Messer Airport Highway

Glenn E. Messer Airport Highway is an east-west street serving as a connection between downtown Birmingham and the Birmingham International Airport. It was named in honor of aviation pioneer Glenn E. Messer. The westernmost section by that name ends at 31st Street North, although the road continues further west as 5th Avenue North. The easternmost section forms a loop around the parking garages at the Birmingham International Airport. Messer Airport Highway is a two-way street for its entire length, the majority of which is four to five lanes wide.

Between 42nd Street and 44th Street, Messer Airport Highway is separated from 1st Avenue North by only a narrow, landscaped median. 1st Avenue is not accessible from Messer Airport Highway at this point, the closest links being 41st Street and 45th Place North. Two gas stations at either end of the narrow median use concrete barriers to prevent motorists from cutting through.

Messer Airport Highway is accessible from and to Interstate 20 and Interstate 59 at exit 129 in both directions.

Notable locations

For an alphabetical list of locations, see the Messer Airport Highway category.

• 31st Street North intersection
  • 3230: Mingledorff's, Bermco Aluminum
  • 3270: Supreme Beverage Co.
• 33rd Street North intersection
  • 3317: Thompson Cat Rental Store
• Brook Street (south) / 35th Street North (north) intersection
  • 3500-3628: Airport Highway Park industrial park
    • 3500: Fuller Supply Co.
  • 3531: former location of Barnett Lumber Co. (1926)
  • 3608: Bagby Elevator Company
• 37th Street North intersection
  • 3704: Master Safety Supply
  • 3728: Front End Alignment Center
  • 3735: Magic City Harvest
• 38th Street North intersection
  • 3801: Direct Scaffold Services
  • 3828: Mystik Save More & Deli
• 39th Street North intersection
  • 3901: Dunn Investment Co.
  • 3905: Dunn Construction
• 40th Street North intersection (north only)
  • 4012: Shell gas station
  • 4020: Popeye's
• 41st Street North intersection
  • 4100: Avondale Sundries
  • 4102: Sister to Sister African Hair Braiding
  • 4104: Top Flight Barber & Style Shop
• road parallels 1st Avenue North (no access)
  • 4252: Tom Brown Village
• 43rd Street North intersection (north only)
  • 4300: North Avondale Library
  • 4304: Hayes K-8 School, former location of Hayes High School
• road diverges from 1st Avenue North
• 45th Place North intersection (south only)
• 7th Avenue North intersection (north only)
• 46th Street North intersection (north only)
• 47th Street North intersection
  • 4744-4750: Doers of the Word Ministries
• 48th Street North intersection
• 49th Street North intersection (south only)
  • 4917: Woodlawn Mart
  • 4921: Sammy's Sandwich Shop
• 50th Street North intersection (south only)
  • 4980: Gibson Elementary School
• 50th Street North (north) / Georgia Road (south) intersection
  • 5101: America's Best Inn (originally the Birmingham Airport Motel, later the Airport Inn Motel)
  • 5113: Hardee's
• Richard Arrington Jr Boulevard North intersection
• I-59/20 interchange
  • 5201: Gateway, former location of Rushton School
  • 5216: Clarion Hotel and Conference Center (formerly the Four Points by Sheraton-Airport)
  • 5224: SafeKey Parking
• 15th Avenue North intersection (west only)
  • 5229: Civil Engineering Associates
• 17th Avenue North intersection (west only)
  • 5333: Alabama Car Rental
• 16th Avenue North intersection (east only)
• 17th Avenue North intersection (east only)
• Woodlawn Road intersection (east only)
  • Forest Hill Cemetery
  • 5335: Birmingham Air Freight
  • 5344: Budget Car Rental
• Aviation Avenue intersection
  • Greenwood Cemetery
• University Avenue intersection
  • 5701: former location of Aeromarine
• 37th Avenue North (east) / Tower View Drive (west) intersection
  • 5900: Birmingham International Airport