Until 2008, the only viable north/south route through Calhoun County was SR 21/US 431 (Quintard Avenue) which passed through the center of Anniston and Oxford. Work first began in the 1970s to make an Anniston Western Bypass. Two projects were key to this effort. One was the creation of the Bynum/Leatherwood Road which is a two lane road which runs from US 431 near the Saks community northwest of Anniston southward and bypassing Anniston. This road leads to one of the two main entrances to the Anniston Army Depot (one of the largest employers in Calhoun County) and also connects to SR 202 west of Anniston. The second project was the building of a new 4 lane SR 202 which began at the intersection of 8th Street and Quintard Avenue. This new route ran due west with bridges built to pass over the rail lines run through the city of Anniston, then passing westward just north of the imposing heights of Coldwater Mountain. When completed, SR 202 was removed from its original routing of 10th Street into the western part of Anniston. The old routing and new routing met near the Monsanto Chemical facility in west Anniston. From there, the new 4 lane route westward ran parallel to the old SR 202 until just west of the intersection with the Bynum/Leatherwood Road. The combination of the Bynum/Leatherwood Road and SR 202 west of their intersection comprised the Anniston Western Bypass until the four lane was completed southward to I-20 in 2008.