Virginia

[WillWeaverRVA]

^ Including from 895?

That I don't know, but someone posted on Facebook that 281 is very well posted in the correct directions, with trailblazers at Seven Hills Blvd. I'm not currently willing to spend $5.20 to find out.

Can confirm that it is not currently posted in either direction. Strange, seeing as there's clearly a space on the BGS intended for a shield.

Took 895 east to RIC today, and they had posted one 281 shield on one of the BGS's, and were in the middle of putting a 281 shield on another. So it'll likely be fully posted in both directions on 895 by the end of the day today.

It's about time.

[sprjus4]

For anyone interested, Google now has Street View imagery of the new High Rise Bridge in Chesapeake, VA.

The entire project is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. In addition, the existing HOV lanes between I-464 and I-264 in Norfolk will be converted to HO/T at the same time. This phase of the project is already complete but will not be activated until the High Rise Bridge portion is complete.

[bluecountry]

^ The southbound acceleration lane from where I-66 dumps onto the left lane of I-81 south is currently under construction being extended, and another project scheduled to begin in 2024 will extend this third lane to just beyond US-48, making southbound I-81 three lanes between I-66 and US-48.

There's currently no project planned for northbound, however.

https://www.virginiadot.org/projects/staunton/interstate-81-strasburg-area-widening-mile-markers-295.4-to-299.6.asp

Admittedly, while the whole I-81 corridor through Virginia needs to be widened to 6 lanes throughout, at the very least, every widening project that is planned should be both directions... it amazes me with the amount of these "one direction"  projects that are planned, as if the other direction does not need it.

That is a mistake, the other week I was going from 48 to 66 via 81, and NB that merge on a weekday at 6 PM was very very dangerous.

And I am not against 81 widening, it just is that 95 needs to be the priority, and more than anything, we can agree, the VA highway system is vastly undersized relative to the use.

95 needs to be like the NJTP is from exit 6 to 9 from the beltway to Fberg, if not to 295.
81 certainly needs spot improvements, not a full 3 lanes, but spots.
I contest if 95 were to function, fewer would use 81.
I know many going from NOVA to Charlotte or NE to FL who use 81 where 95 would be shorter.

[famartin]

^ The southbound acceleration lane from where I-66 dumps onto the left lane of I-81 south is currently under construction being extended, and another project scheduled to begin in 2024 will extend this third lane to just beyond US-48, making southbound I-81 three lanes between I-66 and US-48.

There's currently no project planned for northbound, however.

https://www.virginiadot.org/projects/staunton/interstate-81-strasburg-area-widening-mile-markers-295.4-to-299.6.asp

Admittedly, while the whole I-81 corridor through Virginia needs to be widened to 6 lanes throughout, at the very least, every widening project that is planned should be both directions... it amazes me with the amount of these "one direction"  projects that are planned, as if the other direction does not need it.

That is a mistake, the other week I was going from 48 to 66 via 81, and NB that merge on a weekday at 6 PM was very very dangerous.

And I am not against 81 widening, it just is that 95 needs to be the priority, and more than anything, we can agree, the VA highway system is vastly undersized relative to the use.

95 needs to be like the NJTP is from exit 6 to 9 from the beltway to Fberg, if not to 295.
81 certainly needs spot improvements, not a full 3 lanes, but spots.
I contest if 95 were to function, fewer would use 81.
I know many going from NOVA to Charlotte or NE to FL who use 81 where 95 would be shorter.

I feel like VA boxed itself into a corner with their prior attempts to fix 95 and now they're stuck somewhat.

[sprjus4]

I contest if 95 were to function, fewer would use 81.
I know many going from NOVA to Charlotte or NE to FL who use 81 where 95 would be shorter.

I question this claim. How much traffic is truly using I-81 to "bypass"  I-95? Sure, some traffic is, but I doubt it's enough to make the difference. The problem with I-81 isn't volumes overall, it's truck traffic percentages. The vast majority of this truck traffic is likely heading points southwest towards the I-40 and I-75/I-59 corridors into Tennessee & points west, not south toward I-95.

[74/171FAN]

I contest if 95 were to function, fewer would use 81.
I know many going from NOVA to Charlotte or NE to FL who use 81 where 95 would be shorter.

