U.S. Route 280 (US 280) is a spur of U.S. Highway 80. It currently runs for 392 miles (631 km) from Blitchton, Georgia, at US 80 to Birmingham, Alabama at I-20/I-59. For much of its route, US 280 travels through rural areas and smaller cities in southern Georgia and east central Alabama. Once the highway approaches Birmingham, it is a major suburban route. Numerous shopping centers are located on US 280 throughout northern Shelby County and southern Jefferson County.
 U.S. Route 280 | |
|---|---|
 US 280 highlighted in red | |
| Route information | |
| Auxiliary route of US 80 | |
| Maintained by ALDOT and GDOT | |
| Length | 392 mi[citation needed] (631 km) |
| Existed | January 1954[1]–present |
| Major junctions | |
| West end |    I-20 / I-59 / US 31 in Birmingham, AL |
| |
| East end |    US 80 / SR 26 / SR 30 in Blitchton, GA |
| 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 | |
US 280 is the main connector between Birmingham, AL and Auburn, AL, and this stretch is sometimes known as the “War Eagle Highway.“[2]
Through Talladega County, Alabama, US 280 is known as the Jim Nabors Highway, in honor of the Sylacauga, Alabama, native known for portraying the television character Gomer 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, including Goodwater, Jackson's Gap, Camp Hill and Waverly.
In Georgia, US 280 from Columbus to I-16 is also a Governor's Road Improvement Program (GRIP) corridor known as "Power Alley".[3]
Route description
edit
Alabama
editUS 280 terminates concurrently with U.S. 31 at I-20/I-59. US 31 continues onward at this point. The route continues through downtown Birmingham with US 31. They junction with US 11 and US 78 and climb over Red Mountain into Mtn. Brook as a section of highway called the Red Mountain Expressway. Here, US 280 splits off of US 31 at a highly complex interchange with elements of a Directional-T and a Parclo.
It continues on somewhat of a freeway through Mtn. Brook, eventually reaching The Summit, a huge outdoor mall. It also junctions with I-459 at this point, at a Parclo-like interchange which is being modified to better suit traffic.[4]
The route continues through one of the more developed areas of east Birmingham and eventually climbs over Double Oak Mountain into Shelby County and Chelsea. It continues east to Harpersville, which is home to its junction with US 231 north and SR 25. US 280 continues with US 231 until it reaches the Coosa River, which it crosses into Talladega County. It eventually reaches Sylacauga, which is home to its junction with US 231 south and SR 21. This specific junction is a diamond interchange, commonly used on freeways.
The route continues south-east through northern Coosa County until it has another diamond interchange with SR 9. It then passes through Kellyton, which is home to its minor junction with SR 115.
It crosses into Tallapoosa County just before entering Alexander City, which is home to Russell Athletic. US 280 junctions with SR 22 and SR 63 in the city. It then proceeds through slightly hilly terrain to Dadeville. It junctions with SR 49, which connects the route to the Talladega National Forest/Cheaha State Park. It leaves Dadeville, promptly enters Camp Hill, junctions with SR 50, and enters the southwestern corner of Chambers County, and then crosses into Lee County.
The route then reaches The Bottle, which is named for the bright orange wooden replica of a Nehi soda bottle which stood in the location from 1924 to 1936. It crosses into Auburn, which is barely skimmed by US 280 as it then crosses into nearby Opelika. The route junctions with US 29/I-85. It joins the freeway with them and continues through I-85's junction with SR 51. It then splits off of the road with US 431. It continues on a heavily traveled road into Russell County, and eventually to Phenix City, which is actually in the Eastern Time Zone due to its close proximity with Columbus, Georgia across the Chattahoochee River. It junctions with US 80. The route then leaves US 431 behind and crosses the Chattahoochee River, leaving Alabama and entering Georgia in Columbus. US 280 has a length of 141.356 miles (227.490 km) in Alabama.[5]
US 280 has the unsigned designation of State Route 38 (SR 38) throughout its length in Alabama.
Georgia
editUS 280 begins in Georgia at the state's border with Alabama in Columbus. There it is paired with State Route 520 and U.S. Route 27. It maintains this designation as it passes through Fort Benning. Upon arriving in Cusseta, US 280/GA 520 diverge from US 27 and continue southeast to Richland, where US 280 splits off from GA 520. From here, US 280 continues on its own east, passing through Plains (the boyhood home of Jimmy Carter) and becomes cosigned with State Route 30 in Americus. US 280/SR 30 then continue east-southeast, crossing I-75 in Cordele, still continuing east through mainly rural areas of the southern portion of the state, passing through smaller towns such as McRae–Helena, Mount Vernon, Vidalia, and Pembroke. The highway then turns to the northeast as it leaves Pembroke, crossing I-16 at exit 143. Still continuing northeast, the highway then terminates in Blichton at U.S. Route 80.
