| Summer of 2001 offered many sign alteration projects for Interstate 165. This diagram overhead on northbound shows Exit 2 signage for Bay Bridge Road. ALDOT sign crews affixed a green-out panel indicating that Bay Bridge Road is now U.S. 90 eastbound. The green-out was attached the day before this photograph was taken. Photo taken 07/01.
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| A look at the same sign bridge from the above photograph in its pre-U.S. 90 state. U.S. 90, although overlapped with Interstate 165 for the first two miles, is poorly signed in the southbound direction. Truck U.S. 98 should also be including on this panel, as it overlaps with U.S. 90 throughout this stretch. Photo taken 06/01.
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| Two lanes are allocated on Interstate 165 northbound for Exit 2 to Bay Bridge Road. The reason being, that a significant amount of truck travel utilizes this interchange, with all hazmats required to use the Africatown-Cochrane Bridge to cross the Mobile River. The right-hand panel has since been amended with a green-out that displays "US 90 EAST" in text (see below photograph). Photo taken 06/01.
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| Again Truck U.S. 98 gets the shaft in this northbound photograph of Exit 2. The Truck U.S. 98 advisory signage at the northbound beginning does indicate that all hazmat cargo must use Exit 2 to cross the Mobile River however. It should also be mentioned that the bot dots originally placed in lieu of stripes for the main travel lanes of Interstate 165 are now removed. Photo taken 10/25/03.
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| Northbound upcoming exits overhead at roughly the same location for the southbound Exit 2 gore. The sign is a bit erroneous, as it indicates that Wilson/Price Avenue and Whistler Street get independent ramps. However, this is not the case, as Exit 1C handles all traffic to those Prichard destinations. Photo taken 10/24/03.
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| Interstate 165 northbound at Exit 1C for Wilson/Price Avenues and Whistler Street. Frontage roads connect all three of these roadways, with u-turn ramps allowing cars to access the southbound frontage roads from northbound. Traffic to Price and Wilson Avenues must use the u-turn ramp in this instance. This exit takes traffic into the residential and industrial areas of Prichard. The frontage road system begins at Bay Bridge Road/Exit 2 and ends at Whistler
Street/Exit 1A on southbound. Photos taken 10/25/03.
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| Graphical sign bridge on Interstate 165 northbound for Exits 1A/B - Interstate 65. There are no exits within the last mile, but traffic from Whistler Street merges just before the Interstate 65 gore. Photo taken 10/25/03.
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| Last northbound Interstate 165 reassurance shield, posted between the Whistler Street on and off-ramps. Note that Interstate 65 slotted signage is posted in the background, and indicates that Interstate 165 is about to end. Photo taken 09/16/00.
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| The above shield was damaged when a vehicle skimmed the sign,
bending the left-hand portion sideways. During the signage updating process to include U.S. 90 during Summer
of 2001, ALDOT crews replaced the deformed shield with this assembly. Photo taken 10/24/03.
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| Interstate 165 northbound widens to four lanes with the
addition of the Whistler Street on-ramp. Traffic for Interstate 65 is plenty of lines, with three for
southbound and two for northbound. It should be noted that the right-hand lane for Interstate 65 south ends
before the ramp merges with the parent Interstate. Photo taken 10/25/03.
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| Slotted signage at the split between northbound and
southbound Interstate 65. Interstate 165 in conjunction with U.S. 90/Bay Bridge Road is a good alternative
for traffic headed to Baldwin County from north and West Mobile in lieu of Interstate 65 to Interstate 10.
Photo taken 08/21/03.
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| Another view of the Interstate 65 Exit 1A/B sign bridge at the northern terminus of Interstate 165. Notice that a Interstate 65 gore sign is also in place, which is a standard ALDOT practice at Interstate junctions. The southbound ramp is the highest fly-over associated with the Interstate 65/Exit 9 stack interchange. Downtown Montgomery is located 162 miles to the north. Photo taken 09/16/00.
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| Interstate 165 south
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| Interstate 165 southbound beginning from Interstate
65 north. The sign bridge, similar to that on the southbound Interstate 65 ramp, indicates upcoming exits for
Prichard. The right-hand lane becomes an exit-only affair for Exit 1A/Whistler Street around the bend.
