Interstate 59

Interstate 59
Interstate 59
Route information
Length	445.23 mi (716.53 km)
Existed	1960-Present–present
NHS	Entire route
Major junctions
South end	I-10 / I-12 near Slidell, LA
	US 98 in Hattiesburg, MS; US 84 in Laurel, MS; I-20 in Meridian, MS; US 82 in Tuscaloosa, AL; I-65 in Birmingham, AL; I-20 in Birmingham, AL
North end	I-24 in Wildwood, GA
Location
Country	United States
Highway system
	Interstate Highway System; Main; Auxiliary; Suffixed; Business; Future;

Interstate 59 (I-59) is an Interstate Highway in the southern United States. Its southern terminus is near Slidell, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans, at an intersection with Interstate 10 and Interstate 12,^[2] its northern terminus is at Wildwood, Georgia, at an intersection with Interstate 24.^[3]

The road's major purpose was to connect Birmingham, Alabama to Chattanooga, Tennessee and New Orleans, Louisiana. Throughout its entire route, Interstate 59 is parallel with U.S. 11. The road is four lanes the entire route except the portions north of Tuscaloosa, Alabama and in the Birmingham metro area.

Route description

Lengths
	mi	km
LA	11	18
MS	171.716	276.350
AL	241	388
GA	20.57	33.27
Total	444	715

Louisiana

In the U.S. state of Louisiana, Interstate 59 has the shortest mileage of all the states the highway traverses. Beginning at the junction of Interstates 10 and 12 near Slidell, it bypasses Pearl River before crossing the West Pearl River and later the East Pearl River. At the East Pearl River, I-59 leaves Saint Tammany Parish and enters Pearl River County, Mississippi.

Mississippi

In the Magnolia State, I-59 continues to parallel U.S. 11, traversing mainly rural areas, but going through or bypassing Picayune, Poplarville, Hattiesburg, Moselle, Laurel and Meridian.

For its length in Mississippi, I-59 either overlaps or runs close to US 11. Between the towns of Pearl River and Picayune, U.S. Route 11 overlaps I-59. The highway also has concurrencies with U.S. Route 98 in Hattiesburg, U.S. Route 84 and Mississippi Highway 15 in Laurel, and U.S. Route 80, U.S. 11 and Mississippi Highway 19 in the Meridian area.

A notoriously sharp S-curve, at mi.96, in Laurel is the subject of a large reconstruction project currently underway, with anticipated completion in August 2009. The infamous curves are the legacy of an overpass over the Southern Railway on a town by-pass with pre-interstate freeway design, and feature a 40 mph (64 km/h) speed limit, one of the lowest anywhere on a US interstate highway.

Just west of Meridian, Interstate 20 joins I-59 and the two highways continue together for 145 miles (233 km), across the Alabama border and to Birmingham. The exit numbers default to I-59's.

At 4:00 p.m. on August 27, 2005, for the first time in its history, the southbound lanes of Interstate 59 were temporarily redirected northward to accommodate evacuation for Hurricane Katrina. This was a previously agreed to joint plan by the states of Mississippi and Louisiana called Contraflow lane reversal. The program began at the Mississippi-Louisiana state border and continued 21 miles (33 km) north to Poplarville.

The Mississippi section of I-59 is defined in Mississippi Code Annotated § 65-3-3.

Alabama and Georgia

Interstate 59 (co-signed with Interstate 20) approaching Interstate 65 in downtown Birmingham.

Interstates 59 and 20 are conjoined for much of their route through Alabama, passing northeastward through Tuscaloosa before finally parting ways in eastern Birmingham.

In Birmingham, many wrecks and accidents occur near the cross-over interchange of I-20/59 and Interstate 65. On two occasions, 18-wheelers crashed and burned fiercely enough to melt the support beams of overpasses. Because of the frequent and severe wrecks, this interchange is nicknamed "Malfunction Junction". From Birmingham, I-59 continues northeastward near Gadsden and Fort Payne before entering Georgia.

Interstate 59 has a very short trek through the Peach State, having only three exits before coming to an end at Interstate 24 several miles west of Chattanooga, Tennessee in Wildwood. During the entire length, the highway is designated State Route 406 but is not signed as such.^[4] Interstate 59 from Gadsden at mile marker 182 to Stephen's Gap at mile marker 193 is rough roadway. Beginning in 2010, over the next two years, a construction project called "Project 59" will be carried out to pave the roadway. An alternate route is U.S. 11; which follows alongside I-59 for its entire route. The project consists of paving the interstate with unbonded concrete (cement without any space cracks) and also the raising and widening of bridges and overpasses. Also, exit 188 (Noccalula Falls/Reece City) will have some closures. Speed limits will be strictly enforced through the construction zone and on U.S. 11.

