SR 1 is primarily the unsigned partner route assigned to US 431.The two routes
run concurrently from the southern terminus of US 431 at
Dothan to the Tennessee state line. South of Dothan, SR 1 is assigned to
US 231. US 431 enters Alabama running concurrently with
US 231. The route descends into
Huntsville, becoming
Memorial Parkway, a major thoroughfare across the city. The route engages in a concurrency with
US 72 before a major interchange with
I-565. Less than a mile later, US 431 turns off Memorial Parkway onto Governor's Drive, which it follows across
Monte Sano Mountain. Descending into a valley, the route turns directly south, serving several bedroom communities of Huntsville. The route crosses the
Tennessee River downstream of
Guntersville Dam, serving the fishing city of
Guntersville. Climbing up a 7% grade, the route crests
Sand Mountain, serving the local hubs of
Albertville and
Boaz before descending down into the Coosa Valley. Outside
Attalla, the route intersects
US 278. US 431 and US 278 run concurrently throughout Attalla, where the routes have a brief concurrency with
US 11 and junction with
I-59, and
Gadsden, where the routes intersect
US 411 and cross the
Coosa River. East of the city, US 278 turns east while US 431 continues south. The route continues south through the
Ridge and Valley Province until it reaches
Anniston, where the route follows a recently-opened bypass of the city. The route traverses Weisner Ridge before descending to its junctions with
US 78 and
I-20. After a concurrency with I-20, the route turns south, where it traverses the
Talladega National Forest and climbs into the
Piedmont, where it follows a notoriously dangerous routing. The route serves
Wedowee,
Roanoke, and
Lafayette before following a bypass of
Opelika, where it junctions with
I-85 and
US 280. Turning east overlapping US 280, the route descends down into the
Gulf Coastal Plain before entering
Phenix City. The route follows a bypass of the city, with a brief concurrency with
US 80. The route turns off US 280 to the south of the city. The route heads inland, traversing rolling hills before descending into
Eufaula, where it engages in another concurrency with US 82. Leaving US 82, the route turns inland, heading south into the Dougherty Pain and
Alabama Wiregrass Region. The route eventually reaches the
Ross Clark Circle, which is
US 84 at this point. It joins it as it passes through east
Dothan. It loses US 84 and continues southwest independently with SR 210, the Ross Clark Circle. It junctions with SR 53 once again as it nears its southern terminus. The beltway turns to the northwest and junctions with US 231 and US 231 Bus. and US 431 Bus., both of which pass through Dothan. SR 1 turns south with US 231, The two business routes end, and US 431 ultimately ends its long journey across east Alabama. ==History==