Interstate 359

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title: "Interstate 359" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["auxiliary-interstate-highways", "interstate-highways-in-alabama", "transportation-in-tuscaloosa-county,-alabama", "interstate-59", "u.s.-route-11"] description: "Auxiliary Interstate Highway in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, United States" topic_path: "sports" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_359" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Auxiliary Interstate Highway in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, United States ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox road"]

Field	Value
state	AL
type	I
route	359
alternate_name
map
map_custom	yes
map_notes	I-359 highlighted in red
length_mi	2.76
length_round	2
length_ref
established	September 13, 1983{{cite news
title	Opening of I-359 applauded
first	Ed
last	Watkins
newspaper	The Tuscaloosa News
date	September 14, 1982
page	1A
spur_type	I
spur_of	59
direction_a	South
terminus_a	in Tuscaloosa
direction_b	North
terminus_b	in Tuscaloosa
previous_type	US
previous_route	331
next_type	SR
next_route	378
counties	Tuscaloosa
::

| state = AL | type = I | route = 359 | alternate_name= | map = | map_custom = yes | map_notes = I-359 highlighted in red | length_mi = 2.76 | length_round = 2 | length_ref = | length_notes = | established = September 13, 1983{{cite news | title = Opening of I-359 applauded | first = Ed | last = Watkins | newspaper = The Tuscaloosa News | date = September 14, 1982 | page = 1A | spur_type = I | spur_of = 59 | direction_a = South | terminus_a = in Tuscaloosa | junction = | direction_b = North | terminus_b = in Tuscaloosa | previous_type = US | previous_route = 331 | next_type = SR | next_route = 378 | counties = Tuscaloosa Interstate 359 (I-359) is a part of the Interstate Highway System in the US state of Alabama. It is a spur route that runs for 2.76 mi entirely within the city limits of Tuscaloosa. Its terminuses are just south of I-20/I-59 interchange on the south side of town and U.S. Route 43 (US 43) in downtown Tuscaloosa. The entire length is concurrent with US 11 and State Route 69 (SR 69), with both continuing as at grade thoroughfares north and south of the shorter Interstate.

Route description

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/359_North_@_Exit_2.jpg" caption="I-359 northbound at exit 2" alt="Three green signs are located above an elevated portion of roadway with no traffic visible on a cloudy day."] ::

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. From this point, the route travels in a northerly direction, where it meets I-20/I-59 at a partial cloverleaf interchange. The route reaches its first exit at Cousette Street in a half cloverleaf configuration, which provides access to the University of Alabama.{{cite news | title = Connector hearing slated | first = Ed | last = Watkins | newspaper = The Tuscaloosa News | date = July 31, 1977 | page = 3A

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. 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, and with travel from the south being signed both I-359 and SR 69 north and US 11 south.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Tuscaloosa,_Alabama_1955_Yellow_Book.jpg" caption="Planning map for the Tuscaloosa area freeways from 1955" alt="A map illustrating the conceptual north–south route of I-359 from I-59 into the city of Tuscaloosa."] ::

In the early 1960s, local planners and elected officials stated the need for direct access to I-59 from the city of Tuscaloosa.{{cite news | title = Major highway projects given top priority here | first = James | last = Mizell | newspaper = The Tuscaloosa News | date = April 8, 1962 | page = 1

Actual planning for I-359 commenced in 1961, and, by 1971, the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) announced that federal funding would be sought for its construction.{{cite news | title = Local Interstate funds to be asked | author = Staff Reporters | newspaper = The Tuscaloosa News | date = January 14, 1971 | page = 17 | title = Project progress reported | first = Mike | last = McKenzie | newspaper = The Tuscaloosa News | date = July 28, 1976 | page = 11

In 1977, ALDOT publicly unveiled the final routing of the route and presented it at a series of public meetings in August 1977.{{cite news | title = Hearing set on I-359 project | first = Ed | last = Watkins | newspaper = The Tuscaloosa News | date = June 26, 1977 | page = 1

Following the acquisition of the necessary right-of-way, phasing of the project was released in June 1979.{{cite news | title = Exchange briefed on I-359 project | first = Ed | last = Watkins | newspaper = The Tuscaloosa News | date = June 1, 1979 | page = 2 | title = I-359 cost to be record | first = Ed | last = Watkins | newspaper = The Tuscaloosa News | date = June 26, 1980 | page = 2 | title = Interstate highway project sets state record | first = Ed | last = Watkins | newspaper = The Tuscaloosa News | date = January 31, 1982 | page = 2D | title = Football traffic routes | author = Staff Reporters | newspaper = The Tuscaloosa News | date = October 22, 1982 | page = 3

Future

In 2024, ALDOT will began work to convert the US 11 (Skyland Boulevard)/SR 69 intersection into a single-point urban interchange (SPUI) in order to improve traffic flow. The project, which is a joint effort between the Tuscaloosa Road Improvement Commission and ALDOT, is expected to cost $89 million and take about three years to complete.

Exit list

|mile=0.00 |exit= |type=concur |road= |notes=Continuation beyond southern terminus; southern end of SR 69 concurrency; eastern end of US 11 concurrency; I-20/I-59 exit 71A |mile=0.39 |exit=— |road= |notes=I-20/I-59 exit 71B; parclo interchange |mile=1.05 |exit=1 |road=Cousette Street |notes=Formerly signed for 35th Street / Kauloosa Avenue}} |mile=2.59 |exit=2 |type=concur |road= |notes=Western end of US 11 concurrency; northbound exit and southbound entrance |type=concur |mile=2.76 |exit= |road= |notes=Northern terminus; northern end of SR 69 concurrency

References

References

1. "Official Highway Map". Alabama Department of Transportation.
2. [[Google Maps]] street maps and [[USGS]] [[topographic map]]s, accessed April 14, 2010 via [http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=33.18196,-87.55855&z=14&t=M ACME Mapper]
3. "Interstate 359/Exit 1 interchange".
4. "Interstate 359/Exit 2 interchange".
5. "Wrong-way concurrency southbound".
6. "Wrong-way concurrency northbound".
7. (January 3, 2024). "ALDOT prepares for ‘flyover bridge’ construction in Tuscaloosa". www.wbrc.com.

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