Corridor Q

Last updated

US 460.svg

Corridor Q

Major junctions
West endUS 23.svgUS 119.svg US 23  / US 119 (Corr. B) near Pikeville, KY
Major intersectionsUS 19.svg US 19 near Richlands, VA
US 52.svg US 52 in Bluefield, WV
I-77.svg I-77 near Princeton, WV
East endI-81.svg I-81 in Christiansburg, VA
Location
Country United States
Highway system

Corridor Q is a highway in the U.S. states of Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia. It is part of the Appalachian Development Highway System and U.S. Route 460. Corridor Q runs from Corridor B (US 23/US 119) near Pikeville, Kentucky, easterly to Interstate 81 in Christiansburg, Virginia. [1]

Contents

Corridor Q does not meet any ADHS Corridors other than B, but it meets the planned Coalfields Expressway (U.S. Route 121) near Grundy, Virginia, the King Coal Highway (U.S. Route 52) in Bluefield, West Virginia, and Interstate 77 just to the east near Princeton. At its west end, traffic can continue northwesterly along Corridor B, Corridor R, Corridor I, and Interstate 64 to reach Lexington, Kentucky. The part of Corridor Q east of Bluefield is part of the I-73/74 North-South Corridor.

History

Kentucky

Corridor Q's western terminus at Corridor B/US 23/US 119 in 2006. An interchange has since been completed at this location. Corridor Q western terminus.jpg
Corridor Q's western terminus at Corridor B/US 23/US 119 in 2006. An interchange has since been completed at this location.
Corridor Q in Dickenson County, Virginia Corridor Q, Dickenson County, Virginia.jpg
Corridor Q in Dickenson County, Virginia

Corridor Q in Kentucky exists between Corridor B/US 23/US 119 at Yeager to the VA 80 near Breaks, Virginia. The corridor is expected to continue southeastward to the Coalfields Expressway approximately five-miles from the Kentucky state line. [2] The new four-lane relocation of US 460 will include interchanges at US 23, Greasy Creek Road, KY 195 and at KY 80. [2] An eight-mile segment of the new US 460 realignment opened from US 23 to Wolfpit Branch Road on December 18, 2014. [3]

US 460 realignment construction

  • Section 1: US 460 departs from US 23 at Yeager and heads southeast towards Stagger Fork. An at-grade intersection was constructed at US 23, however it was grade-separated in 2008. [4] This section is complete.
  • Section 2: US 460 will extend eastward from Stagger Fork to Greasy Creek Road. A diamond interchange is planned for the eastern terminus of this section. This section is complete.
  • Section 3: The highway will extend further east from the Greasy Creek Road interchange to Snake Branch. This section is complete. [4]
  • Section 4
    • Section 4A: The relocation continues from Snake Branch to Wolpit Branch. This section is complete. [4]
    • Section 4B: US 460 continues from Wolfpit Branch to KY 195. This section is complete. [4]
  • Section 5: The highway will continue eastward from the KY 195 interchange to Laurel Branch. The KY 195 interchange will be constructed during this phase. Construction began in 2009. [4]
  • Section 6
    • Section 6A: This section extends from Laurel Branch to Pond Creek. Construction began in 2010. [4]
    • Pond Creek Bridge - Construction will begin in 2015.
    • Section 6B: The route is extended east to Russell Fork. Construction began on this segment in 2011. [4]
    • Section 6C: This involves the construction of a bridge spanning Russell Fork and KY 80. Construction will begin on this segment in 2016. [4]
  • Section 7
    • Section 7JMB: This involved the construction of a bridge over Russell Fork just west of Elkhorn City for John Moore Branch Road. Construction on this segment is complete. [4]
    • Section 7A: This section of US 460 extends from KY 80 to 3,000 feet (910 m) east of Beaver Creek. It includes an interchange with KY 80. Construction on this segment began in 2006. [4]
    • 7A-2 Construction to begin in 2016.
    • Section 7B: This extends from 3,000 feet (910 m) east of Beaver Creek to KY 1373. Construction on this segment began in 2006 and has been completed. [4]
  • Section 8: US 460 will extend east from KY 1373 to the Virginia state line. Construction began on this segment in 2013. [4]
  • Section 9V: This section, constructed by the Virginia Department of Transportation, will include the connection to VA 80. Construction began on this segment in 2010. [4]

Virginia

In the early 1970s, the former Virginian Railway right-of-way along the north bank of the New River eastward from a point near the VA-WV state line near Glen Lyn to Narrows was acquired by VDOT's predecessor agency from the Norfolk and Western Railway to enable four-laning of the highway through the narrow space between the river and rocky bluffs. (The N&W main line follows the south bank through this area). [5] Along this stretch of highway (From the WV-VA state line until Pearisburg, VA.) the speed limit fluctuates multiple times, with posted limits quickly dropping to as low as 40 miles per hour. Police presence along the highway is especially high in the town of Narrows, VA. (Where the speed limit is 40 miles per hour).

