Interstate 459
Interstate 459 (abbreviated I-459) is a bypass highway of Interstate 59 that is an alternate Interstate Highway around the southern sides of Birmingham, Alabama, Bessemer, Alabama, and several other cities and towns in Jefferson County. Interstate 459 lies entirely within Jefferson County, without exception. This Interstate Highway is about 32.8 miles (52.8 km) long, and its construction was completed in the year 1984. Interstate 459 has major interchanges with the Interstate Highways I-59 (two), I-20 (two), and I-65.
There are some hypothetical plans to construct another Interstate Highway bypass running north of Birmingham, Bessemer, et cetera, to provide another Interstate Highway that would have major interchanges with I-59 (two), I-20 (one), I-65 (one), and the newly-constructed Interstate 22, with all of these interchanges being either north or west of Birmingham. This new bypass route has been tentatively numbered as Interstate 422. When and if this northern bypass of the urban area is built, it would give Birmingham and Jefferson County a pair of Interstate Highways that would approximately trace out the outline of an American football pointing in the direction of Interstate 59.
Due to this hypothetical northern bypass of necessity crossing and interchanging with Interstate 22 northwest of Birmingham, that future Interstate Highway has been numbered tentatively numbered Interstate 422, rather than Interstate 459. It is thought that the top "half of the football" would not be completed until the year 2020 or later.
There are some hypothetical plans to construct another Interstate Highway bypass running north of Birmingham, Bessemer, et cetera, to provide another Interstate Highway that would have major interchanges with I-59 (two), I-20 (one), I-65 (one), and the newly-constructed Interstate 22, with all of these interchanges being either north or west of Birmingham. This new bypass route has been tentatively numbered as Interstate 422. When and if this northern bypass of the urban area is built, it would give Birmingham and Jefferson County a pair of Interstate Highways that would approximately trace out the outline of an American football pointing in the direction of Interstate 59.
Due to this hypothetical northern bypass of necessity crossing and interchanging with Interstate 22 northwest of Birmingham, that future Interstate Highway has been numbered tentatively numbered Interstate 422, rather than Interstate 459. It is thought that the top "half of the football" would not be completed until the year 2020 or later.