{{short description|State highway in Alabama, United States}} {{Use American English|date=May 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}} {{Infobox road |state=AL |type=AL |route=81 |map={{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=280|type=line|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/Alabama State Route 81}}}} |map_custom=yes |length_mi=10.432 |length_ref=<ref name="ALDOT">{{cite web|url=http://aldotgis.dot.state.al.us/milepostinternet/default.aspx |title=Milepost Maps |last=Alabama Department of Transportation |author-link=Alabama Department of Transportation |accessdate=June 16, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727134739/http://aldotgis.dot.state.al.us/milepostinternet/default.aspx |archivedate=July 27, 2011 }}</ref> |established= |direction_a=South |direction_b=North |terminus_a={{Jct|state=AL|US|29|US|80|SR-Truck|81}} in Tuskegee |junction={{Jct|state=AL|I|85}} near Tuskegee |terminus_b={{Jct|state=AL|SR|14}} in Notasulga |counties=Macon |previous_type=US |previous_route=80 |next_type=US |next_route=82 }}

'''State Route&nbsp;81''' ('''SR&nbsp;81''') is a {{convert|10.432|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} state highway in the central part of the U.S. state of Alabama. The southern terminus of the highway is at an intersection with US&nbsp;29/US&nbsp;80/SR&nbsp;81 Truck in Tuskegee. The northern terminus of the highway is at an intersection with SR&nbsp;14 in Notasulga.

==Route description== SR&nbsp;81 is a two-lane road for its entire length. In addition to connecting Tuskegee and Notasulga, it serves as a route for motorists traveling on Interstate&nbsp;85 (I-85) to access the two towns. Traffic on SR&nbsp;81 increases significantly when the Auburn Tigers football team is playing at Jordan–Hare Stadium. Motorists traveling from the west along I-85 can exit onto SR&nbsp;81 and follow it to eastbound SR&nbsp;14, which leads to Auburn.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

In September 2004, a segment of SR&nbsp;83 near the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site was dedicated '''Tuskegee Airmen Boulevard''' by the National Park Service.<ref name="Times2004">{{cite news|title=National Park Service Honors Tuskegee Airmen|work=Columbus Times|date=September 9, 2004|id={{ProQuest|367483424}}}} {{subscription required}}</ref>

A project to replace the SR&nbsp;81 bridge over Uphappee Creek north of Tuskegee began in November 2022. The new bridge is expected to be completed in summer 2024.<ref name="Hall2022">{{cite news|url=https://www.wsfa.com/2022/11/13/aldot-plans-104m-bridge-replacement-macon-county/|last=Hall|first=Leonard|title=ALDOT plans $10.4M bridge replacement in Macon County|publisher=WSFA|date=November 13, 2022|access-date=May 25, 2023}}</ref>

==Major intersections== {{Jcttop|state=AL|county=Macon|length_ref=<ref name="ALDOT" />}} {{ALint |location=Tuskegee |lspan=3 |mile=0.000 |road={{Jct|state=AL|US|80|SR-Truck|81|dab2=Tuskegee|dir2=north|name2=West Martin Luther King Highway / SR&nbsp;8|to3=to|US|29}} |notes=Southern terminus of SR 81 and SR 81 Truck }} {{ALint |mile=2.9 |road={{jct|state=AL|SR-Truck|81|dab1=Tuskegee|dir1=south|location1=Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site}} |notes=Northern terminus of SR 81 Truck }} {{ALint |mile=3.121 |road={{Jct|state=AL|SR|199|dir1=north}} |notes=Southern terminus of SR 199 }} {{ALint |location=none |mile=3.761 |road={{Jct|state=AL|I|85|city1=Montgomery|location2=Atlanta}} |notes=I-85 exit 38 }} {{ALint |location=Notasulga |mile=10.432 |road={{Jct|state=AL|SR|14|city1=Tallassee|city2=Auburn}} |notes=Northern terminus }} {{Jctbtm}}

==Tuskegee Truck route== {{Infobox road small |header_type= |state=AL |type=AL-Truck |route=81 |location=Tuskegee |length_mi= |length_ref= |formed= |deleted=yes }} '''State Route&nbsp;81 Truck ''' ('''SR&nbsp;81 Truck''') was a truck route of SR&nbsp;81 in Tuskegee that travelled from US&nbsp;29/US&nbsp;80 (SR&nbsp;8/SR&nbsp;15) to SR&nbsp;81. The truck route travelled along US&nbsp;29/US&nbsp;80 (East Martin Luther King Highway) from the Tuskegee Town Green to General Chappie James Drive, then turned northwest along General Chappie James Drive. North of Northeast Brothers Drive in the North Marable Subdivision, General Chappie James Drive becomes General Chappie James Avenue. After a National Guard post, it passed by the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, then the entrance to Moton Field Municipal Airport before finally ending at SR&nbsp;81.

==See also== * {{Portal-inline|U.S. roads}} * {{Portal-inline|United States}}

==References== {{Attached KML|display=title,inline}} {{Reflist}}

081 Category:Transportation in Macon County, Alabama