5th Avenue South

From Bhamwiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Fifth Avenue South (originally Avenue E) is a two-way, east-west avenue in Birmingham, one of the longest continuous avenues stretching across the city's south side. Portions of the street exist from North Titusville in the west to South East Lake in the east, but the main section runs from the Five Points South neighborhood all the way to Oak Ridge Park, becoming part of U.S. Highway 78 for a few blocks along its path.

Route

The beginning of 5th Avenue South is in the North Titusville neighborhood, west of downtown, at Center Street. It takes up from a short section of 5th Avenue Southwest that begins at Goldwire Street, about two blocks west of Center Street. The avenue ends at the intersection of 3rd Street and Omega Street.

In the Five Points South neighborhood, just east of the railroad tracks, the main portion of 5th Avenue South begins at 8th Street South. After passing under the raised portion of Interstate 65, in continues west through University of Alabama at Birmingham campus into the Southside neighborhood. There it passes under the Elton B. Stephens Expressway (U.S. Highways 31 and 280) and continues west into the Forest Park-South Avondale neighborhood.

As it enters East Avondale, 4th Avenue South, which is also U.S. Highway 78, merges into 5th Avenue at 45th Street. Thus 5th become Highway 78 for a few blocks, until the two split at 47th Street. Highway 78 continues east along Crestwood Boulevard while 5th turns more northeastward, forming the border between East Avondale and Crestwood North.

At the railroad tracks, the main road continues northeast as 1st Avenue South while 5th Avenue splits off more eastward to remain inside Crestwood North along the south side of the tracks. It continues into Oak Ridge Park before ending at Antwerp Avenue.

Another section begins in the East Lake neighborhood at Higdon Road where Hill Crest Behavioral Health Services is located, only to end at 71st Street. It begins again southwest of 75th Street and continues a short way into South East Lake before ending again at Vanderbilt Street. It resumes again one block northeast at 78th Street and ends at the entrance of Ossie Ware Mitchell Middle School at 81st Street. It resumes on the other side of the campus at 82nd Street before finally ending for good at 85th Street.

From 8th to 36th Street, the road provides two lanes of travel in each direction. It then becomes a two-lane road until meeting 4th Avenue and becoming Highway 78, where it is six lanes. North of Crestwood Boulevard, it is again four lanes until splitting off at the railroad tracks in Crestwood North. All other portions are two-lane, residential streets.

Notable locations

For an alphabetical list of locations, see the 5th Avenue South category.

North Titusville

Five Points South neighborhood

Southside neighborhood

Forest Park-South Avondale

Forest Park-South Avondale/East Avondale

East Avondale/Crestwood South

East Avondale/Crestwood North

(formerly Grand Avenue)

Oak Ridge Park

  • 62nd Street South intersection (south only)
  • Antwerp Avenue (road ends)

East Lake neighborhood

South East Lake