U.S. Route 280
US 280 highlighted in red | |
Route information | |
Auxiliary route ofUS 80 | |
Maintained byALDOTandGDOT | |
Length | 392 mi[citation needed](631 km) |
Existed | January 1954[1]–present |
Major junctions | |
West end | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
East end | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Location | |
Country | United States |
States | Alabama,Georgia |
Counties | AL:Jefferson,Shelby,Talladega,Coosa,Tallapoosa,Chambers,Lee,Russell GA:Muscogee,Stewart,Webster,Sumter,Crisp,Wilcox,Dodge,Telfair,Wheeler,Montgomery,Toombs,Tattnall,Evans,Bryan |
Highway system | |
U.S. Route 280(US 280) is a spur ofU.S. Highway 80.It currently runs for 392 miles (631 km) fromBlitchton, Georgia,at US 80 toBirmingham, AlabamaatI-20/I-59.For much of its route, US 280 travels through rural areas and smaller cities in southernGeorgiaand east centralAlabama.Once the highway approaches Birmingham, it is a major suburban route. Numerousshopping centersare located on US 280 throughout northernShelby Countyand southernJefferson County.
US 280 is the main connector betweenBirmingham, ALandAuburn, AL.
Through Talladega County, Alabama, US 280 is known as theJim NaborsHighway, in honor of theSylacauga, Alabama,native known for portraying the television characterGomer Pyle.The historical designation of US-280 and Alabama SR 38 is the Florida Short Route.
For many years, US 280 and SR 38 was considered one of the more dangerous routes in Alabama, due to the number of large stretches of narrow two-lane roadway leading southeastwardly from Birmingham. Work was completed in 2006 making US 280 a four-lane highway throughout the entire state of Alabama. This project began in the 1970s. As a result, US 280 now bypasses numerous small towns in east Alabama, includingGoodwater,Jackson's Gap,Camp HillandWaverly.
In Georgia, US 280 fromColumbustoI-16is also aGovernor's Road Improvement Program(GRIP) corridor known as "Power Alley".[2]
Route description
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/U.S._Route_280_western_terminus_at_Interstates_20_%26_59_in_Birmingham.jpg/220px-U.S._Route_280_western_terminus_at_Interstates_20_%26_59_in_Birmingham.jpg)
Alabama
[edit]US 280 terminates concurrently withU.S. 31atI-20/I-59.US 31 continues onward at this point. The route continues through downtownBirminghamwith US 31. They junction withUS 11andUS 78and climb over Red Mountain intoMtn. Brookas a section of highway called the Red Mountain Expressway. Here, US 280 splits off of US 31 at a highly complexinterchangewith elements of a Directional-T and aParclo.
It continues on somewhat of a freeway through Mtn. Brook, eventually reachingThe Summit,a huge outdoor mall. It also junctions withI-459at this point, at a Parclo-like interchange which is being modified to better suit traffic.[3]
The route continues through one of the more developed areas of east Birmingham and eventually climbs over Double Oak Mountain intoShelby CountyandChelsea.It continues east toHarpersville,which is home to its junction withUS 231north andSR 25.US 280 continues with US 231 until it reaches theCoosa River,which it crosses intoTalladega County.It eventually reachesSylacauga,which is home to its junction with US 231 south andSR 21.This specific junction is a diamond interchange, commonly used on freeways.
The route continues south-east through northernCoosa Countyuntil it has another diamond interchange withSR 9.It then passes throughKellyton,which is home to its minor junction withSR 115.
It crosses intoTallapoosa Countyjust before enteringAlexander City,which is home toRussell Athletic.US 280 junctions withSR 22andSR 63in the city. It then proceeds through slightly hilly terrain toDadeville.It junctions withSR 49,which connects the route to theTalladega National Forest/Cheaha State Park.It leaves Dadeville, promptly entersCamp Hill,junctions withSR 50,and enters the southwestern corner ofChambers County,and then crosses intoLee County.