I question this claim. How much traffic is truly using I-81 to "bypass"  I-95? Sure, some traffic is, but I doubt it's enough to make the difference. The problem with I-81 isn't volumes overall, it's truck traffic percentages. The vast majority of this truck traffic is likely heading points southwest towards the I-40 and I-75/I-59 corridors into Tennessee & points west, not south toward I-95.

I know I am doing so, but I usually get on/off at US 17/US 50/US 522 at Exit 313.

[74/171FAN]

^ Including from 895?

That I don't know, but someone posted on Facebook that 281 is very well posted in the correct directions, with trailblazers at Seven Hills Blvd. I'm not currently willing to spend $5.20 to find out.

Can confirm that it is not currently posted in either direction. Strange, seeing as there's clearly a space on the BGS intended for a shield.

Took 895 east to RIC today, and they had posted one 281 shield on one of the BGS's, and were in the middle of putting a 281 shield on another. So it'll likely be fully posted in both directions on 895 by the end of the day today.

It's about time.

I drove VA 281 today and it is fully posted. 

Also it looks like the roadway portion of the VA 10 widening between SR 732 and Rivers Bend Blvd is basically complete.  The signals are in-process of being installed along the superstreet section by SR 618.

[roadman65]

Am I to understand that, although the mainline routes of US 15, 17, and 29 all are concurrent, their business routes in Warrenton are not concurrent.  What I figured out from Googlemaps is that US 15 Business deviates from both US 17 Bus, and US 29 Bus through the main part of the city.

Plus US 211 does not at all meet the three mainline routes east of Warrenton and ends at US 15 Bus. and US 211 Bus while concurrent with US 29 Bus as well?

[1995hoo]

Yes, you're correct about Warrenton.

[famartin]

Am I to understand that, although the mainline routes of US 15, 17, and 29 all are concurrent, their business routes in Warrenton are not concurrent.  What I figured out from Googlemaps is that US 15 Business deviates from both US 17 Bus, and US 29 Bus through the main part of the city.

Plus US 211 does not at all meet the three mainline routes east of Warrenton and ends at US 15 Bus. and US 211 Bus while concurrent with US 29 Bus as well?

You got it.  They're all actually reasonably well signed, when I lived in NOVA I took pictures all along all of them (the mainlines and business routes).  The one thing that was not quite up to snuff is that they couldn't seem to decide if 17 on the bypass was actually 17, because some signage kept 17 along what is really the business route. Though, I've seen that in other VA towns as well (signed as the business route from outside of town, but just labelled as the mainline in town).

[roadman65]

Google Street view shows at the  South- West split of US 17 & 29 with US 211 that there is only guides there.  No shield showing US 211 turns right anymore.

I am guessing that before the bypass the current Business routes of US 17 & 29 were the original mainline bypass and that US 15 Business was the business routes for US 15 & 29 both back then.

I know US 211 used to concur with US 29 to the Key Bridge before the final segment of I-66 opened hence why there is a business US 211 in Warrenton to this day.

[famartin]

Google Street view shows at the  South- West split of US 17 & 29 with US 211 that there is only guides there.  No shield showing US 211 turns right anymore.

I am guessing that before the bypass the current Business routes of US 17 & 29 were the original mainline bypass and that US 15 Business was the business routes for US 15 & 29 both back then.

I know US 211 used to concur with US 29 to the Key Bridge before the final segment of I-66 opened hence why there is a business US 211 in Warrenton to this day.

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.7191568,-77.8071908,3a,75y,213.59h,82.04t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1si2fcMZw170nLexpyIh4ZKA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.7174503,-77.8079533,3a,60.9y,224.48h,78.1t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sGXJZwYPn3ucA7kaP9oYvFA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[Dirt Roads]

Am I to understand that, although the mainline routes of US 15, 17, and 29 all are concurrent, their business routes in Warrenton are not concurrent.  What I figured out from Googlemaps is that US 15 Business deviates from both US 17 Bus, and US 29 Bus through the main part of the city.

Plus US 211 does not at all meet the three mainline routes east of Warrenton and ends at US 15 Bus. and US 211 Bus while concurrent with US 29 Bus as well?

You got it.  They're all actually reasonably well signed, when I lived in NOVA I took pictures all along all of them (the mainlines and business routes).  The one thing that was not quite up to snuff is that they couldn't seem to decide if 17 on the bypass was actually 17, because some signage kept 17 along what is really the business route. Though, I've seen that in other VA towns as well (signed as the business route from outside of town, but just labelled as the mainline in town).

