I-359 begins just south of the I-20/I-59 interchange at the western terminus of US 11 (SR 7, Skyland Boulevard) and SR 69.[3] From this point, the route travels in a northerly direction, where it meets I-20/I-59 at a partial cloverleaf interchange.[3] The route reaches its first exit at 35th Street in a half cloverleaf configuration, which provides access to the University of Alabama.[4][5] I-359 then continues in a northerly direction paralleling Greensboro Avenue to its northern terminus just north of 15th Street, where the limited accessfreeway transitions into an at-grade thoroughfare as it enters downtown Tuscaloosa.[6]
From its crossing of the Alabama Great Southern Railroad (AGS) through the northern terminus, the highway in its entirety is elevated along a continuous bridge span.[4] I-359 also features a wrong-way concurrency for its entire duration with travel from downtown Tuscaloosa being signed as both I-359 and SR 69 south and US 11 north,[7] and with travel from the south being signed both I-359 and SR 69 north and US 11 south.[8]
History
Planning map for the Tuscaloosa area freeways from 1955
In the early 1960s, local planners and elected officials stated the need for direct access to I-59 from the city of Tuscaloosa.[9] As annexation had not yet brought the city limits to the I-59 corridor, I-359 was originally to be the only access provided to I-59 directly from Tuscaloosa. The route, as originally envisioned, was to have no exits for the duration of its route between its southern terminus at I-59 and its northern terminus at 15th Street in downtown Tuscaloosa.[9]
Actual planning for I-359 commenced in 1961,[2] and, by 1971, the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) announced that federal funding would be sought for its construction.[10] Planning for the corridor continued throughout the 1970s, only to stall briefly due to complications with the required environmental impact assessment associated with the project.[11] By 1976, it was announced I-359 would have an exit both at 35th Street and 15th Street to improve access to both the University of Alabama and Stillman College.[11]
In 1977, ALDOT publicly unveiled the final routing of the route and presented it at a series of public meetings in August 1977.[12] The selected route resulted in the slight relocation of 35th Street, the construction of a bridge along 31st Street over the freeway, and the construction of a continuous viaduct along the final leg of the freeway through its 15th Street junction.[12] Plans were also unveiled to add an additional travel lane in each direction along I-20/I-59 between its junction with I-359 and McFarland Boulevard.[12]
Following the acquisition of the necessary right-of-way, phasing of the project was released in June 1979.[13] The first phase included the completion of the interchange at I-20/I-59 and lane expansion; the second phase included the segment between I-20/I-59 and the AGS railroad crossing; and the third phase included the elevated segment through the northern terminus in downtown Tuscaloosa.[13] Construction would commence in 1980 on the first phase, with the bid for the second phase setting a then-record for cost for a Tuscaloosa road project at $11.9 million (equivalent to $35.6 million in 2022[14]).[15] As construction was wrapping up on phase two, phase three of the project again set a record cost at $17.4 million (equivalent to $44.9 million in 2022[14]) in January 1982.[16] The phase included the completion of the viaduct section of the freeway, constructed at an average elevation of 22 feet (6.7 m) above grade.[16] The first segment of I-359 opened to traffic in October 1982 between I-20/I-59 and exit 1.[17] Costing $41 million (equivalent to $102 million in 2022[14]) at completion, I-359 was officially dedicated and opened for traffic on September 13, 1983.[2]
I-20 / I-59 / US 11 / SR 69 in Tuscaloosa
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