I-565

I'm SHORT (21 miles) and FAST (slowest speed 65mph)!
When the Interstate Highway system was envisioned in the 1950's I-65 was routed near Decatur, Alabama as it was the largest city at the time in extreme northern Alabama between Birmingham and Nashville. In the late 1950's and early 1960's Huntsville was going through a population boom as result of the space race and the new George C. Marshall Space Flight Center. By the late 1960's Huntsville had grown to become more than twice the size of Decatur and it had become obvious that a spur was needed to connect Huntsville with I-65. Construction finally began in 1987 and completed on 26 October 1991. At the time construction had begun, Huntsville was the largest city in the Continental United States which was not connected to the Interstate System.
When I first opened, I was signed as a north-south highway as I was an odd numbered Interstate, but this provided some level of confusion as I run mostly east-west, and I was resigned not long after opening as east-west.
I am unusual in that I maintain high speed limits right through Huntsville; I remain 70 mph (110 km/h) well into the urban area and 65 mph (100 km/h) on the elevated section through downtown.
Plans are currently in place to extend me east several miles past the junction of U.S. Highway 72 along a newly upgraded freeway section of U.S. 72 East of Huntsville. Construction could start on two new exits at Moores Mill Road and Shields Road in 2009. Plans are also in place to extend me west from the junction of I-65 along the route of Alabama Highway 20 and Alternate U.S. 72 to the junction with U.S. 31 in the northern city limits of Decatur with eventual plans on building a new bridge over the Tennessee River connecting on the west side of Decatur.
It is planned for me to connect Memphis, Tennessee with Atlanta, Georgia and Chattanooga, Tennessee as part of ISTEA High Priority Corridor 7.
Interstate Highway System