dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti z nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi z, ðɛɹwˌɜː sˌʌm dˈɪfɹənt vˌɛɹɪˈeɪʃənz ʌvðə ɹˈaʊɾɪŋ ʌv jˌuːˈɛs tˈuːhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti ˈeɪt θɹuː ðə sˈɪɾiz ʌv ɡˈædsdən ænd ɐtˈælə, haʊˈɛvɚ kənstɹˈʌkʃən ʌv fˈoːɹlˈeɪn sˈɛɡmənts ɔnðə wˈɛstɚn sˈaɪd ʌv ɡˈædsdən ænd ɪn ɐtˈælə ɐlˈaʊd ðə hˈaɪweɪ təbi plˈeɪst ˌɔn ɪts kˈɜːɹənt ɹˈaʊt wˌɪtʃ hˈæzbiːn ɪn plˈeɪs sˈɪns ðə mˈɪd nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi z.
During the 1960s–1980s, there were some different variations of the routing of US 278 through the cities of Gadsden and Attalla, however construction of four-lane segments on the western side of Gadsden and in Attalla allowed the highway to be placed on its current route which has been in place since the mid-1980s.