Traveling further east, U.S. 460 climbs the mountain. After leaving Giles County and entering Montgomery County, views of the Blacksburg countryside are visible on the south side of the mountain. As the highway begins the long descent down the mountain, travelers enter Blacksburg's limits. There are several ways to access Downtown Blacksburg from U.S. 460 (Listed in order as if traveling Eastbound).

After passing the South Main Street exit, U.S. 460 travelers are now in the vicinity of Christiansburg.

Presently,[ when? ] U.S. 460 Business (South Main Street, but becomes North Franklin Street upon entering Christiansburg) runs through downtown Christiansburg and U.S. 460 Bypass runs just outside the town.

Future

Future plans include converting the Smart Road into a 5.7-mile limited-access highway, connecting Blacksburg directly to I-81. [6] The VDOT Projects and Studies website for the Smart Road project states under Phase 1, "Western end has large turnaround for normal-speed turns by test vehicles. [6] Will link with Route 460 Business and Bypass and new Blacksburg interchange for 460 Bypass (under construction) for regular traffic when phase 3 completed". [7] At this point in time,[ when? ] ramps are partially complete, but inaccessible.

West Virginia

Corridor Q in West Virginia comprises US 19, US 52 and US 460 all within Mercer County.

The section from the Virginia state line east to US 19/WV 112 opened in 1977 at a distance of 5.38 miles (8.66 km). [8] It forms a southern bypass of Bluefield and features a small concurrency with US 52; it is signed as US 460 otherwise. During the same year, the section of US 19 and US 460 that run concurrent between WV 112 and CR 19-33 at Maple Acres opened (MP 5.38 to MP 8.68). The segment between Maple Acres and the US 19 intersection southwest of Princeton opened in 1967 (MP 8.68 to 10.70). The corridor between WV 112 and the northern US 19 intersection is signed both US 19 and US 460 (MP 5.38 to 10.70).

In 1978, a southern bypass of Princeton opened from the northern US 19 intersection southwest of the city to the WV 104 intersection just west of Interstate 77 (MP 10.73 to MP 15.35). [8] The four-lane road at the Interstate 77 junction opened nine-years prior (MP 15.35 to MP 15.84).

The remainder of the highway between the Interstate 77 junction and the Virginia state line at Glen Lyn opened in 1972 and 1973 (MP 15.84 to 27.06). [8]

The only modification to the highway, with the exclusion of various traffic signal additions between Bluefield and Princeton, is an incomplete interchange with the King Coal Highway at the eastern US 52 junction east of Bluefield. The $27 million interchange opened in the early 2000s with the four-lane upgrade of US 52 between US 460 and Interstate 77. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 19</span> Highway in the United States

U.S. Route 19 or U.S. Highway 19 (US 19) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway in the Eastern United States. Despite encroaching Interstate Highways, the route has remained a long-haul road, connecting the Gulf of Mexico with Lake Erie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 58</span> Highway in the United States

U.S. Route 58 is an east–west U.S. Highway that runs for 508 miles (818 km) from U.S. Route 25E just northwest of Harrogate, Tennessee, to U.S. Route 60 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Until 1996, when the Cumberland Gap Tunnel opened, US 58 ran only inside the commonwealth of Virginia. It was then extended southwest along a short piece of former US 25E, which no longer enters Virginia, to end at the new alignment in Tennessee. For most of its alignment, it closely parallels Virginia's southern border with North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 119</span> Highway in the United States

U.S. Route 119 (US 119) is a spur of US 19. It is a north–south route that was an original United States highway of 1926. It is Corridor G of the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS) east of US 23 and KY 80 in Kentucky to Interstate 64 at Charleston, West Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 340</span> US Numbered Highway in Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland, United States