Major intersections

Interstate 10 and Interstate 12 at Slidell, Louisiana
Interstate 20 from Meridian, Mississippi to Birmingham, Alabama.
Interstate 65 at Birmingham, Alabama
Interstate 24 at Wildwood, Georgia

Exit List

Louisiana

The entire route is located in St. Tammany Parish.

Location	#	Destinations	Notes
Slidell	1A	I-12 west – Baton Rouge	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
	0	I-10 east – Bay St. Louis	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		I-10 west – New Orleans	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
	3	Military Road, Concord Boulevard
Pearl River	5A	US 11 south – Pearl River	South end of US 11 overlap
	5B	Old US 11
	11	Honey Island Swamp Road
Crosses over the Pearl River into Mississippi

Mississippi

County	Location	#	Destinations	Notes
Pearl River		1	US 11 north / MS 607 south – Stennis Space Center	North end of US 11 overlap
	Picayune	4	MS 43 south – Bay St. Louis	South end of Hwy 43 overlap; exit for Picayune
	Picayune	6	MS 43 north – Monticello	North end of Hwy 43 overlap
		10	Union Road
		15	McNeil-Steep Hollow Road
		19	Savannah-Millard Road
		27	MS 53 – Gulfport, Poplarville
		29	MS 26 – Poplarville, Wiggins
		35	Hillsdale Road
	Lumberton	41	MS 13 – Lumberton, Columbia
Lamar	Purvis	51	MS 589 – Purvis, Oak Grove, Sumrall
Forrest		59	US 98 east – Lucedale, Mobile,AL	South end of US 98 overlap
Forrest		60	US 11
Lamar	Hattiesburg	65	US 98 east / MS 198 – Columbia, Hattiesburg	North end of US 98 overlap; signed as Exit 65A (Hwy 198) and 65B (US 98) northbound
Forrest		67	US 49 – Hattiesburg	Signed as Exit 67A (south) and 67B (north)
		69	MS 42 south – Hattiesburg
		73	Monroe Rd/ Sis Hobson Road
Jones		76	Terminal Drive – Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport (Pine Belt Airport -PIB)
		78	Sanford Road
		80	Moselle-Seminary Road
		85	MS 590 – Seminary, Ellisville
	Ellisville	88	MS 29 – Soso, Ellisville
		90	US 11
	Laurel	93	US 11 (Ellisville Blvd)
		95A	16th Avenue south
		95B	US 84 west / MS 15 north – Collins, Bay Springs	South end of US 84/ SH 15 overlap
		95C	Beacon Street	Laurel S-curve Southbound
		96A	4th Avenue
		96B	MS 15 south – Richton	North end of SH 15 overlap
		97	US 84 east – Waynesboro	North end of US 84
		99	US 11 (Ellisville Blvd)
		104	Sharon-Sandersville Road
Jasper		113	MS 528 – Heidelberg
Jasper		118	County Road 119
Clarke		126	MS 18 – Rose Hill, Pachuta
		134	MS 513 – Rose Hill, Enterprise
		137	County Road 370
Lauderdale		142	Fred Speed Road, Pauldin Road
		149	I-20 west – Jackson	South end of I-20 overlap
	Meridian	150	US 11 south / MS 19 north – Philadelphia, Airport	South end of US 11/ SH 19 overlap
		151	Valley Road, 49th Avenue
		152	29th Avenue
		153	MS 145 south – Quitman, 22nd Avenue
		154	US 11 north / US 80 east / MS 19 south / MS 39 north – De Kalb, Butler	North end of US 11/ 80/ SH 19 overlap; signed as exits 154A (south) and 154B (north) northbound
		157	US 45 – Quitman, Macon
		160	Russell
		165	Toomsoba
		169	US 11 / US 80

