Interstate 165 (I-165) is a spur from
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 ...
that provides access to
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...
. It travels for approximately from Water Street in downtown Mobile north to I-65 in
Prichard. As it is, I-165 terminates into Water Street, which itself terminates into an I-10 onramp less than further. The route is
elevated
An elevated railway or elevated train (also known as an el train or el for short) is a railway with the Track (rail transport), tracks above street level on a viaduct or other elevated structure (usually constructed from steel, cast iron, concre ...
for its entire length.
Route description
I-165 begins at its northern terminus, an
interchange
Interchange may refer to:
Transport
* Interchange (road), a collection of ramps, exits, and entrances between two or more highways
* Interchange (freight rail), the transfer of freight cars between railroad companies
* Interchange station, a rai ...
with
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 ...
. After that is an incomplete interchange (exit 1A) with Whistler Street and Price Avenue that is only accessible from the southbound lanes. It then has an incomplete interchange (exit 1B) with Wilson Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive that is only accessible from the southbound lanes. Shortly afterward, I-165 meets an incomplete interchange (exit 1C) with Price Avenue and Whistler Street that is only accessible from the northbound lanes. I-165 then meets
U.S. Route 90 (US 90)/
U.S. Route 98 Truck (US 98 Truck) at exit 2 on the
Mobile–
Prichard city line, and then the three highways curve
concurrently to the south-southeast. It then has an incomplete interchange that leads to Conception Street Road. It is only accessible from the northbound lanes. Finally, I-165 reaches Beauregard Street, its southern terminus, where US 90/US 98 Truck split off. This interchange also includes Water Street, with leads to
I-10
Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the originall ...
.
History
I-165 began life as a planned Interstate 210 (I-210). Many problems, including
community opposition and access to the Mobile waterfront, prevented the freeway from reaching its intended southern terminus at
I-10
Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the originall ...
; I-165 ends about short of I-10 and becomes Water Street. Since the road had no connection to I-10, the number 210 was no longer applicable to the freeway, so 165 was chosen instead.
Construction of the freeway commenced in early 1991 and was originally slated for opening in April 1995.
Costing $240 million (equivalent to $ in ) to complete, the route was officially opened to the public at 5:00 pm on October 28, 1994.
In attendance at the ceremony were former governor
Jim Folsom Jr., US Representative
Sonny Callahan, and Federal Highway Administration head
Rodney Slate.
Upon its completion, it saved commuters traveling between downtown Mobile and the northern suburbs along I-65 an average of nine minutes.
While still under construction in 1993, efforts to name the freeway in honor of Mobile baseball great
Satchel Paige
Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige (July 7, 1906 – June 8, 1982) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Negro league baseball and Major League Baseball (MLB). His career spanned five decades and culminated with his induction in ...
never materialized.
Its construction resulted in the demolition of many structures within downtown Prichard, including such landmarks as the main public library and fire station.
Exit list
See also
*
*
References
External links
*
Alabama @ SouthEastRoads.com - Interstate 165
{{3di, 10
65-1 (Alabama)
65-1
2 Alabama
1 (Alabama)
Transportation in Mobile County, Alabama
Transportation in Mobile, Alabama