U.S. Route 340 is a spur route of US 40, and runs from Greenville, Virginia, to Frederick, Maryland. In Virginia, it runs north–south, parallel and east of US 11, from US 11 north of Greenville via Waynesboro, Grottoes, Elkton, Luray, Front Royal, and Berryville to the West Virginia state line. A short separate piece crosses northern Loudoun County on its way from West Virginia to Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 460</span> Highway in the United States

U.S. Route 460 (US 460) is a spur route of U.S. Route 60. It currently runs for 655 miles (1,054 km) from Norfolk, Virginia, at its parent route U.S. Route 60 at Ocean View to Frankfort, Kentucky, intersecting its parent route once again. It passes through the states of Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. It goes through the cities and towns of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Petersburg, Farmville, Lynchburg, Roanoke, Christiansburg, Blacksburg, Tazewell, and Grundy, in Virginia; Princeton and Bluefield in West Virginia; and Pikeville, Georgetown, and Frankfort in Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 48</span> Highway in the United States

U.S. Route 48 (US 48), also known as the incomplete Corridor H of the Appalachian Development Highway System, extends from Interstate 79 (I-79) in Weston, West Virginia, eastward across the crest of the Allegheny Mountains to I-81 in Strasburg, Virginia. It is planned to extend 157 miles (253 km) from northwestern Virginia to central West Virginia.

In the United States, Corridor D is part of the Appalachian Development Highway System. In Ohio, it follows State Route 32 from the eastern Cincinnati suburbs until a point west of Albany, where it becomes concurrent with U.S. Route 50. After crossing into West Virginia, it follows U.S. Route 50 until the Interstate 79 interchange in Clarksburg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Circle Road</span> Highway in Lexington, Kentucky

New Circle Road, also known as Kentucky Route 4, is a Kentucky state highway that serves as an inner beltway around Lexington, which is part of the consolidated city-county government with Fayette County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia State Route 412</span>

State Route 412 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Prices Fork Road, the state highway runs 1.35 miles (2.17 km) from U.S. Route 460 east to US 460 Business within Blacksburg in northern Montgomery County. SR 412 connects US 460 with downtown Blacksburg and the northern end of the campus of Virginia Tech.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia State Route 114</span>

State Route 114 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Peppers Ferry Road, the state highway runs 10.32 miles (16.61 km) from U.S. Route 11 in Fairlawn east to US 460 in Christiansburg. SR 114 is the northernmost of three east–west highways between Radford and Christiansburg and the most direct highway between Radford and Blacksburg. The state highway also connects those cities with the Radford Army Ammunition Plant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Route 311 (Virginia–West Virginia)</span>

Virginia State Route 311 and West Virginia Route 311 are adjoining state highways in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia. The two state highways together run 58.7 miles (94.5 km) from U.S. Route 11 in Salem, Virginia north to Interstate 64 and U.S. Route 60 near White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. The two Virginia portions of Route 311 are maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation, with the exception of the city-maintained portion within Salem. The West Virginia segments are maintained by the West Virginia Division of Highways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia State Route 117</span>

State Route 117 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Peters Creek Road, the state highway runs 7.21 miles (11.60 km) from U.S. Route 11 in Roanoke north to US 11 in Hollins. SR 117 provides a four-lane divided highway bypass of Downtown Roanoke, connecting US 11 and US 460 on the southwest and northwest sides of Roanoke and Hollins in northeastern Roanoke County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 25E</span> Highway in Tennessee and Kentucky, United States

U.S. Route 25E (US 25E) is the eastern branch of US 25 from Newport, Tennessee, where US 25 splits into US 25E and US 25W, to North Corbin, Kentucky, where the two highways rejoin. The highway, however, continues as US 25E for roughly two miles (3.2 km) until it joins Interstate 75 (I-75) in the Laurel County community of North Corbin at exit 29. The highway serves the Appalachia regions of Kentucky's Cumberland Plateau and the Ridge-and-Valley section of East Tennessee, including the urbanized areas of Corbin and Middlesboro in Kentucky and Morristown in Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 52 in West Virginia</span>

