U.S. Route 431 (US 431), internally designated by the

Alabama Department of Transportation The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) is the government agency responsible for transportation infrastructure in Alabama. The Department is organized into five geographic regions, with a Central Office located in Montgomery, AL Montg ...

(ALDOT) as State Route 1 (SR 1), is a major north–south

state highway A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...

across the eastern part of the U.S. state of

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...

. Although US 431's south end is in Dothan, SR 1 continues south for about along US 231 to the

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

state line.

Route description

SR 1 is primarily the unsigned partner route assigned to US 431.The two routes run concurrently from the southern terminus of US 431 at Dothan to the Tennessee state line. South of Dothan, SR 1 is assigned to US 231. US 231 enters Alabama in Meridianville with US 431. The two routes continue south until it becomes Memorial Parkway. This route is a freeway with Texas U-turns and frontage roads. It junctions with US 72 east. It continues south for about until it junctions with US 72 west. Immediately after this concurrency terminus,

I-565 Interstate 565 (I-565) is a Interstate spur that connects I-65 in Decatur with U.S. Route 72 (US 72) in Huntsville in the US state of Alabama. I-565 serves the cities of Decatur, Madison, and downtown Huntsville. It also prov ...

is featured in another junction as downtown

Huntsville Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in th ...

rises into view to the east. After a parclo with old SR 20/Clinton Avenue, US 431 loses US 231 at its junction with SR 53. It turns onto Governor's Drive and gains unsigned SR 1. It passes by the hub of the

Huntsville Hospital The Huntsville Hospital Health System, also known as Huntsville Hospital, is a public, not-for-profit hospital organization consisting of several sites and buildings originating in the downtown area of Huntsville, Alabama. The Huntsville Hospital ...

system, which runs throughout North Alabama, and begins its journey across Monte Sano mountain. After leaving the mountain range, it has no more major junctions past this point as it loses the Governor's Drive name. It eventually passes into Marshall County. After about of hilly terrain, the route crosses the

Tennessee River The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other name ...

and enters

Guntersville Guntersville (previously known as Gunter's Ferry and later Gunter's Landing) is a city and the county seat of Marshall County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population of the city was 8,553. Guntersville is located in a HUBZ ...

, junctioning with SR 79 north. It continues south and splits into two one-way streets; one for each direction. It junctions with SR 227 and SR 69's termini before losing SR 79 south. It turns almost east-to-west and climbs up Sand Mountain. This grade is so steep that there is a runaway truck ramp northbound. It junctions with SR 205's western terminus and enters

Albertville Albertville (; Arpitan: ''Arbèrtvile'') is a subprefecture of the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Southeastern France. It is best known for hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. In 2018, the commune had ...

. It junctions with SR 75 and leaves the city, entering

Boaz Boaz (; Hebrew: בֹּעַז ''Bōʿaz''; ) is a biblical figure appearing in the Book of Ruth in the Hebrew Bible and in the genealogies of Jesus in the New Testament and also the name of a pillar in the portico of the historic Temple in J ...

and junctioning with SR 205 and SR 179. It then enters Etowah County at Sardis City. It descends into Ridgeville and junctions with SR 77 and almost immediately junctions with US 278 west. These junctions are immediately beside a railroad track. US 278 and US 431 travel concurrently to Attalla. They maintain a short concurrency with US 11. US 278 and US 431 leave US 11 and cross under a notable railroad bridge, known for its low clearance. The routes then junction with Interstate 59 (I-59). They immediately enter into Gadsden and junction with SR 211. US 431 and US 278 junction with US 411 and cross a bridge over the

Coosa River The Coosa River is a tributary of the Alabama River in the U.S. states of Alabama and Georgia. The river is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 27, 201 ...

. The routes junction with George Wallace Drive, which leads to I-759. US 278 leaves US 431 and continues east to Hokes Bluff. US 431 enters Glencoe and crosses into Calhoun County. The route enters into

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by ...

and junctions with SR 204. The route then climbs and descends multiple hills as it enters into

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...

, where it junctions with SR 144. It eventually climbs up a steep hill and gives drivers a great view of Anniston,

Cheaha State Park Cheaha State Park is a public recreation area located in Clay and Cleburne counties in Alabama, USA. The park's include Cheaha Mountain, the highest point in the state. The park adjoins Talladega National Forest and is managed by the Alabama ...

, and some of the highest mountains in Alabama as it descends a steep grade into Anniston. It junctions with SR 21 at another parclo interchange and turns south into

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. The route junctions with US 78 and immediately junctions with

I-20 Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with I-10 in Scroggins Draw, Texas, and ending at an interchange with I-95 in Florence, South Carolina. Betwe ...

. The route merges with I-20 and about , it leaves it, turning south, and immediately enters Cleburne County. The route enters

, and passes through the forest, junctioning with SR 281, which climbs up to the crest of Mount Cheaha, the highest mountain in the state. It leaves the forest and enters Hollis Crossroads, junctioning with SR 9. It enters Randolph County. The route has no major junctions until it enters Wedowee. It junctions with SR 48. It leaves Wedowee as a short four-lane divided highway. It regains its two-laned status and eventually enters Roanoke. Here, it junctions with SR 22. It then enters Chambers County. The route passes through Five Points before crossing into La Fayette. Here, SR 77 returns to the scene as SR 50 has its junction in south La Fayette. In Oak Bowery, US 431 junctions with SR 147. It enters Lee County for about a mile before crossing back into Chambers County. It cuts a corner of Lee County before re-entering into Chambers County for under a mile. It finally enters into Lee County completely, not cutting another corner. It passes through eastern

Opelika Opelika (pronounced ) is a city in and the county seat of Lee County in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Alabama. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 census, the population of Opelika is ...

before reaching a turn and immediately junctioning with

I-85 Interstate 85 (I-85) is a major Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with I-65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus is an interchange with I-95 in Petersburg, Virginia, n ...

