The grayish white sign just beyond the mile marker off to the right of the digital warning board is designed to encourage trucks passing through Birmingham to points east, south and northeast to bypass the major urban interstate arteries (Malfunction Junction in particular), using instead the I-459 demi-loop which carries one south of the Birmingham metropolitan area.
I-459 has its share of headaches as well, though: the Hoover area features three exits, one to the minor league baseball stadium, one to an upscale (and very popular) mall, and a third to US 31, a major north-south route through the state. Just beyond the US 31 exit lies the I-459/I-65 junction. Those unfamiliar with the area can easily bypass their intended exit or even end up heading in the wrong direction completely.
In this picture the I-459 two-lane exit begins just beyond the electronic marquee. 20/59 temporarily widens to four lanes to allow outbound traffic to separate from the crowds headed into Bessemer and Birmingham proper. Past the 459 exit the highway becomes a two-lane trek into the ebb and flow that is Jefferson County. If everyone's following the rules (slower traffic to the right, remove crash vehicles from traffic lanes) then everything moves along at a quick clip, provided you haven't hit the Magic City at rush hour. |
