Interstate 59 (I-59) is an
Interstate Highway located in the southeastern United States. It is a north–south route that spans from a junction with
I-10 and
I-12 I12 or I-12 may refer to:
* I12 engine
* Interstate 12, a highway in the U.S. state of Louisiana
*
*Jönköping Regiment (1816–1927), a Swedish infantry regiment
*Småland Regiment (1928–1974), a Swedish infantry regiment
See also
* 1 ...
at
Slidell, Louisiana
Slidell is a city on the northeast shore of Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 28,781 at the 2020 census. It is part of the New Orleans− Metairie− Kenner metropolitan statistical area.
Hi ...
, to a junction with
I-24 near
Wildwood, Georgia
Wildwood is a unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located in the northeastern corner of Dade County, Georgia, United States. It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 382.
Description
The commu ...
.
The highway connects the metropolitan areas of
;
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...
; and
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020 ...
, running closely parallel to the older
U.S. Route 11 (US 11) corridor for the entire distance. Approximately one-third of the route, spanning from
Meridian, Mississippi, to
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...
, overlaps that of the east–west
I-20.
I-59 is a four-lane
freeway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...
along its entire route, other than a short stretch extending from north of
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa ( ) is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States, on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal and Piedmont plains meet. Alabama's fifth-largest city, it had an estimated population o ...
, through Birmingham, where it widens to six lanes or more.
Route description
, -
, LA
,
, -
, MS
,
, -
, AL
,
, -
, GA
,
, -
, Total
,
Louisiana
I-59 spans in Louisiana, the shortest distance in the four states through which it travels. The route begins at a partial
cloverleaf interchange with
I-10 (exit 267) and I-12 (exit 85) at the northeast corner of
Slidell, a city in
St. Tammany Parish. From this interchange, connections are made to
and
Hammond, as well as
Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Heading north, I-59 has two exits serving the town of
Pearl River
The Pearl River, also known by its Chinese name Zhujiang or Zhu Jiang in Mandarin pinyin or Chu Kiang and formerly often known as the , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name "Pearl River" is also often used as a catch-a ...
, where it begins a concurrency with
US 11. Immediately afterward, the highway crosses the West Pearl River and passes through an interchange with Old US 11, a portion of the pre-Interstate alignment serving the
Pearl River Wildlife Management Area. I-59 then travels through the
Honey Island Swamp
The Honey Island Swamp (french: Marais de l'Île-de-Miel) is a marshland located in the eastern portion of the U.S. state of Louisiana in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, St. Tammany Parish. Honey Island earned its name due to the abundance of honey ...
for before crossing the main branch of the
Pearl River
The Pearl River, also known by its Chinese name Zhujiang or Zhu Jiang in Mandarin pinyin or Chu Kiang and formerly often known as the , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name "Pearl River" is also often used as a catch-a ...
into Mississippi.
Mississippi
In Mississippi, I-59 continues to run parallel with US 11, traversing mainly rural areas but going through or bypassing the towns of
Picayune,
Poplarville,
Hattiesburg
Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County (where it is the county seat and largest city) and extending west into Lamar County. The city population was 45,989 at the 2010 census, with the populat ...
,
Moselle,
Ellisville,
Laurel
Laurel may refer to:
Plants
* Lauraceae, the laurel family
* Laurel (plant), including a list of trees and plants known as laurel
People
* Laurel (given name), people with the given name
* Laurel (surname), people with the surname
* Laurel (mus ...
, and
Meridian
Meridian or a meridian line (from Latin ''meridies'' via Old French ''meridiane'', meaning “midday”) may refer to
Science
* Meridian (astronomy), imaginary circle in a plane perpendicular to the planes of the celestial equator and horizon
* ...
.
For its length in Mississippi, I-59 either
runs concurrently with, or runs close to,
US 11. Between the towns of Pearl River and Picayune, US 11 travels concurrent with I-59. The highway also has concurrencies with
US 98 in Hattiesburg;
Mississippi Highway 42
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Mississ ...
(MS 42) just north of Hattiesburg;
US 84 and
MS 15 in Laurel; and
US 80, US 11, and
MS 19 in the Meridian area.