The route then reachesThe Bottle,which is named for the bright orange wooden replica of aNehisoda bottle which stood in the location from 1924 to 1936. It crosses intoAuburn,which is barely skimmed by US 280 as it then crosses into nearbyOpelika.The route junctions withUS 29/I-85.It joins the freeway with them and continues through I-85's junction withSR 51.It then splits off of the road withUS 431.It continues on a heavily traveled road intoRussell County,and eventually toPhenix City,which is actually in theEastern Time Zonedue to its close proximity withColumbus, Georgiaacross theChattahoochee River.It junctions withUS 80.The route then leaves US 431 behind and crosses the Chattahoochee River, leaving Alabama and enteringGeorgiain Columbus. US 280 has a length of 141.356 miles (227.490 km) in Alabama.[4]
US 280 has the unsigned designation ofState Route 38(SR 38) throughout its length in Alabama.
Georgia
[edit]US 280 begins in Georgia at the state's border withAlabamainColumbus.There it is paired withState Route 520andU.S. Route 27.It maintains this designation as it passes throughFort Benning.Upon arriving inCusseta,US 280/GA 520 diverge from US 27 and continue southeast toRichland,where US 280 splits off from GA 520. From here, US 280 continues on its own east, passing throughPlains(the boyhood home ofJimmy Carter) and becomes cosigned withState Route 30inAmericus.US 280/SR 30 then continue east-southeast, crossingI-75inCordele,still continuing east through mainly rural areas of the southern portion of the state, passing through smaller towns such asMcRae–Helena,Mount Vernon,Vidalia,andPembroke.The highway then turns to the northeast as it leaves Pembroke, crossingI-16at exit 143. Still continuing northeast, the highway then terminates inBlichtonatU.S. Route 80.
National Highway System
[edit]Except for the easternmost portion between I-16 and the eastern terminus, the entire length of US 280 is part of theNational Highway System,a system of routes determined to be the most important for the nation's economy, mobility, and defense.[5][6][7][8][9]
History
[edit]Prior to the completion of theElton B. Stephens Expresswayin Birmingham, US 31, US 78, and US 280 traveled concurrently until they intersectedUS 11at the intersection of 1st Avenue North and 24th Street.
Major intersections
[edit]![]() | This section ismissing mileposts for junctions. |
State | County | Location | mi[4] | km | Destinations | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | Jefferson | Birmingham | 0.000 | 0.000 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Western terminus; western end of US 31/SR 3 concurrency; I-20/I-59 exit 126A | ||
0.729 | 1.173 | 2nd Avenue North | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | |||||
0.835 | 1.344 | ![]() | Westbound exit only | |||||
1.245 | 2.004 | ![]() | ||||||
1.598 | 2.572 | University Boulevard | ||||||
Highland Avenue / Arlington Avenue | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | |||||||
21st Avenue South | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | |||||||
Homewood | 3.331 | 5.361 | ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of US 31/SR 3 concurrency; western end of SR 38 concurrency; western terminus of SR 38 | ||||
Birmingham–Homewoodline | Hollywood Boulevard –Mountain Brook,Birmingham Zoo–Gardens | Eastern end of freeway | ||||||
Mountain Brook | 4.737 | 7.623 | ![]() | Interchange | ||||
Mountain Brook | Pump House Road –Cahaba Heights | Interchange | ||||||
Birmingham | 7.899 | 12.712 | ![]() | I-459 exit 19 | ||||
Colonnade Drive | Interchange | |||||||
Shelby | Hoover | 11.819 | 19.021 | ![]() | ||||
Harpersville | 29.431 | 47.365 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Western end of US 231/SR 53 concurrency | ||||
Harpersville | 34.437 | 55.421 | ![]() ![]() | Western end of SR 76 concurrency | ||||
Talladega | Childersburg | 35.523 | 57.169 | ![]() ![]() | Southern terminus of SR 235 | |||
36.109 | 58.112 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of SR 76 concurrency; eastern terminus of CR 008 | |||||
Sylacauga | 47.310 | 76.138 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of US 231/SR 53 concurrency; interchange | ||||
Coosa | Socapatoy | 63.362 | 101.971 | ![]() | Interchange | |||
