U.S. Route 280

U.S. Route 280
U.S. Route 280
	US 280 highlighted in red
Route information
	Auxiliary route of US 80
	Maintained by ALDOT and GDOT
Length	392 mi[citation needed] (631 km)
Existed	January 1954–present
Major junctions
West end	I-20 / I-59 / US 31 in Birmingham, AL
	I-459 in Hoover, AL; US 231 from Harpersville to Sylacauga, AL; I-85 / US 29 / US 431 in Opelika, AL; I-185 in Columbus, GA; US 19 in Americus, GA; I-75 in Cordele, GA; US 23 / US 319 / US 341 / US 441 in McRae-Helena, GA; US 1 in Lyons, GA; US 25 / US 301 in Claxton, GA; I-16 near Black Creek, GA;
East end	US 80 / SR 26 / SR 30 in Blitchton, GA
Location
Country	United States
States	Alabama, Georgia
Counties	AL: Jefferson, Shelby, Talladega, Coosa, Tallapoosa, Chambers, Lee, Russell; GA: Muscogee, Stewart, Webster, Sumter, Crisp, Wilcox, Dodge, Telfair, Wheeler, Montgomery, Toombs, Tattnall, Evans, Bryan
Highway system
	United States Numbered Highway System; List; Special; Divided;

U.S. Route 280 (US 280) is a spur of U.S. Highway 80. It currently runs for 392 miles (631 km) from Blitchton, Georgia, at US 80 to Birmingham, Alabama at I-20/I-59. For much of its route, US 280 travels through rural areas and smaller cities in southern Georgia and east central Alabama. Once the highway approaches Birmingham, it is a major suburban route. Numerous shopping centers are located on US 280 throughout northern Shelby County and southern Jefferson County.

US 280 is the main connector between Birmingham, AL and Auburn, AL, and this stretch is sometimes known as the “War Eagle Highway.“^[2]

Through Talladega County, Alabama, US 280 is known as the Jim Nabors Highway, in honor of the Sylacauga, Alabama, native known for portraying the television character Gomer Pyle. The historical designation of US-280 and Alabama SR 38 is the Florida Short Route.

For many years, US 280 and SR 38 was considered one of the more dangerous routes in Alabama, due to the number of large stretches of narrow two-lane roadway leading southeastwardly from Birmingham. Work was completed in 2006 making US 280 a four-lane highway throughout the entire state of Alabama. This project began in the 1970s. As a result, US 280 now bypasses numerous small towns in east Alabama, including Goodwater, Jackson's Gap, Camp Hill and Waverly.

In Georgia, US 280 from Columbus to I-16 is also a Governor's Road Improvement Program (GRIP) corridor known as "Power Alley".^[3]

^ "U.S. 431, U.S. 280 Markers Now Up". The Opelika Daily News. Opelika, Alabama. January 26, 1954. p. 1. Retrieved December 21, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Art department has new head". Auburn Plainsman. October 2, 1970. p. 2.
^ "Governor's Road Improvement Program (GRIP)". Georgia Department of Transportation. 2012. Archived from the original on February 20, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2014.

[1] "U.S. 431, U.S. 280 Markers Now Up". The Opelika Daily News. Opelika, Alabama. January 26, 1954. p. 1. Retrieved December 21, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.

[2] "Art department has new head". Auburn Plainsman. October 2, 1970. p. 2.

[3] "Governor's Road Improvement Program (GRIP)". Georgia Department of Transportation. 2012. Archived from the original on February 20, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2014.

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