Photo taken 10/25/03.
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| Interstate 165 southbound beginning from Interstate 65 south.
The sign bridge depicted is an upcoming exits signage for the Prichard-based ramps. This ramp is the second
level of three for the Interstate 65/Exit 9 stack interchange. Photo taken 08/21/03.
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| Prichard Exits sign bridge on Interstate 165 southbound,
after the two Interstate 65 ramps merge together. These exits do not include Whistler Street (Exit 1A), as
that ramp is just beyond this location (see above photograph). However, it should be mentioned that Wilson
Avenue, Price Avenue, and Dr. Martin Luther King Drive bound traffic all utilize Exit 1B. The same practice
occurs on northbound upcoming exits signage for Exit 1C. A green-out for U.S. 90/Bay Bridge Road was added
during Summer 2001. Photo taken 10/25/03.
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| This slotted graphical overhead is placed just after the
Interstate 165 ramps from north and southbound Interstate 65 merge. Traffic must act quickly from both
directions as Exit 1A for Whistler Street is placed just around the bend. The sign bridge in the above
photograph can be seen to the right of this photograph. Photo taken 10/25/03.
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| Exit 1A for Whistler Street on Interstate 165 southbound,
within the first half mile of the highway. This exit serves residential areas of north Prichard, with nearby
Chicaksabogue Park also accessible via Whistler Street. Photo taken 10/25/03.
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| Exit 1B overhead on Interstate 165 southbound. This
interchange takes traffic to the Interstate 165 southbound frontage road at Price Avenue. Traffic to Wilson
Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Drive must travel south on the frontage road to access those
highways. Photo taken 08/21/03.
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| Looking in the southbound direction at slotted signage one
half mile north of the Exit 2 diamond interchange. Note that Exit 1C for northbound exits to the left, with
traffic returning from the southbound Interstate 165 frontage road entering from the right. Traffic counts
are generally light on Interstate 165, so the weaving nature for traffic exiting to Bay Bridge Road
contending with merging traffic is minimal. Photo taken 08/21/03.
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| This photograph shows what the above depicted one half mile Exit 2/Bay Bridge overhead originally displayed. Note that unlike northbound signage for Exit 2, Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Drive is not displayed. Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Drive ends at Bay Bridge Road a short distance to the west of Interstate 165. Photo taken 01/13/02.
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| Advance slotted signage on Interstate 165 southbound for Exit
2/Bay Bridge Road. Note the change in the "Exit Only" panel from the above photograph. A yellow fully
reflectorized panel was installed because the black in the words "Exit Only" would not be legible at night.
What is interesting is that U.S. 90 is displayed in all text. The practice of writing out route numbers in
all text has generally been abandoned since the 1970s. Photo taken 10/25/03.
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| Interstate 165 southbound shield placed between Exit 1B and Exit 2. Shield can be seen in the distance in the below photograph. Photo taken 06/01.
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| This is the 2nd generation of Exit 2/Bay Bridge signage, that displays "US 90 EAST" in all text. Of course, the 1st generation of signage just simply displayed "Bay Bridge Road". The green-outs for U.S. 90 were added during the Summer of 2002. Photograph is taken on Interstate 165 southbound, with the right-hand lane merging traffic from the Wilson/Price Avenue and Whistler Street interchange. Photo taken 01/13/02.
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| Southbound Interstate 165 signage for Exit 2, the third
version to be displayed since 1994. This slotted sign was installed by January 2002, and reflects that U.S. 90
east is the best way to Interstate 10 east. This signage coincides with the Truck U.S. 98 advisory signs on
Interstate 65 for Interstate 165/Exit 9. Photo taken 08/21/03.
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| For the most part, the southernmost two miles of Interstate
165 traverse wetlands, and is why the highway is elevated. This photograph shows southbound with the Mobile
skyline to the right, as Exit 2 traffic merges from the right. The entire routing of Interstate 165 is
illuminated at night, and carries a 65 mph speed limit. Photo taken 10/25/03.
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| Southbound Interstate 165 reassurance shield, posted after Exit 2/Bay Bridge Road traffic merges. This particular shield assembly should indicate that U.S. 90 and Truck U.S. 98 are also along for the ride on the Interstate 165 viaduct. There are shields indicating such on the southbound ramp from Bay Bridge Road that do include the two U.S. routes. Photo taken 10/00.