, US 29, and US 280. It gains US 280 and continues along a four-lane divided highway into Russell County. The two routes run concurrently with US 80 in western

Phenix City Phenix City is a city in Lee and Russell counties in the U.S. state of Alabama, and the county seat of Russell County. As of the 2020 Census, the population of the city was 38,817. Phenix City lies immediately west across the Chattahoochee Ri ...

. It loses US 80 and then leaves US 280 just short of the

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

line at the

Chattahoochee River The Chattahoochee River forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida - Georgia border. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chatt ...

. In rural Russell County, the route junctions with SR 165. In Seale, it junctions with SR 26. It passes through Pittsview. It then crosses the line into Barbour County. The route junctions again with SR 165 and crosses a fork of the Chattahoochee River. It enters Eufaula and junctions with US 82 west. Just before the route can cross the river into Georgia, it loses US 82 and moves away from the state line. In rural Barbour County, the route junctions with SR 30, SR 131, and SR 95, also crossing multiple forks of the Chattahoochee River, but not crossing the state line. It crosses the line into Henry County. It moves farther away from the state line as it enters

Abbeville Abbeville (, vls, Abbekerke, pcd, Advile) is a commune in the Somme department and in Hauts-de-France region in northern France. It is the chef-lieu of one of the arrondissements of Somme. Located on the river Somme, it was the capital of ...

. It junctions with SR 10 and SR 27. It makes the long journey through straight terrain down to

Headland A headland, also known as a head, is a coastal landform, a point of land usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends into a body of water. It is a type of promontory. A headland of considerable size often is called a cape.Whittow, J ...

. It junctions with SR 134 and leaves the city. It then enters Houston County. The route has entered the

Dothan Metropolitan Area The Dothan Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of Geneva, Henry, and Houston counties in southeastern Alabama, anchored by the city of Dothan, county seat of Houston County. As of t ...

. The route eventually reaches the Ross Clark Circle, which is US 84 at this point. It joins it as it passes through east Dothan. It loses US 84 and continues southwest independently with SR 210, the Ross Clark Circle. It junctions with SR 53 once again as it nears its southern terminus. The beltway turns to the northwest and junctions with US 231 and US 231 Bus. and US 431 Bus., both of which pass through Dothan. SR 1 turns south with US 231, The two business routes end, and US 431 ultimately ends its long journey across east Alabama. US 431 is a very important route throughout east Alabama, and is traversed by many people alongside US 231 and

I-65 Interstate 65 (I-65) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates ending in 5, it is a major crosscountry, north–south route, connecting between the Great Lakes and the Gulf ...

History

Four-lane routing

One of the criticisms of US 431 in its entirety from Kentucky to Alabama was that it was mainly a two-lane road. ALDOT has prioritized four-laning the route in Alabama as a viable north–south road corridor in the eastern part of the state. OldUS431

Of particular concern was the segment from Seale south to the Barbour County line, where rolling hills along the original alignment limit the visibility of oncoming traffic, contributing to poor decisions by motorists to pass, resulting in numerous head-on collisions. In this segment alone, 31 people were killed in crashes between 1992 and 2006, leading ''

Reader's Digest ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wif ...

'' to proclaim it one of "America's Deadliest Highways" in 2000. After being contacted by and subsequently meeting the family of a fatal crash victim in 2003, ALDOT Director Joe McInnes decided to expedite the construction on the last remaining stretch of two-lane road between Seale and the Barbour County line. This section was completed and opened in late 2010. The old alignment in Russell County is still open to traffic and is now labeled County Route 137. Traveling south from Tennessee, as of mid-2009, US 431 is a four-lane route to Oxford. Then, after diverting from

east of Oxford at exit 191, it reverts to a two-lane highway southward to Opelika, with a brief four-lane stretch just south of Wedowee. From Opelika southward to its southern terminus in Dothan, US 431 is now open as a four-lane highway.

Anniston Eastern Bypass

The Anniston Eastern Bypass, officially named the McClellan Veterans Parkway, is a realigned US 431, east of downtown Anniston and downtown

. Since the early 1990s, bypasses have been planned on both sides of town to alleviate traffic on

Quintard Avenue Anniston is the county seat of Calhoun County, Alabama, Calhoun County in Alabama and is one of two urban centers/principal cities of and included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Area, Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of th ...

, the main north–south traffic artery in the region. Despite being planned for years, construction did not begin until after receiving funding in a 2009 economic stimulus bill. Prior to the start of construction, archeological work on part of the route that passed through

Fort McClellan Fort McClellan, originally Camp McClellan, is a decommissioned United States Army post located adjacent to the city of Anniston, Alabama. During World War II, it was one of the largest U.S. Army installations, training an estimated half-million tr ...

located Native American spearpoints and an

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

homestead. The bypass runs from

exit 188 (Leon Smith Parkway), following the Golden Springs Road northwards, and cross the Choccolocco Foothills, then crosses over SR 21/McClellan Boulevard. It is complete from McIntosh Road to where the former alignment of US 431 merged with SR 21 which was resconstructed. The northern portion, which began construction in 2010, is built with two at-grade intersections (McClellan Bypass and Summerall Road) and one trumpet interchange ( SR 21/McClellan Boulevard). Much development has been the result of this highway in the past decade along I-20 in Oxford and it is regarded as a way to redevelop McClellan as well as north Anniston. The total cost of the project was $164 million; the final stretch of the road to be constructed is complete as of December 2015, and work on the US 431 tie-in continued into 2016 before completion. US 431 follows this route from I-20 northward.

Major intersections

References

External links