Birmingham Major Streets and Roadways
The city of Birmingham was planned by the directors of Elyton Land CO. The city was planned on an 1,160 acre land area before a single building was erected. The streets are laid out in a grid fashion, the most common pattern of streets seen in planned cities in United States. The streets of Birmingham were planned to be 80 to 100 feet wide, in order to keep the smoke out of the street, hence there has been little restructuring in the form of road widening since the formation of the city.
From west to east the streets are numbered, leaving the 20th street to form the central spine of the downtown area that is anchored by the Capital Park in the North and running to the slopes of the Red Mountain in the south.
The streets going from north to south are given numbers, with the railroad tracks separating the north streets from the south streets. Some major streets are given names that help in separating them from other streets.
Some of the most popular streets in Birmingham are 18th South street that is famous for its shopping, great cafes and restaurants and other entertainment destinations. The 23rd street is a popular social destination with its high concentration of nightclubs and bars. Other popular streets are Southwood Rod, Summit Boulevard, Morris Avenue, Highland Avenue, Green Valley Road.
Major Freeways, Highways, and Streets
- I-65 - Cuts through the city N to S
- I-20 - Cuts through the city SW to E
- I-59 - Cuts through the city SW to NE
- I-459 - Branches across SE end of city
- I-22 - Branches from Center to NW