Alabama

County	Location	#	Destinations	Notes
Sumter		1	SR 8 east – Cuba, Demopolis	To US Highway 80
		8	SR 17 – York, Emelle
		17	SR 28 – Livingston, Boyd
		23	County Road 20 – Gainesville, Epes
Greene		32	County Road 20 – Boligee
		40	SR 14 – Aliceville, Eutaw
		45	County Road 208 – Union
		52	US 11 / US 43 – Knoxville
Tuscaloosa		62	Holley Springs Road – Fosters
	Tuscaloosa	68	Joe Mallisham/Black Warrior Parkway
		71	I-359 north / US 11 / SR 69 south – Tuscaloosa, Moundville, Greensboro	Signed as exts 71A (south) and 71B (north)
		73	US 82 (McFarland Boulevard)
		76	US 11 – Cottondale, East Tuscaloosa	Skyland Boulevard
		77	County Road 85 – Cottondale	Buttermilk Road
		79	US 11 / SR 7 (University Boulevard) – Coaling
		86	County Road 59 – Brookwood, Vance	Covered Bridge Road
		89	Mercedes Drive	Mercedes-Benz Plant
		97	US 11 south / SR 5 south – Woodstock Junction, Centreville	South end of US 11 and AL 5 overlap
		100	SR 216 – Abernant, Bucksville
Jefferson		104	McAshan Drive/Rock Mt. Lakes
		106	I-459 – Gadsden, Atlanta
	Bessemer	108	US 11 north / SR 5	North end of US 11 and AL 5 overlap
		110	Alabama Adventure Parkway	To Alabama Adventure Theme Park
		112	18th & 19th Streets
		113	18th Avenue
		115	Allison Bonnet Memorial Drive/Jaybird Rd.
	Fairfield	118	Valley Road – Fairfield
	Birmingham	119A	Lloyd Nolan Parkway
		119B	Avenue I	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		120	SR 269 – Ensley
		121	Bush Boulevard	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		123	US 78 – Jasper
		124	I-65 – Montgomery, Huntsville	Signed as exits 124A (south) and 124B (north)
		125A	17th Street North	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		125B	22nd Street North	Northbound exit only
		125	22nd Street North	Left exit southbound and entrance
		126A	US 31 (Carraway Boulevard) / US 280 – Hoover, Homewood
		126B	31st Street North
		128	SR 79 (Tallapoosa Street)
		129	Messer Airport Highway – Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport
		130	I-20 east – Atlanta	North end of I-20 overlap
		131	Oporto-Madrid Boulevard	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		132	US 11 (1st Avenue North)
		133	4th Avenue South	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		134	SR 75 (Roebuck Parkway) – Center Point
	Trussville	137	I-459 – Montgomery, Atlanta
	Trussville	141	County Road 10
		143	Deerfoot Parkway
		148	Liles Lane
Saint Clair		154	SR 174 – Odenville
		156	SR 23 – Ashville
		166	US 231 – Ashville, Oneonta
		174	Steele Junction Road
Etowah	Lester	181	SR 77 – Lester, Rainbow City
	Atalla	182	I-759 – East Gadsden
	Atalla	183	US 278 / US 431 – Attalla, Rainbow City
	Gadsden	188	SR 211 – Gadsden
DeKalb		205	SR 68 – Collinsville, Crossville
	Douglas	218	SR 35 – Douglas, Rainsville
		222	US 11 – Fort Payne
		231	SR 40 / SR 117 – Valley Head, Henagar, Stevenson
		239	County Road 140

Georgia

The entire route is in Dade County, Georgia.

Location	#	Destinations	Notes
	4	Puddin Ridge Road
Trenton	11	SR 136 – Trenton
	17	County Road 200
		I-24 – Nashville, Chattanooga	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; exit is unnumbered

Auxiliary routes

Anomaly

In Louisiana an I-59 shield can be found at an interchange that actually has little or nothing to do with I-59, which is some 20 miles east of the photograph. The I-59 shield disambiguates I-12 eastbound drivers who confuse I-59 with LA 59.

References

^ USDOT - Federal Highway Administration (October 31, 2002). "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate & Defense Highways". FHWA Route Log and Finder List. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration.
^ "Interstate 59" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved June 8, 2009.)
^ "Interstate 59" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
^ Georgia Deartment of Transportation, Office of Transportation Data (2003). "Interstate Mileage Report (438 Report)" (PDF). {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

Template:New Orleans Highways Template:Alabama Interstate Highways Template:Georgia Interstate Highways Template:Louisiana Interstate Highways

[FHWA_Dist-1] USDOT - Federal Highway Administration (October 31, 2002). "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate & Defense Highways". FHWA Route Log and Finder List. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration.

[2] "Interstate 59" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved June 8, 2009.)

[3] "Interstate 59" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved June 8, 2009.

[4] Georgia Deartment of Transportation, Office of Transportation Data (2003). "Interstate Mileage Report (438 Report)" (PDF). {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

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v t e Primary Interstate Highways
Signed	2 4 5 8 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 19 20 22 24 25 26 27 29 30 31 35 37 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 49 55 57 59 64 65 66 KS–KY VA–DC 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 CO–NE OH–NJ 77 78 79 80 81 82 WA–OR PA–NY CT–RI 83 84 OR–UT PA–MA 85 86 ID PA–NY CT–MA 87 NC NY 88 IL NY 89 90 91 93 94 95 96 97 99 H-1 H-2 H-3
Unsigned	A-1 A-2 A-3 A-4 PRI-1 PRI-2 PRI-3
Lists	Primary Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future
Other	Standards Gaps Tolled
Routes in italics are no longer a part of the system. Major Interstates are highlighted.