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| Interstate 165 was opened to traffic by 1994. This end advisory signage was installed to indicate to drives that the southbound lanes will be ending in one mile. The freeway was to have extended all the way to Interstate 10, but prohibitively high costs with acquiring the needed right-of-way in the downtown area precluding that plan from ever coming to fruition. Photo taken 08/26/01.
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| Another view of the Interstate 165 ends advisory sign. There are no end shields posted as the southern terminus. Nor is there end signage of any kind posted at the northern conclusion. Photo taken 10/26/99.
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| Interstate 165 southbound at milepost 4. Featured here is
a sign bridge for the upcoming intersection with Beauregard Street and the southward transition to Water
Street. U.S. 90 and Truck U.S. 98 depart Interstate 165 for Beauregard Street westbound. This alignment
originally carried U.S. 31 and 43 as well. The panel on the right saw placement during the Summer of 2001.
Photo taken 10/25/03.
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| This photograph reveals the original right-hand overhead
for U.S. 43. U.S. 43 merged briefly onto Interstate 165 from Telegraph Road to Beauregard Street. There the
federal route turned right with Truck U.S. 98 and 98 toward Bishop State Community College. From there southward
along Broad Street, U.S. 43 and the Truck route tandem traveled to U.S. 90/98 at Government Street.
Photo taken 01/23/02.
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| Traffic light ahead sign bridge, situated at the south end
of the Interstate 165 viaduct. Traffic interests to Interstate 10 can continue straight through the
Beauregard Street intersection via the six-lane divided Water Street. Photo taken 10/25/03.
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| Traffic from Conception Street/Road and Telegraph Road merges
onto southbound Interstate 165 in this photograph. However, a lot has changed since this was taken during
Fall of 2000. Telegraph Road has since closed as a railroad bridge associated with the roadway was deemed
structurally unsound and subsequently dismantled. Therefore, U.S. 43 was truncated from its Telegraph Road
routing northward to Bay Bridge Road (U.S. 90/Truck U.S. 98) in Prichard. The right-hand sign panel has since
been replaced with those depicted in the below photographs. Note that the Gulf and Ohio Railroad Building to
the left had yet to see its renovation project begin. Photo taken 10/00.
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| A look at the same sign bridge in the above photograph with
the replaced right-hand panel. Conception Street/Road still ties into Interstate 165 at this point, with
access to residential areas along Jackson Street also granted. The new building to the right is that of the
Mobile Register. Mobile's oldest newspaper relocated its headquarters from downtown to the
Beauregard/Water Street intersection between 2000 and 2002. Originally a ramp also merged traffic
in from the left, taking U.S. 43 towards Water Street. With the closing of Telegraph Road, this ramp was also
decommissioned. However, as of Fall 2003, the ramp reopens as a U-turn for Conception Street/Road and
the recently reopened Gulf Mobile and Ohio Railroad transit center. Of note, the
tallest building in the skyline is that of the AM South Building. The cranes to the left of that high rise
are those associated with the Bender Shipbuilding facility. Photo taken 08/21/03.
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| The southern terminus of Interstate 165 as U.S. 90 and Truck
U.S. 98 turn to the west onto Beauregard Street. Traffic continuing straight transitions to Water Street and
heads downtown. To the left is the Alabama State Docks and the Gulf and Ohio Railroad Building. The all black
LED traffic lights depicted here saw installation October of 2003. Photo taken 10/25/03.
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| Scenes Related to Interstate 165
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| A look at the Gulf Mobile & Ohio Railroad Building from the
southbound lanes of Interstate 165. This structure has been abandoned for several years, and has only been
home to vagrants and rats. A major renovation project completed October of 2003 and sees the facility
reopened as a transit center (see next photo). The structure was originally built during the late 19th century.
Photo taken 10/26/99.
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| The results of a three year rennovation project on the Gulf
Mobile & Ohio Railroad Building. The structure is now a transit hub operated by the city and Metro Transit.
Photo taken 11/03/03.
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Page Updated October 29, 2003.
