Decatur Highway
Decatur Highway is an older name for the portion of what is now U.S. Highway 31 as it leads north from Birmingham through Fultondale, Gardendale, Morris, Kimberly, Warrior, and beyond toward Decatur in Morgan County. Some cities simply use the Highway 31 designation, but Gardendale still uses the Decatur Highway name. Fultondale has officially renamed the road American Veterans Highway within its limits.
History
What would become the Decatur Highway began as an extension of Stouts Road from the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River south to Elyton that was commissioned in 1827. Stouts Road became the "Main Street" for the new mining communities of Morris, Kimberly and Warrior, as well as the farming communities of Gardendale and Fultondale.
As the United States formed an interstate road system, the Bee Line Highway was defined under the National Auto Trails program. It originated in Nashville, Tennessee and generally followed Highway 31's current route to Montgomery. The highway later became better known for its destinations from Birmingham, thus becoming the Decatur and Montgomery Highways. Decatur Highway has seen small changes over the years, however, and many of the old roads still exist, often under the Old Highway 31 name.
Locations
Unincorporated Jefferson County
- Interstate 65 scrape exchange
Fultondale
- For a more detailed list of locations, see Decatur Highway (Fultondale).
- Walker Chapel Road intersection
Gardendale
- For a more detailed list of locations, see Decatur Highway (Gardendale).
- Tarrant Road intersection
- Fieldstown Road intersection (west only)
- Mount Olive Boulevard intersection
- Barber Boulevard intersection (west only)
Morris
- For a more detailed list of locations, see U.S. Highway 31 (Morris).
- Morris Majestic Road intersection
Kimberly
- For a more detailed list of locations, see U.S. Highway 31 (Kimberly).
Warrior
- For a more detailed list of locations, see Main Street (Warrior) and Louisa Street.
- Locust Fork River crossing
- Cane Creek Road intersection (west only)
- Trafford Road intersection (east only)
- Old Hayden Road intersection (fork east only)