Interstate 20

Interstate 20 or I-20, is a major thoroughfare traversing the southern United States serving as a connector between Pecos, Texas, and Florence, South Carolina, paralleling and utilizing old sections of U.S. Highway 80 from its western terminus to Meridian, Mississippi, and U.S. Highway 78 from Birmingham to Florence. During its 1,539.48 mile journey, it also serves the cities of Fort Worth, Dallas, Shreveport, Jackson, Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Atlanta, Augusta, and Columbia. For a 145-mile stretch between Meridian and Birmingham, it also shares the same right-of-way with I-59.

Through Birmingham, I-20 serves as the main thoroughfare for traffic traveling from the southwest or east. It physically passes through the communities of McCalla, Bessemer, Brighton, Hueytown, Fairfield, Birmingham, Irondale, Leeds, Moody and Pell City in both Jefferson County and St. Clair County.

A proposal to lower the interstate in downtown Birmingham was included in the city's 2004 City Center Master Plan. The Alabama Department of Transportation determined that the projected cost was too high and scheduled replacement of the existing elevated roadway.

Expansion

To relieve congestion along the eastbound lanes in St. Clair County, an expansion project between Leeds and Riverside will result in the addition of an additional lane in each direction between Exit 140 and the Coosa River. The first phase, which commenced in 2002, was complete in 2004 that included the reconfiguration of Exit 144 in Leeds and additional lanes between Exits 140 and 147. The second phase between the Coosa River and Exit 152 in Cook Springs is slated for completion in late 2006.

Control cities

Through Birmingham, Atlanta, located 142 miles to the east, is primarily used as the control city for eastbound lanes; however, between Exits 120 & 123 Downtown is used instead. Tuscaloosa, located 59 miles to the southwest, is used for all westbound lanes in Birmingham.

Birmingham is first used as a control city at Exit 71 in Tuscaloosa for eastbound lanes. For westbound lanes, Birmingham first appears at Exit 57 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Exit listing

Exit Number	Route Served	Municipality	Direction	Number of Lanes	Miles to the Next Exit Moving Northbound
104	Rock Mount Lakes Road	McCalla	E & W	3	1.76
106	I-459 North	Bessemer	E & W	3	2.76
108	Academy Drive/Highway 11/Alabama 11	Bessemer	E & W	2	0.78
110	Splash Adventure Parkway	Bessemer	E & W	2	2.65
112	18th Street/19th Street	Bessemer	E & W	2	1.51
113	18th Avenue	Brighton	E & W	2	2.22
113	Jaybird Road (Allison-Bonnett Memorial Drive Westbound)	Hueytown	E	2	2.4
118	Valley Road	Fairfield	E & W	2	1.03
119	R.M. Scrushy Parkway (Avenue I Westbound)	Fairfield	E	3	1.69
120	Ensley Boulevard/Alabama 269	Birmingham	E & W	4	2.23
121	Bush Boulevard	Birmingham	W	4	NA
123	Arkadelphia Road/U.S. Highway 78	Birmingham	E & W	4	1.37
124	I-65	Birmingham	E & W	4	0.69
125A	16th Street North	Birmingham	E	4	0.46
125B	22nd Street North	Birmingham	E & W	3	0.39
126A	Caraway Boulevard/Highway 31/Highway 280	Birmingham	E & W	3	0.54
126B	31st Street North	Birmingham	E & W	4	1.48
128	Tallapoosa Street/Alabama 79	Birmingham	E & W	4	1.33
129	Airport Boulevard	Birmingham	E & W	3	0.71
130A	I-20 East	Birmingham	E & W	4	1.51
130B	1st Avenue North/Highway 11	Birmingham	E	2	1.69
132A	Oporto-Madrid Boulevard	Birmingham	E	2	0.36
132B	Montevallo Road	Birmingham	E & W	3	1.07
133	Kilgore Memorial Parkway	Irondale	E & W	3	2.42
135	Jefferson County 64	Irondale	E & W	3	0.99
136	I-459	Irondale	E & W	3	3.08
140	U.S. Highway 78	Leeds	E & W	3	2.75
144	Highway 411	Leeds	E & W	3	4.44

Disruptions

Sinkholes

Of note between Exits 121 & 123 is an abandoned stretch of mainline interstate along the southbound lanes. These lanes were utilized between 1972 and 1977 as temporary lanes whilst the mainlines were being repaired. The repairs were necessary as a result of sinkholes forming near the shoulder. The repairs resulted in the construction of at-grade bridges over the gaps.

Major accidents

In being a major thoroughfare for both local and interstate travel, accidents are nearly a daily occurrence. Although there are too many to list, there have been several notable accidents in recent years. In both 2002 and 2004 incidents at Malfunction Junction resulted in partial closure of some travel lanes while they were reconstructed. Additionally, the elevated section between Exits 124 & 126 have been the location of multiple incidents of large steel coils falling from tractor trailers and punching holes in the mainlines. (See List of interstate accidents involving dropped steel loads.)

External links

• AARoads, Interstate 20 Highway Guide. [1].

References

• State of Alabama Official 2005-2006 Highway Map
• USGS Case History No. 9.11. 14 Jul 2006 [2].