National Highway System
editExcept for the easternmost portion between I-16 and the eastern terminus, the entire length of US 280 is part of the National Highway System, a system of routes determined to be the most important for the nation's economy, mobility, and defense.[6][7][8][9][10]
History
editPrior to the completion of the Elton B. Stephens Expressway in Birmingham, US 31, US 78, and US 280 traveled concurrently until they intersected US 11 at the intersection of 1st Avenue North and 24th Street.
Major intersections
editThis section is missing mileposts for junctions. |
| State | County | Location | mi[5] | km | Destinations | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Jefferson | Birmingham | 0.000 | 0.000 |  I-20 / I-59 / US 31 north (Carraway Boulevard / SR 3) – Tuscaloosa, Atlanta, Gadsden | 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 |  US 11 (1st Avenue North / SR 7) | Westbound exit only | |||||
| 1.245 | 2.004 |  US 78 (3rd–4th Avenue South / SR 4) | ||||||
| 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 |  US 31 south (SR 3 south) / SR 38 east / Rosedale Drive – Montgomery, Homewood | Eastern end of US 31/SR 3 concurrency; western end of SR 38 concurrency; western terminus of SR 38 | ||||
| Birmingham–Homewood line | Hollywood Boulevard – Mountain Brook, Birmingham Zoo–Gardens | Eastern end of freeway | ||||||
| Mountain Brook | 4.737 | 7.623 |  SR 149 – Homewood, Mountain Brook, Samford University | Interchange | ||||
| Mountain Brook | Pump House Road – Cahaba Heights | Interchange | ||||||
| Birmingham | 7.899 | 12.712 |  I-459 – Atlanta, Gadsden, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa | I-459 exit 19 | ||||
| Colonnade Drive | Interchange | |||||||
| Shelby | Hoover | 11.819 | 19.021 |  SR 119 (Cahaba Valley Road) – Leeds, Oak Mountain State Park, Lake Purdy | ||||
| Harpersville | 29.431 | 47.365 |   US 231 north (SR 53 north) / SR 25 – Vincent, Wilsonville, Pell City | Western end of US 231/SR 53 concurrency | ||||
| Harpersville | 34.437 | 55.421 |   SR 76 west (Klein Road) – Columbiana, Montevallo | Western end of SR 76 concurrency | ||||
| Talladega | Childersburg | 35.523 | 57.169 |  SR 235 north (Coosa Pines Road) | Southern terminus of SR 235 | |||
| 36.109 | 58.112 |    SR 76 east (1st Street) / CR 008 west – Childersburg, Fayetteville, Kymulga Covered Bridge and Grist Mill, Talladega College Historic District, DeSoto Caverns | Eastern end of SR 76 concurrency; eastern terminus of CR 008 | |||||
| Sylacauga | 47.310 | 76.138 |  US 231 south (SR 53) / SR 21 – Sylacauga, Montgomery | Eastern end of US 231/SR 53 concurrency; interchange | ||||
| Coosa | Socapatoy | 63.362 | 101.971 |  SR 9 – Wetumpka, Goodwater | Interchange | |||
| Kellyton | 65.221 | 104.963 |  SR 115 south / Firehouse Road – Kellyton | Northern terminus of SR 115 | ||||
| Tallapoosa | Alexander City | 70.096 | 112.809 |  SR 22 west (Rockford Highway) – Rockford, Historic Downtown Alexander City, Charles E. Bailey Sportplex | Western end of SR 22 concurrency | |||
| 71.788 | 115.532 |  SR 22 east / SR 63 (Cherokee Road) – Alex City, Eclectic, Central Alabama Community College, Wind Creek State Park, Historic Downtown Alexander City | Eastern end of SR 22 concurrency | |||||
| Dadeville | 83.501 | 134.382 |  SR 49 north (Horseshoe Bend Road) – New Site, Horseshoe Bend National Military Park | Western end of SR 49 concurrency | ||||
| 84.821 | 136.506 | SR 49 south (North Broadnax Street) – Dadeville Business District, StillWaters, Tallapoosa County Historical Museum | Eastern end of SR 49 concurrency | |||||
| Camp Hill |   SR 50 east / CR 34 west – Camp Hill, Lyman Ward, StillWaters, Camp Hill Business District | Western end of SR 50 concurrency; eastern terminus of CR 34 | ||||||
| 91.488 | 147.236 | SR 50 west – Lyman Ward, Girls Ranch | Eastern end of SR 50 concurrency | |||||
| Chambers |
No major junctions | |||||||
