Bessemer Super Highway: Difference between revisions

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===[[Midfield]]===
===[[Midfield]]===
* [[Weibel Drive]]/[[Aaron Aronov Drive]] (north) / [[B. Y. Williams Drive]] (south) intersection, road continues east as [[Bessemer Road]]
* [[Weibel Drive]]/[[Aaron Aronov Drive]] (north) / [[B. Y. Williams Drive]] (south) intersection, road continues east as [[Bessemer Road]]
** South side
** south side:
*** 100: [[Egg Roll Express]], former location of [[Golden Skillet]] fried chicken (1975)
*** 100: [[Egg Roll Express]], former location of [[Golden Skillet]] fried chicken (1975)
*** 104: [[Wendy's]]
*** 104: [[Wendy's]]
** North side
** north side:
*** [[Western Hills Plaza]] shopping center (extends into [[Fairfield]])
*** [[Western Hills Plaza]] shopping center (extends into [[Fairfield]])
**** 101: [[Walgreen's]] / [[Western Union]]
**** 101: [[Walgreen's]] / [[Western Union]]
Line 29: Line 29:
**** 165: [[Fred's]]
**** 165: [[Fred's]]
*** 199: [[Mutual Savings Credit Union]]
*** 199: [[Mutual Savings Credit Union]]
* [[Brookwood Road East]] / [[Brookwood Road West]] intersects (south only)
* [[Brookwood Road East]] / [[Brookwood Road West]] intersects (south only)
** South side
** south side:
*** 500: [[Midfield Motor Co.]]
*** 500: [[Midfield Motor Co.]]
** North side
** north side:
*** 401: [[T & M Wholesalers]]
*** 401: [[T & M Wholesalers]]
* [[Woodward Road]] intersects
* [[Woodward Road]] intersects
** South side
** south side:
*** 506: [[Adamson West]], former location of [[Bill Byrd Kia]]
*** 506: [[Adamson West]], former location of [[Bill Byrd Kia]]
*** 512: former location of [[Angry Revolt]] head shop
*** 512: former location of [[Angry Revolt]] head shop
*** 544: former location of [[Sound of Birmingham]] recording studio
*** 544: former location of [[Sound of Birmingham]] recording studio
*** 560: [[King Boyz Towing]] / [[U-Haul]] neighborhood dealer
*** 560: [[King Boyz Towing]] / [[U-Haul]] neighborhood dealer
** North side
** north side:
*** 549: [[DriveTime Inspection Center]]
*** 549: [[DriveTime Inspection Center]]
*** 555: [[Auto Professional Car Sales]]
*** 555: [[Auto Professional Car Sales]]
* [[High Ore Line Trail]] crosses (formerly [[High Ore Line]] railroad)
* [[High Ore Line Trail]] crosses (formerly [[High Ore Line]] railroad)
** South side
** south side:
*** 580: [[Midfield Paint, Body & Mechanic Shop]]
*** 580: [[Midfield Paint, Body & Mechanic Shop]]
*** 588: [[Coram Wholesale Used Tires]], former location of [[Ingels Evinrude]] (1978)  
*** 588: [[Coram Wholesale Used Tires]], former location of [[Ingels Evinrude]] (1978)  
** North side
*** 630: former location of [[WVOK-AM]] studios (1947-1980s)
** north side:
*** 575: [[Public Storage]]
*** 575: [[Public Storage]]
*** 587: [[Rockett's Car Audio Window]]
*** 587: [[Rockett's Car Audio Window]]
Line 57: Line 61:
**** 613: [[Fresenius Kidney Care Midfield]]
**** 613: [[Fresenius Kidney Care Midfield]]
**** 623: [[Acceptance Auto Insurance]]
**** 623: [[Acceptance Auto Insurance]]
* [[Etheridge Drive]] intersects (north only)
* [[Etheridge Drive]] intersects (north only)
** South side
** south side:
*** 650: [[International Auto Wholesalers]]
*** 650: [[International Auto Wholesalers]]
*** 652: [[Phil's Tint & Alarm]]
*** 652: [[Phil's Tint & Alarm]]
*** 654: [[TitleBucks]]
*** 654: [[TitleBucks]]
*** 656: [[AutoZone]]
*** 656: [[AutoZone]]
** North side
** north side:
*** 631: [[Western Health Center]] (2015-), former location of [[The Vending Center]] (demolished 2012)
*** 631: [[Western Health Center]] (2015-), former location of [[The Vending Center]] (demolished 2012)
* [[Wilkes Road]] (north) / [[Cairo Avenue]] (south) intersects, numbering from Birmingham ends
* [[Wilkes Road]] (north) / [[Cairo Avenue]] (south) intersects, numbering from Birmingham ends
** South side
** south side:
*** 5323: [[Lavada's Flowers]]
*** 5323: [[Lavada's Flowers]]
*** 5317: [[Valhalla Funeral Home]]
*** 5317: [[Valhalla Funeral Home]]
*** 5301: [[Pop-In 'N'-Out]] / [[Citgo]] gas station
*** 5301: [[Pop-In 'N'-Out]] / [[Citgo]] gas station
*** 5275: [[Lloyd's Auto Sales]]
*** 5275: [[Lloyd's Auto Sales]]
** North side
** north side:
*** 5410: [[Church's Chicken]]
*** 5410: [[Church's Chicken]]
*** 5400: former location of [[Paulson's Restaurant]] and [[Ma Reatha's]]
*** 5400: former location of [[Paulson's Restaurant]] and [[Ma Reatha's]]