Kellyton | 65.221 | 104.963 | ![]() ![]() | Northern terminus of SR 115 | ||||
Tallapoosa | Alexander City | 70.096 | 112.809 | ![]() ![]() | Western end of SR 22 concurrency | |||
71.788 | 115.532 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of SR 22 concurrency | |||||
Dadeville | 83.501 | 134.382 | ![]() ![]() | Western end of SR 49 concurrency | ||||
84.821 | 136.506 | ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of SR 49 concurrency | |||||
Camp Hill | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Western end of SR 50 concurrency; eastern terminus of CR 34 | ||||||
91.488 | 147.236 | ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of SR 50 concurrency | |||||
Chambers |
No major junctions | |||||||
Lee | Auburn | 104.511 | 168.194 | ![]() ![]() | Western end of SR 147 concurrency | |||
The Bottle | 104.911 | 168.838 | ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of SR 147 concurrency | ||||
Opelika | 110.241 | 177.416 | Pepperell Parkway | FormerUS 29 | ||||
111.851 | 180.007 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Western end of I-85/US 29/SR 15 concurrency; US 280 west follows exit 58. | |||||
113.871 | 183.258 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | I-85 exit 60 | |||||
115.294 | 185.548 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of I-85/US 29/SR 15 concurrency; western end of US 431/SR 1 concurrency; US 280 east follows exit 62. | |||||
Russell | Phenix City | 137.659 | 221.541 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Western end of US 80/SR 8 concurrency | |||
138.598 | 223.052 | ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of US 80/SR 8 concurrency | |||||
140.466 | 226.058 | ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of US 431/SR 1 concurrency; interchange | |||||
Colin L. Powell Parkway / Seale Road | Interchange | |||||||
Chattahoochee River | 141.356 0.0 | 227.490 0.0 | Oglethorpe Bridge;Alabama–Georgiastate line | |||||
Georgia | Muscogee | Columbus | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Western end of US 27/SR 1 concurrency | ||||
SeeSR 520(mile 0.0-35.1) | ||||||||
Stewart | Richland | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of SR 520 concurrency; western end of SR 27 concurrency | |||||
Webster | Preston | ![]() ![]() | Western end of SR 41 concurrency | |||||
![]() ![]() | Eastern end of SR 41 concurrency | |||||||
Sumter | Plains | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Northern terminus of SR 45 | |||||
| ![]() ![]() | Western end of SR 49 concurrency | ||||||
| ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Western end of US 19/SR 3 concurrency | ||||||
Americus | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of US 19/SR 3 concurrency; western end of SR 30 concurrency | ||||||
![]() ![]() | Northern terminus of SR 377 | |||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of SR 49 concurrency | |||||||
![]() ![]() | Eastern end of SR 27 concurrency | |||||||
Leslie | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Western end of SR 195 concurrency; northern terminus of SR 118 | ||||||
De Soto | ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of SR 195 concurrency | ||||||
Crisp | | ![]() ![]() | Northern terminus of SR 300 Conn. | |||||
Cordele | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Western end of SR 90 concurrency | ||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() | I-75 exit 101 | |||||||
![]() ![]() | Eastern end of SR 90 concurrency | |||||||
Wilcox | Pitts | ![]() ![]() | Northern terminus of SR 159 | |||||
![]() ![]() | Western end of SR 215 concurrency | |||||||
Rochelle | ![]() ![]() | |||||||
![]() ![]() | Eastern end of SR 215 concurrency | |||||||
Abbeville | ![]() ![]() | |||||||
Dodge | | ![]() ![]() | Southern terminus of SR 87 | |||||
Rhine | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Western end of SR 165 concurrency | ||||||
Telfair | Milan | ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of SR 165 concurrency | |||||
McRae-Helena | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Western end of US 319/US 441/SR 31 concurrency | ||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Southbound lanes of US 23/US 341/SR 27 onone-way pair | |||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Northbound lanes of US 23/US 341/SR 27 on one-way pair | |||||||