A notoriously sharp
S-curve, at milepost 96 in Laurel, was the subject of a large reconstruction project that began in 2006. Those sharp curves were the legacy of an overpass over the
Southern Railway on a town bypass with design dating from before the Interstate Highways, and they featured a speed limit, one of the lowest anywhere on the Interstate Highway System. This work was completed in 2009.
Just west of Meridian, I-20 joins I-59 and these two highways continue together for , across the border with
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 = 135,765 ...
to and through Birmingham. The exit numbers are given as those of I-59.
At 4:00 pm on August 27, 2005, for the first time in its history, the southbound lanes of I-59 were temporarily redirected northward to accommodate evacuation for
Hurricane Katrina. This was a previously agreed to joint plan by the states of
Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
and
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
called
contraflow lane reversal
Contraflow lane reversal is the altering of the normal flow of traffic, typically on a controlled-access highway (such as a freeway or motorway), to either aid in an emergency evacuation (the most common usage of the term in the United States) or ...
. The program began at the Louisiana–Mississippi state line and continued north to
Poplarville.
Alabama
I-59 and I-20 travel together for about 40 percent of their route through Alabama, passing northeast through Tuscaloosa before finally parting ways in eastern Birmingham.
In Birmingham, many wrecks and accidents occur near the crossover interchange of I-20/I-59 and I-65 (commonly called "Malfunction Junction"). On two occasions, 18-wheelers crashed and burned fiercely enough to melt the support beams of overpasses. Beginning in eastern Birmingham, I-59 continues on its own northeast, passing by
Gadsden and
Fort Payne in the foothills of the
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...
before entering
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 ...
.
I-59 from Gadsden at milemarker 182 to Stephen's Gap at milemarker 193 had degraded over the decades since it was opened into a rough concrete highway. Between 2010 and 2014, a construction project called "Project 59" took place between Gadsden and Fort Payne. This project consisted of reconstructing the Interstate Highway with unbonded concrete (without any space cracks) as well as modifications to the width and vertical clearance of the bridges and overpasses in the segment.
Georgia
I-59 has a short trek through Georgia, with only three exits before ending at I-24 several miles west of
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020 ...
, in
Wildwood, Georgia
Wildwood is a unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located in the northeastern corner of Dade County, Georgia, United States. It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 382.
Description
The commu ...
. The entire route of I-59 in Georgia is named Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway. I-59's southbound location is marked Birmingham instead of Gadsden in Georgia. Gadsden is the next city that I-59 southbound is traveling to right before the route reaches Birmingham. For services, I-59 has no direct access to the Georgia Welcome Center, instead I-59's Georgia Welcome Center is located in
Trenton. Drivers must take I-59 Trenton exit 11 to get access to the Georgia Welcome Center. Within Georgia, it carries unsigned designated as State Route 406 (SR 406) for internal
Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) purposes.
National Highway System
The entire length of I-59 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.
Exit list
Auxiliary routes
*
I-359 in
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa ( ) is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States, on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal and Piedmont plains meet. Alabama's fifth-largest city, it had an estimated population o ...
*
I-459
Interstate 459 (I-459) is a bypass highway of I-59 that is an alternate Interstate Highway around the southern sides of Birmingham, Bessemer, and several other cities and towns in Jefferson County, Alabama. I-459 lies entirely within Jeffe ...
in
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...
*
I-759 in
Gadsden, Alabama
See also
*
*
*
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:I059
59
59
59
59
59
Transportation in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana
Transportation in Pearl River County, Mississippi
Transportation in Lamar County, Mississippi
Transportation in Forrest County, Mississippi
Transportation in Jones County, Mississippi
Transportation in Jasper County, Mississippi
Transportation in Clarke County, Mississippi
Transportation in Lauderdale County, Mississippi
Transportation in Sumter County, Alabama
Transportation in Greene County, Alabama
Transportation in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama
Transportation in Jefferson County, Alabama
Transportation in St. Clair County, Alabama
Transportation in Etowah County, Alabama
Transportation in DeKalb County, Alabama
Transportation in Dade County, Georgia