U.S. Route 52 (US 52) skirts the western fringes of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It runs from the Virginia state line near Bluefield, where it is concurrent with Interstate 77 (I-77), in a general northwest and north direction to I-64 at Kenova. There it turns east, overlapping I-64 for five miles (8.0 km) before splitting off onto the West Huntington Expressway into Ohio via the West Huntington Bridge. Despite having an even number, US 52 is signed north–south in West Virginia. In some other states along its route, it is signed east-west. The West Virginia segment is signed such that US 52 north corresponds to the general westward direction of the highway, and vice versa. For a while, US 52 parallels US 23, which is on the other side of the Big Sandy River in Kentucky. This continues into Ohio, where US 52 travels on the Ohio side of the Ohio River while US 23 travels on the Kentucky side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kentucky Route 11</span> Highway in Kentucky

Kentucky Route 11 (KY 11) is an American highway maintained by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet that runs from Maysville to Barbourville. The route from Maysville to Mount Sterling is being upgraded on a new alignment as part of a "macro-corridor" within the state of Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 460 in Virginia</span> State highway in Virginia

U.S. Route 460 (US 460) in Virginia runs west-east through the southern part of the Commonwealth. The road has two separate pieces in Virginia, joined by a relatively short section in West Virginia. Most of US 460 is a four-lane divided highway and is a major artery in the southern third of the state. From Petersburg to Suffolk, US 460 is a four-lane non-divided highway. It is a popular alternative to Interstate 64 (I-64) when going from Richmond and other points in central Virginia to the Currituck Sound and Outer Banks of North Carolina, avoiding the congestion and tunnels of the more northerly I-64 corridor. The road passes through several small towns that built up at stops along the railroad line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 19 in Virginia</span> State highway in Virginia

U.S. Route 19 (US 19) is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from Memphis, Florida, to Erie, Pennsylvania. In Virginia, the highway runs 88.89 miles (143.05 km) between two pairs of twin cities: Bristol, Tennessee, and Bristol, Virginia, at the Virginia–Tennessee state line, and Bluefield, Virginia, and Bluefield, West Virginia, at the Virginia–West Virginia state line. Between its endpoints, US 19 has lengthy concurrencies with US 11, US 58 Alternate, and US 460 during its course connecting Abingdon, Lebanon, and Tazewell within Washington, Russell, and Tazewell counties in Southwest Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia State Route 8</span> State highway in Virginia, United States

State Route 8 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs 55.88 miles (89.93 km) from the North Carolina state line near Palmetto, where the highway continues south as North Carolina Highway 8, north to U.S. Route 11 in Christiansburg. SR 8 is part of a 151-mile (243 km) two-state highway 8 system and is the main north–south highway of Patrick County, Floyd County, and southern Montgomery County, connecting their respective county seats of Stuart, Floyd, and Christiansburg with each other and with the Blue Ridge Parkway. The state highway also links the New River Valley region of Virginia with Southside Virginia via US 58 and the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina via NC 8.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Route 102 (Virginia–West Virginia)</span>

Virginia State Route 102 and West Virginia Route 102 are adjoining state highways in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia. The two state highways together run 11.4 miles (18.3 km) from Center Street in Pocahontas, Virginia east to the Virginia – West Virginia state line between the twin cities of Bluefield, Virginia and Bluefield, West Virginia. Most of Route 102 consists of three sections in Virginia maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT); the two intervening sections in West Virginia are maintained by the West Virginia Division of Highways. In addition to connecting Pocahontas with the two Bluefields, the state highway passes through Nemours, West Virginia and Falls Mills, Virginia and provides access to Bluefield College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special routes of U.S. Route 460</span>

A total of at least sixteen special routes of U.S. Route 460 exist and at least six have been deleted.

References

  1. "ADHS Approved Corridors and Termini". Archived from the original on November 1, 2007. Retrieved October 26, 2006.
  2. 1 2 "Project Description." Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. November 30, 2006 Archived November 23, 2006, at the Wayback Machine .
  3. "Gov. Beshear opens first section of the U.S. 460 project in Pike County". Governor Steve Beshear's Communications Office. December 18, 2014. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Schedules." Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. November 30, 2006 Archived November 23, 2006, at the Wayback Machine .
  5. U.S. Route 460 in Virginia
  6. 1 2 Projects Smart Road virginiadot.org
  7. "Smart Road Facts". Archived from the original on January 5, 2011. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
  8. 1 2 3 Release Date Report. West Virginia Department of Transportation. August 2003.
  9. DOH Awards King Coal Highway Contract. December 18, 2003. West Virginia Department of Transportation. December 24, 2003 Archived February 2, 2004, at the Wayback Machine .