Wheeler | | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of US 319/US 441/SR 31 concurrency | |||||
| ![]() ![]() | Northern terminus of SR 149 | ||||||
Alamo | ![]() | |||||||
Glenwood | ![]() | |||||||
Montgomery | Mount Vernon | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Ailey | Broad Street | FormerSR 227north | ||||||
Higgston | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Western end of SR 15/SR 29 concurrency; northern terminus of SR 135 | ||||||
Toombs | Vidalia | ![]() | ||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of SR 15/SR 29 concurrency | |||||||
Lyons | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |||||||
| ![]() ![]() | Eastern terminus of SR 86 | ||||||
Tattnall | Reidsville | ![]() ![]() | Eastern terminus of SR 56 | |||||
![]() ![]() | Eastern terminus of SR 147 | |||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||||
Evans | Bellville | ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||
| ![]() ![]() | Eastern terminus of SR 292 | ||||||
Claxton | ![]() ![]() | Western end of SR 129 concurrency | ||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||||
![]() ![]() | Eastern end of SR 129 concurrency | |||||||
Bryan | Pembroke | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Western end of SR 67/SR 119 concurrency | |||||
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of SR 67/SR 119 concurrency | |||||||
Lanier | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Western terminus of SR 204 | ||||||
| ![]() | I-16 exit 143 | ||||||
Blitchton | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Eastern terminus; eastern end of SR 30 concurrency; former US 280 east | ||||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
|
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"U.S. 431, U.S. 280 Markers Now Up".The Opelika Daily News.Opelika, Alabama.January 26, 1954. p. 1.RetrievedDecember 21,2019– via Newspapers.com.
- ^"Governor's Road Improvement Program (GRIP)".Georgia Department of Transportation.2012. Archived fromthe originalon February 20, 2014.RetrievedFebruary 24,2014.
- ^Paepcke, Jon (January 24, 2019)."Improved I-459 ramp to U.S. 280 set to open in Birmingham"– via www.wvtm13.com.
- ^abAlabama Department of Transportation."Milepost Maps".Archived fromthe originalon 2011-07-27.Retrieved2011-11-23.
- Jefferson County(PDF)
- Shelby County(PDF)
- Talladega County(PDF)
- Coosa County(PDF)
- Tallapoosa County(PDF)
- Chambers County(PDF)
- Lee County(PDF)
- Russell County(PDF)
- ^National Highway System: Alabama(PDF)(Map).Federal Highway Administration.May 8, 2019.RetrievedAugust 15,2019.
- ^National Highway System: Birmingham, AL(PDF)(Map). Federal Highway Administration. May 9, 2019.RetrievedAugust 15,2019.
- ^National Highway System: Auburn, AL(PDF)(Map). Federal Highway Administration. May 9, 2019.RetrievedAugust 15,2019.
- ^National Highway System: Georgia(PDF)(Map). Federal Highway Administration. May 8, 2019.RetrievedAugust 15,2019.
- ^National Highway System: Columbus, GA(PDF)(Map). Federal Highway Administration. May 9, 2019.RetrievedAugust 15,2019.
External links
[edit]- United States Numbered Highway System
- U.S. Highways in Georgia (U.S. state)
- U.S. Highways in Alabama
- U.S. Route 80
- Transportation in Jefferson County, Alabama
- Transportation in Shelby County, Alabama
- Transportation in Talladega County, Alabama
- Transportation in Coosa County, Alabama
- Transportation in Tallapoosa County, Alabama
- Transportation in Chambers County, Alabama
- Transportation in Lee County, Alabama
- Transportation in Russell County, Alabama
- Transportation in Muscogee County, Georgia
- Transportation in Stewart County, Georgia
- Transportation in Webster County, Georgia
- Transportation in Sumter County, Georgia
- Transportation in Crisp County, Georgia
- Transportation in Wilcox County, Georgia
- Transportation in Dodge County, Georgia
- Transportation in Telfair County, Georgia
- Transportation in Wheeler County, Georgia
- Transportation in Montgomery County, Georgia
- Transportation in Toombs County, Georgia
- Transportation in Tattnall County, Georgia
- Transportation in Evans County, Georgia
- Transportation in Bryan County, Georgia