Revision as of 12:37, 20 February 2020

This article is about the highway, for the hip hop album, see 2Lue.

Bessemer Super Highway (or Bessemer Superhighway, originally the Birmingham-Bessemer Boulevard) is the section of U. S. Highway 11 connecting the cities of Bessemer and Birmingham. Between Border Street and Western Hills Mall, it is called Bessemer Road.

The divided four-lane highway, the first in the state, replaced a circuitous route through West End, Powderly and Lipscomb which was slowed by numerous railroad grade crossings. It was designed in the 1930s by Alabama State Highway Department engineers who used the German Autobahn system as a model. The chosen route followed a nearly straight line from 3rd Avenue West in Fairview, past the Alabama State Fairgrounds at Five Points West to 19th Street North in the heart of downtown Bessemer. It continues through Bessemer as 9th Avenue North.

As the project proceeded, many of the rail lines along the route were elevated on steel and concrete trestles to bridge over the highway. The new highway itself was raised onto a long viaduct, later named the Mary Bryant Bridge, as it crossed over rail yards on the way into Bessemer.

Due to the shortage of funds prevailing during the Great Depression, the State set aside plans to build large interchanges that would allow for limited freeway access. Had it been built according to the initial designs, the Bessemer Super Highway would have been distinguished, ahead of the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, as the first freeway in the United States. In 1940 the highway department did install lighting along the entire route, thus creating what was, at the time, the longest "white way" east of the Rocky Mountains.

The Super Highway, as it quickly came to be known, spurred the development of new businesses catering to the driving public in the post-World War II boom. The corridor's economic growth continued nearly unabated until the completion of I-59/20.

In 2010 the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham proposed a revitalization plan for the Super Highway anchored by improved mass transit. The transit corridor would include primary stops at Five Points West, Aaron Aronov Drive/B. Y. Williams Drive, downtown Bessemer, Academy Drive, and Eastern Valley Road. Commercial revitalization would be encouraged at those intersections.

Notable locations

Midfield

Brighton

Bessemer

References

  • Holley, Joe (n. d.) "Bessemer Super Highway" Archiblog/AL.com
  • Norris, Toraine (April 27, 2010) "Plans in works to revitalize Bessemer Superhighway area." The Birmingham News
  • Norris, Toraine (April 27, 2010) "History of Bessemer Superhighway." The Birmingham News
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