State Route 25 (SR 25) is a
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 ...
in the U.S. state of
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
. From
U.S. Route 78 (US 78) in
Leeds
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...
northeast to its terminus at 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 ...
state line, SR 25 is the unsigned partner route of
US 411. The southwestern terminus of SR 25 is at its intersection with
SR 5 near
Pine Hill in
Wilcox County.
Route description
Alabama State Route 25 is one of Alabama's longest state routes - and one of its most diverse.
After turning directly north away from
Alabama State Route 5
State Route 5 (SR 5) is a north–south state highway in western Alabama, United States. While it once extended – prior to the renumbering of the highways of Alabama in 1957– from Mobile north to the Tennessee state line, and was one of the ...
in Sunny South, the route winds its way north to
Greensboro, one of its largest cities in its portion west of
Interstate 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 leaving Greensboro, the route winds north-northeast through the
Talladega National Forest
The Talladega National Forest is located in the U.S. state of Alabama and covers 392,567 acres (613.39 sq mi, or 1,588.66 km2) at the southern edge of the Appalachian Mountains.
Before it was bought by the federal government in the 1930s, th ...
Oakmulgee District. Upon its second junction with SR-5, the route winds through
Centreville before heading east-northeast through
Montevallo,
Calera, and
Columbiana.
The portion of the route from Centreville to
Vincent encompasses a portion of a wide eastern beltway of sorts around
Birmingham with
U.S. Route 231
U.S. Route 231 (US 231) is a north-south United States Numbered Highway System, U.S highway that is a parallel route of U.S. Route 31, US 31. It runs for from St. John, Indiana, St. John, Indiana, at U.S. Route 41 in Indiana, US 41 ...
and
Alabama State Route 160.
In
Wilsonville, the route turns due north and heads to its junction with US-231/
280 in
Harpersville. After a short concurrency with US-231, the route winds its way across Double Oak Mountain on a fairly curvy routing (See below). Upon reaching
US-78 and
US-411, signed SR-25 comes to an end as it winds north to the
Georgia state line concurrent with aforementioned US-411.
When viewed on a map, SR-25 is among the most expansive state routes in the state, terrain and length-wise; with nearly 1000ft of elevation gain along the path and passage through nine counties in the state.
The Double Oak Mountain area
SR 25 traverses one of the higher peaks in the Birmingham area, Double Oak Mountain, connecting the
Coosa and
Cahaba River
The Cahaba River is the longest substantially free-flowing river in Alabama and is among the most scenic and biologically diverse rivers in the United States. It is a major tributary of the Alabama River and part of the larger Mobile River basin. ...
valleys. The roadway was constructed between 1914 and 1921 with support from
Buffalo Rock
Buffalo Rock Company is an independent Pepsi bottler based in Birmingham, Alabama. It was founded in 1901. In addition to bottling Pepsi products, the company produced Grapico in 1981, a grape-flavored soft drink, and a ginger ale under its own br ...
founder Sidney Word Lee, who owned a 3,000-acre camp in
Calcis. There is also a railroad line that travels parallel with SR 25 between
Vincent
Vincent ( la, Vincentius) is a male given name derived from the Roman name Vincentius, which is derived from the Latin word (''to conquer'').
People with the given name Artists
*Vincent Apap (1909–2003), Maltese sculptor
*Vincent van Gogh ...
and
Leeds
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...
that tunnels through Double Oak Mountain below the highway.
The stretch of SR 25 between Vincent and Leeds is popular with motorcyclists and other outdoor enthusiasts. This road is off limits to heavy trucks except for local deliveries due to a large number of sharp curves, blind entrances and exits, and a narrow, elevated roadway. The small communities of
Vandiver,
Sterrett, Calcis, and
Dunnavant straddle the highway in this area. The exclusive and private
Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club, home of the
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...
and
1990 PGA Championship
The 1990 PGA Championship was the 72nd PGA Championship, held August 9–12 at Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama. Wayne Grady won his only major championship, three strokes ahead of runner-up Fred Couples.
In the final ro ...
s is located on
Shelby County Route 41 not far from its intersection with SR 25.
Major intersections
References
{{reflist
025
025
Transportation in Wilcox County, Alabama
Transportation in Marengo County, Alabama
Transportation in Hale County, Alabama
Transportation in Bibb County, Alabama
Transportation in Shelby County, Alabama
Transportation in Jefferson County, Alabama
Transportation in St. Clair County, Alabama
Transportation in Etowah County, Alabama
Transportation in Cherokee County, Alabama