| Lee | Auburn | 104.511 | 168.194 |  SR 147 north (Heath Road) – LaFayette | Western end of SR 147 concurrency | |||
| The Bottle | 104.911 | 168.838 | SR 147 south (North College Street) – Auburn | Eastern end of SR 147 concurrency | ||||
| Opelika | 110.241 | 177.416 | Pepperell Parkway | Former US 29 | ||||
| 111.851 | 180.007 |    I-85 south / US 29 south (SR 15) – Montgomery | Western end of I-85/US 29/SR 15 concurrency; US 280 west follows exit 58. | |||||
| 113.871 | 183.258 |    SR 51 to SR 169 – Opelika, Hurtsboro | I-85 exit 60 | |||||
| 115.294 | 185.548 |   I-85 north / US 29 north (SR 15) / US 431 north (Columbus Parkway / SR 1) – Atlanta, Opelika, Southern Union State Community College | 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 |   US 80 east (SR 8) to I-185 – Columbus | Western end of US 80/SR 8 concurrency | |||
| 138.598 | 223.052 | US 80 west (Crawford Road / SR 8) – Montgomery | Eastern end of US 80/SR 8 concurrency | |||||
| 140.466 | 226.058 | US 431 south (SR 1) – Eufaula, Dothan | 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–Georgia state line | |||||
| Georgia | Muscogee | Columbus |    US 27 north / SR 1 north (Veterans Parkway) – Hamilton, Waverly Hall, Airport | Western end of US 27/SR 1 concurrency | ||||
| See SR 520 (mile 0.0-35.1) | ||||||||
| Stewart | Richland |    SR 520 east / SR 27 west – Dawson, Lumpkin | Eastern end of SR 520 concurrency; western end of SR 27 concurrency | |||||
| Webster | Preston |  SR 41 south (Washington Street) – Weston, Dawson | Western end of SR 41 concurrency | |||||
| SR 41 north (Cass Street) – Buena Vista, Ellaville | Eastern end of SR 41 concurrency | |||||||
| Sumter | Plains |   SR 45 south (Bond Street) to SR 308 – Dawson, Jimmy Carter National Historic Site | Northern terminus of SR 45 | |||||
| |  SR 49 south – Dawson | Western end of SR 49 concurrency | ||||||
| |   US 19 south / SR 3 south / Spring Street – Albany | Western end of US 19/SR 3 concurrency | ||||||
| Americus | US 19 north / SR 3 north / SR 30 west (South MLK Boulevard) – Ellaville, Buena Vista | Eastern end of US 19/SR 3 concurrency; western end of SR 30 concurrency | ||||||
 SR 377 south (Lee Street) | Northern terminus of SR 377 | |||||||
| SR 49 north (Tripp Street / Crawford Street) – Oglethorpe, Andersonville, Andersonville National Historic Site, Airport, South Georgia Technical College, Georgia Southwestern State University | Eastern end of SR 49 concurrency | |||||||
| SR 27 east (Vienna Road) – Vienna | Eastern end of SR 27 concurrency | |||||||
| Leslie |   SR 118 south / SR 195 south (Bailey Avenue) – Leesburg, Smithville, Georgia Rural Telephone Museum | Western end of SR 195 concurrency; northern terminus of SR 118 | ||||||
| De Soto | SR 195 north – Andersonville | Eastern end of SR 195 concurrency | ||||||
| Crisp | |  SR 300 Conn. south – Albany, Camilla | Northern terminus of SR 300 Conn. | |||||
| Cordele |     I-75 BL / US 41 / SR 7 north (7th Street) / SR 90 – Vienna, Ashburn, Historic Downtown Cordele | Western end of SR 90 concurrency | ||||||
  I-75 (SR 401) to SR 300 – Macon, Valdosta, Albany | I-75 exit 101 | |||||||
| SR 90 south – Rebecca | Eastern end of SR 90 concurrency | |||||||
| Wilcox | Pitts |  SR 159 south (10th Street) – Rebecca, Ashburn | Northern terminus of SR 159 | |||||
 SR 215 north (8th Street) – Vienna | Western end of SR 215 concurrency | |||||||
| Rochelle |   SR 112 / SR 233 (Ashley Street) – Hawkinsville, Rebecca | |||||||
| SR 215 south (Gordon Street) – Fitzgerald | Eastern end of SR 215 concurrency | |||||||
| Abbeville |   US 129 / SR 11 (Broad Street) – Hawkinsville, Fitzgerald, Wilcox State Prison | |||||||
| Dodge | |  SR 87 north (Abbeville Highway) – Eastman, Hawkinsville | Southern terminus of SR 87 | |||||
| Rhine |   SR 117 / SR 165 north (Central Street) – Eastman, Jacksonville | Western end of SR 165 concurrency | ||||||
