#1: My idea for a freeway along the US 98 corridor from the Mississippi line to I-65. It would generally bypass the existing US 98 alignment to the north and then meet I-65 at the curve southwest of Exit 8. Part of this corridor, from the state line to west of Semmes, is real-life proposed as an at-grade expressway bypass of Wilmer.
#2: Freeway upgrade of the Bay Bridge Rd corridor and across the Cochrane-Africatown Bridge in Mobile, from existing I-165 east and south to I-10 near Exit 27.
#3: Either a freeway upgrade or a nearby parallel new alignment, from I-10 in Spanish Fort south to Baldwin CR 32 south of Fairhope.
Besides the Fictional I-385 idea listed above, there are two other freeway segments along US 231 under my fantasy system:
#1: This segment begins where the proposed Montgomery Outer Loop ends at I-85 and runs north to existing US 231 north of Wetumpka.
#2: The other US 231 freeway segment would upgrade US 231 to a freeway from AL 36 south of Huntsville to the Meridianville vicinity north of Huntsville. This includes some segments of US 231 in Huntsville that have already been upgraded to a freeway facility. There are some plans for additional grade separations along this segment, and I think this freeway upgrade would be justified in real life.
Fictional freeway along the US 431 corridor between I-20 near Anniston and I-59
near Attalla, utilizing the proposed "Anniston East Bypass" and I-759 (and the
proposed I-759 extensions in either direction).
This idea serves as a better connection into Decatur from I-65 and I-565,
upgrading AL 20 from the I-65/565 junction west, then south across the Tennessee
River to the US 31 South junction.
This
is my idea for a freeway along the Airport Blvd corridor in Mobile. Such a
freeway was considered in one option for the Mobile area's long-range
transportation plan, but was dropped from the final plan due to high cost and
limited overall benefit. My Fictional AL 56 freeway would run from
Fictional I-210 (mentioned above) to I-65.
The
proposed "Decatur South Bypass", which would begin where Fictional I-28 splits
off from ALT US 72 west of Decatur, and loop around Decatur to the south,
returning to existing AL 67 between I-65 and Somerville.
This idea upgrades AL 193 to freeway between I-10 and AL 163.
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Page last modified 22 November, 2007