U.S. Route 280

U.S. Route 280 is a spur of U.S. Highway 80. It currently runs for 392 miles from Blitchton, Georgia, at US 80 to Birmingham, Alabama at Interstate 20 /Interstate 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 and Auburn, and this stretch is sometimes known as the "War Eagle Highway."
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 were considered one of the more dangerous routes in Alabama, due to the number of large stretches of narrow two-lane roadway leading southeast 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 Interstate 16 is also a Governor's Road Improvement Program corridor known as "Power Alley".

Route description

Alabama

US 280 terminates concurrently with U.S. Route 31 at Interstate 20 /Interstate 59 at the northern end of the Red Mountain Expressway. After following US 31 to Homewood, it turns off onto its own right-of-way, crossing Interstate 459 and traversing Double Oak Mountain before descending into the Coosa River Valley, where it serves Harpersville, Childersburg, and Sylacauga. Outside Sylacauga, it becomes an expressway, crossing the southernmost extent of the Appalachian Mountains to Alexander City. After crossing the Tallapoosa River, it follows a rolling, curvy route through the Lower Piedmont, bypassing the towns of Jackson's Gap, Dadeville, Camp Hill, and Waverly before entering the Columbus Metropolitan Area.
After bypassing Auburn, it engages in a concurrency with Interstate 85 in Opelika before turning east in a concurrency with US 431. It descends to Phenix City before leaving US 431 and crossing the Chattahoochee River into Georgia.
US 280 has the unsigned designation of Alabama State Route 38 throughout its length in Alabama.

Georgia

US 280 begins in Georgia at the state's border with Alabama in Columbus. There it is paired with Georgia State Route 520 and U.S. Route 27. It maintains this designation as it passes through Fort Benning. Upon arriving in Cusseta, US 280/SR 520 diverge from US 27 and continue southeast to Richland, where US 280 splits off from SR 520. US 280 continues east, passing through Plains and becomes cosigned with Georgia State Route 30 in Americus. US 280/SR 30 then continue east-southeast, crossing Interstate 75 in Cordele, still continuing east through mainly rural areas of the southern portion of the state, passing through smaller towns such as McRae–Helena, Mount Vernon, Vidalia, and Pembroke. The highway then turns to the northeast as it leaves Pembroke, crossing Interstate 16 at exit 143. Still continuing northeast, the highway then terminates in Blichton at US 80.

National Highway System

Except for the easternmost portion between I-16 and the eastern terminus, the entire length of US 280 is part of the National Highway System, a system of routes determined to be the most important for the nation's economy, mobility, and defense.

History

Prior to the completion of the Elton B. Stephens Expressway in Birmingham, US 31, US 78, and US 280 traveled concurrently until they intersected US 11 at the intersection of 1st Avenue North and 24th Street.