| Telfair | Milan | SR 165 south (Mt. Zion Street) | Eastern end of SR 165 concurrency | |||||
| McRae-Helena |    US 319 south / US 441 south / SR 31 south – Fitzgerald, Douglas | Western end of US 319/US 441/SR 31 concurrency | ||||||
  US 23 south / US 341 south / SR 27 south (Oak Street) – Hazlehurst | Southbound lanes of US 23/US 341/SR 27 on one-way pair | |||||||
| US 23 north / US 341 north / SR 27 north – Eastman | Northbound lanes of US 23/US 341/SR 27 on one-way pair | |||||||
| Wheeler | | US 319 north / US 441 north / SR 31 north – Dublin, Little Ocmulgee State Park & Lodge | Eastern end of US 319/US 441/SR 31 concurrency | |||||
| |  SR 149 south – Scotland | Northern terminus of SR 149 | ||||||
| Alamo |  SR 126 (Commerce Street) – Cadwell, Lumber City | |||||||
| Glenwood |  SR 19 (2nd Street) – Dublin, Lumber City | |||||||
| Montgomery | Mount Vernon |    US 221 / SR 56 (Railroad Avenue) to I-16 – Soperton, Uvalda | ||||||
| Ailey | Broad Street | Former SR 227 north | ||||||
| Higgston |    SR 15 north / SR 29 north / SR 135 south (James Street) to I-16 – Tarrytown, Soperton, Uvalda | Western end of SR 15/SR 29 concurrency; northern terminus of SR 135 | ||||||
| Toombs | Vidalia |  SR 130 (Adams Street) – Uvalda | ||||||
| SR 15 south / SR 29 south (Jackson Street) – Baxley | Eastern end of SR 15/SR 29 concurrency | |||||||
| Lyons |   US 1 / SR 4 (South State Street) to I-16 – Swainsboro, Baxley | |||||||
| |  SR 86 west – Oak Park | Eastern terminus of SR 86 | ||||||
| Tattnall | Reidsville | SR 56 west (Shepards Bridge Road) – Uvalda | Eastern terminus of SR 56 | |||||
 SR 147 west (Tattnall Street) – State Prison | Eastern terminus of SR 147 | |||||||
   SR 23 / SR 57 / SR 121 (Main Street) to I-16 – Metter, Glennville | ||||||||
| Evans | Bellville |  SR 169 (Smith Street) to I-16 – Bellville, Jesup | ||||||
| |  SR 292 west – Manassas | Eastern terminus of SR 292 | ||||||
| Claxton |  SR 129 north (Ralph Street) – Metter | Western end of SR 129 concurrency | ||||||
  US 25 / US 301 (Duval Street / SR 73) – Statesboro, Glennville | ||||||||
| SR 129 south (River Street) | Eastern end of SR 129 concurrency | |||||||
| Bryan | Pembroke |   SR 67 north / SR 119 south (Main Street) to I-16 | Western end of SR 67/SR 119 concurrency | |||||
| SR 67 south / SR 119 north (College Street) to I-16 – Springfield | Eastern end of SR 67/SR 119 concurrency | |||||||
| Lanier |   SR 204 east to I-95 – Ellabell | Western terminus of SR 204 | ||||||
| | I-16 (SR 404) – Macon, Savannah | I-16 exit 143 | ||||||
| Blitchton | US 80 / SR 26 / SR 30 east – Statesboro, Savannah | 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. Retrieved December 21, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Art department has new head". Auburn Plainsman. October 2, 1970. p. 2.
- ^ "Governor's Road Improvement Program (GRIP)". Georgia Department of Transportation. 2012. Archived from the original on February 20, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
- ^ Paepcke, Jon (January 24, 2019). "Improved I-459 ramp to U.S. 280 set to open in Birmingham" – via www.wvtm13.com.
- ^ a b Alabama Department of Transportation. "Milepost Maps". Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2011-11-23.
- 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. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
- ^ National Highway System: Birmingham, AL (PDF) (Map). Federal Highway Administration. May 9, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
- ^ National Highway System: Auburn, AL (PDF) (Map). Federal Highway Administration. May 9, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
- ^ National Highway System: Georgia (PDF) (Map). Federal Highway Administration. May 8, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
- ^ National Highway System: Columbus, GA (PDF) (Map). Federal Highway Administration. May 9, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
