Here US 11 and AL 5 leave the cosigned interstate section which began just west of the Jefferson-Tuscaloosa County line. If you want to see Bessemer, Birmingham and the surrounding communities as you head west and north, then this is your exit. Hang a right as you reach the end of the exit ramp and then take a left at the next light. You've just found the Bessemer Super Highway, basically a straight run into Birmingham. If you are feeling particularly curious or adventuresome, wander off the beaten (4-lane) path: Bessemer and B'ham are laid out in a fairly reliable grid pattern. If you need to head west, just get on a road and head west. The same for driving back east towards Tannehill, McCalla and Tuscaloosa. Eventually you will cross recognizable borders, as I-459 and I-65 cut through the area in basically north-south directions and major US highways comingle with US 11 and city streets. US 78 (to Tupelo/Memphis in the west and Atlanta to the east) as well as US 280 are well marked. They do twist and turn a bit in the heart of the city, but the turns are fairly well marked and easy to spot if you're a practiced backroads traveller.
