Community Forums

geofferyh · 10-17-2019, 02:03 PM

I-65S has been very bad through Birmingham, AL for several years thru fall of 2018. The washboard effect really beats up on my HR Admiral SE. I wonder if the roadway might have been resurfaced since then? Anyone know?

This year I am looking at getting off I-65S at Exit 265B in North Birmingham and following Hwy 31S/Hwy280S then back to I-65 well south of Birmingham. Anyone follow this bypass route before. Looks good on Google Maps.

Thank You

inbogie · 10-17-2019, 02:48 PM

no on both questions.

mhudson · 10-17-2019, 07:32 PM

I don’t think I would take that route. I-20 is shut down through B-ham until next year sometime for a couple of miles for bridge replacement in downtown area. Most I-20 traffic is taking I459 around but local traffic from I- 20 is being detoured around on surface streets. It has the potential to be a mess. 31 is involved with the detour for traffic east and westbound 20 and for I-65 northbound from 20. I don’t live there but my brother says it’s a mess.

RoaminRichards · 10-18-2019, 04:31 AM

I was just through Birmingham this summer and I can concur that traffic is a mess. Lots of construction with many delays. Roads are rough. I would avoid that entire area if possible and choose another route.

mlwhitt · 10-19-2019, 05:53 PM

Hi, just traveled that horrible piece of a road a week ago. Simply horrible in the motor home. Told my wife the I would never run that route again,ever. I have been all over the US and this was worse than terrible. If you think anything of your coach stay away. I would drive 200 miles out of the way to avoid. I’m referring to the section that runs thru town. I was running 22 out of Memphis to 65 in Birmingham to 459 to 20. Never again!

dix39 · 10-19-2019, 07:51 PM

We were there last summer going from 20 to 78/22 to Memphis. Relying on the "not so recently updated" GPS, we got the grand tour. After making a few passes through, I determined that the always faithful atlas would provide better guidance than the GPS. After using the atlas to get oriented, we just followed the detour signs and all was good, 3 hours later.

There is a lot of work going on there.

Steve

Tooth Doc · 10-19-2019, 08:55 PM

Don't saywhere you're coming from but to avoid that mess we try to come from Nashville . I-24 to near Chattanooga where we Take I-59 to I-459 around east side of Bham and hit I-65 there.Maybe a few minutes longer but a nice drive. I-65 south of Bham still some construction but not too rough.

geofferyh · 10-20-2019, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlwhitt

Hi, just traveled that horrible piece of a road a week ago. Simply horrible in the motor home. Told my wife the I would never run that route again,ever. I have been all over the US and this was worse than terrible. If you think anything of your coach stay away. I would drive 200 miles out of the way to avoid. I’m referring to the section that runs thru town. I was running 22 out of Memphis to 65 in Birmingham to 459 to 20. Never again!

I was afraid of that. I have found what looks like a good bypass route around Louisville and Birmingham. I will be southbound from Indianapolis via I-69S passed Evansville, IN, then Lexington, TN, Tupelo, MS, Tuscaloosa, AL then back to I-65S above Montgomery, AL. Appears to only add around 50 extra miles to my travel to Panama City Beach, FL.

Roger G · 10-21-2019, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geofferyh

I was afraid of that. I have found what looks like a good bypass route around Louisville and Birmingham. I will be southbound from Indianapolis via I-69S passed Evansville, IN, then Lexington, TN, Tupelo, MS, Tuscaloosa, AL then back to I-65S above Montgomery, AL. Appears to only add around 50 extra miles to my travel to Panama City Beach, FL.

If you are going through Tupelo, take Hwy 45 to Mobile and hit I10 there. It’s 4 lane all but the last 50 miles into Mobile. A large portion of 45 has been repaved over the last couple of years. Hwy 82 from Tuscaloosa to Montgomery is awful.

geofferyh · 10-22-2019, 02:34 PM

What is so awful about HWY 82? Google sat views indicate it is all good road, though only two lane from Centerville, AL to I-65 north of Montgomery, AL.

gmc70 · 10-23-2019, 05:46 PM

B'ham roads are the arm pit of the world. I sure hope that the state inspector that signed off on the construction of I65 got fired.

geofferyh · 11-04-2019, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geofferyh

I-65S has been very bad through Birmingham, AL for several years thru fall of 2018. The washboard effect really beats up on my HR Admiral SE. I wonder if the roadway might have been resurfaced since then? Anyone know?

This year I am looking at getting off I-65S at Exit 265B in North Birmingham and following Hwy 31S/Hwy280S then back to I-65 well south of Birmingham. Anyone follow this bypass route before. Looks good on Google Maps.

Thank You

In follow-up to this posting, I completed my bypass route to keep away from the I-65 poor road conditions and excessive traffic thru Louisville, KY, Nashville, TN and Birmingham, AL. It was well worth the effort and resulted in very good four lane divided highway travel most of the way.

Final route started on I-69, below Indianapolis, IN, which is now complete all the way to Fulton, KY. Then US-45E/45 thru Jackson, KY, Tupelo, MS and Columbus, MS. Then from Columbus, continue on US-82 thru Tuscaloosa, AL to finally get to I-65 just above Montgomery, AL.

The only potential downside I found was the very limited number of RV Parks and rest areas for overnight parking. Otherwise, beautiful landscapes, very light trucker traffic, no large city traffic mess, good fuel access and good roads.