Alabama State Route 53

(Redirected from State Route 53 (Alabama))

State Route 53 (SR 53) is a 345.287-mile (555.686 km) state highway in the U.S. state of Alabama. The majority, between Dothan and Huntsville, is signed as U.S. Route 231 (US 231), but the two ends – south to Florida and north to I-65/US 31 near Tennessee – are independent. In those areas, US 231 uses SR 1, sharing the route with US 431 north of Huntsville, where it is referred to as Memorial Parkway.

State Route 53 marker

State Route 53

Map
Standalone sections of SR 53 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by ALDOT
Length345.287 mi[1] (555.686 km)
Most of length signed as US 231
Southern standalone section
Length20.137 mi[1] (32.407 km)
South end SR 71 towards Marianna, Fla.
North end

US 231 Bus. / US 431 Bus. at Dothan
Northern standalone section
Length28.423 mi (45.742 km)
South end US 231 / US 431 in Huntsville
Major intersections I-565 in Huntsville
North end I-65 / US 31 near Ardmore
Location
CountryUnited States
StateAlabama
CountiesHouston, Dale, Coffee, Pike, Montgomery, Elmore, Coosa, Talladega, Shelby, St. Clair, Blount, Cullman, Marshall, Morgan, Madison, Limestone
Highway system
  • Alabama State Highway System
SR 52 SR 54

An 18-mile-long (29 km) stretch of SR 53, from Research Park Boulevard in Huntsville to just south of Ardmore, is designated as the "Paul Luther Bolden Memorial Highway" in honor of Paul L. Bolden, a Medal of Honor recipient and Madison County's most-decorated World War II veteran.[2]

Route description edit

Beginning at its southern terminus at SR 71, SR 53 assumes a slight northwesterly trajectory as it travels through Dothan, where it joins US 231, heading towards Montgomery. Between Dothan and Huntsville, SR 53 is the unsigned partner to US 231, however, only SR-53’s mile markers are present along the route.

At Huntsville, SR 53 diverts from US 231 and once again becomes a signed route until it reaches its northern terminus just west of Ardmore at I-65/US 31 crossing several major roads along the way including University and Sparkman Drives in Huntsville. The northbound lane of SR 53 actually enters Tennessee before going south to I-65. Tennessee State Route 7 travels concurrently with SR 53 on the state line and both Alabama and Tennessee mile markers are present on the highway.

This route is the rest of Governor's Drive—US-431's right-of-way—in Huntsville, becoming Jordan Lane after its two-part junction with I-565, featuring Jordan Lane and Governor's Drive. Jordan Lane is AL-53's right-of-way until its northern terminus in Ardmore.

Major intersections edit

 
SR 53, coming in from the upper left, follows the Tennessee state line at Ardmore
 
A sign denoting SR 53 in Toney


CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
Houston0.0000.000 
 
SR 71 south – Marianna
Florida state line; southern terminus
Dothan18.63929.997   
 
 
 
 
US 431 / SR 210 (Ross Clark Circle) to US 84 / US 231 south – Panama City, Enterprise, Ashford, Eufaula, Bainbridge
20.13732.407 
 
 
 
 
 
US 231 Bus. south / US 431 Bus. south (South Oates Street / SR 1) – Marianna, Panama City
Northern end of signed SR 53; southern end of US 231 Bus./US 431 Bus./SR 1 concurrency
21.15834.051 
 
  US 84 Bus. / SR 52 (Main Street / SR 12) – Dothan Civic Center
22.07235.521 
 
 
US 431 Bus. north (Reeves Street / SR 1) – Headland, Eufaula
Northern end of US 431 Bus./SR 1 concurrency
24.00738.636 
 
  
 
 
 
 
US 231 south / SR 210 (Ross Clark Circle) to US 431 north / US 84 – Enterprise, Panama City, Headland, Eufaula, Rip Hewes Stadium
Northern terminus of US 231 Bus.; southern end of US 231 concurrency
SR 53 is the unsigned designation for US 231 for the next 292.857 miles (471.308 km)
MadisonHuntsville316.864509.943 
 
  
 
US 231 north / US 431 (Memorial Parkway / Governors Drive / SR 1) to I-565 – Guntersville, Monte Sano State Park
Interchange; northern end of US 231 concurrency; southern end of signed SR 53
318.548512.653  
 
 
 
I-565 / US 72 Alt. to I-65 / Jordan Lane – Decatur, Botanical Garden
I-565 exit 17
319.915514.853  US 72 (University Drive / SR 2) – Alabama A&M University
324.449522.150 
 
 
 
 
 
SR 255 south (Research Park Boulevard) to US 72 / I-565 / MLK Boulevard
Interchange; northern terminus of SR 255
LimestoneArdmore340.87548.58 
 
SR 7 begins / Stateline Road
Southern end of (TN) SR 7 concurrency along Tennessee state line
341.77550.03 
 
SR 110 east (Bowman Street) – Fayetteville
Western terminus of (TN) SR 110
342.07550.51 
 
 
SR 7 Truck north (Austin Street)
Southern terminus of (TN) SR 7 Truck
342.37550.99 
 
SR 7 north (Main Street west)
Northern end of (TN) SR 7 concurrency
342.878551.809 
 
SR 251 south (Ardmore Avenue south)
Old US 31 south; northern terminus of SR 251
345.287555.686  I-65 (US 31) – Birmingham, NashvilleNorthern terminus; I-65 exit 365; road continues south as Upper Elkton Road
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also edit

References edit

KML is from Wikidata
  1. ^ a b c Alabama Department of Transportation. "Milepost Maps". Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
  2. ^ Huggins, Paul (August 21, 2013). "Paul Luther Bolden Memorial Highway honors Madison County's highest decorated WWII soldier". The Huntsville Times. Huntsville, AL: Advance Publications. Retrieved August 22, 2013.