Both BUS US-15 and BUS US-211 in Warrenton all take stay on their historic routes as much as possible.  Those two historic routes were changed to ALT US-15 and ALT US-211 when the original northwestern bypass was constructed back in the mid-1930s.  US-29 did not get an Alternate Route co-signed with ALT US-15 along Falmouth Street/Main Street and Alexandria Pike/Blackwell Road, and US-17 replaced VA-17 in the early 1960s, so neither of those had Business Routes assigned until the current eastern Warrenton Bypass was constructed in the 1990s.

[Mapmikey]

Google Street view shows at the  South- West split of US 17 & 29 with US 211 that there is only guides there.  No shield showing US 211 turns right anymore.

I am guessing that before the bypass the current Business routes of US 17 & 29 were the original mainline bypass and that US 15 Business was the business routes for US 15 & 29 both back then.

I know US 211 used to concur with US 29 to the Key Bridge before the final segment of I-66 opened hence why there is a business US 211 in Warrenton to this day.

There was no 29 business in Warrenton prior to the completion of the current eastern bypass.

This is likely because when the original bypass was completed in the late 1930s US 29's routing between Culpepper and Manassas was considered temporary.

[roadman65]

Google Street view shows at the  South- West split of US 17 & 29 with US 211 that there is only guides there.  No shield showing US 211 turns right anymore.

I am guessing that before the bypass the current Business routes of US 17 & 29 were the original mainline bypass and that US 15 Business was the business routes for US 15 & 29 both back then.

I know US 211 used to concur with US 29 to the Key Bridge before the final segment of I-66 opened hence why there is a business US 211 in Warrenton to this day.

There was no 29 business in Warrenton prior to the completion of the current eastern bypass.

This is likely because when the original bypass was completed in the late 1930s US 29's routing between Culpepper and Manassas was considered temporary.

That would even make more sense to the split in Business US 15 and Business US 29 today.  When the current bypass opened that created the US Business route for US 29 to take over for the now moved US 29 onto the newer road.  US 15 Business then kept its old original alignment through the city.

US 17 Business also followed its pre bypass alignment as well and because it veers off to the NW, it would have never had a loop to start with.

[Mapmikey]

There was a loop for VA 17 but VDOH chose not to utilize it and did not make a 17 ALT through Warrenton, which would have followed  US 15 ALT's original north exit via Winchester St.

[1995hoo]

https://twitter.com/STATter911/status/1588218050909769728

[74/171FAN]

^This would be scarier than that time I saw a deer crossing the NYST with 6 lanes and 65 mph traffic south of Harriman.

[bluecountry]

Why was US-29 from Warrenton to DC originally signed as US-211?

[WillWeaverRVA]

Why was US-29 from Warrenton to DC originally signed as US-211?

US 211 was the original route. US 29 was added to the route on a "temporary" basis but that temporary situation became permanent.

[bluecountry]

Why was US-29 from Warrenton to DC originally signed as US-211?

US 211 was the original route. US 29 was added to the route on a "temporary" basis but that temporary situation became permanent.

So where did 29 terminate?

[bluecountry]

Different topic....

I was on the 95 NB express lanes, I needed to get off in PWC at 234.  I 'assumed' this would be allowed, I mean, what good do the express lanes do for PWC people if they can't exit?
WRONG!
I had to go to the 123 exit and U-Turn.
What a horrible decision, so PWC and Loudoun bound via PW PKWY cannot take the 95 NB express lanes, and are stuck in congestion?
Good lord, I hope this is on the plans to be fixed.

[WillWeaverRVA]

Why was US-29 from Warrenton to DC originally signed as US-211?

US 211 was the original route. US 29 was added to the route on a "temporary" basis but that temporary situation became permanent.

So where did 29 terminate?

It originally terminated in Lynchburg before being extended to Culpeper.

[Mapmikey]

Why was US-29 from Warrenton to DC originally signed as US-211?

US 211 was the original route. US 29 was added to the route on a "temporary" basis but that temporary situation became permanent.

So where did 29 terminate?

It originally terminated in Lynchburg before being extended to Culpeper.

US 29 originally ended at Kings Mtn NC. 

It then replaced US 170 to Culpepper (170 was extended from Lynchburg then immediately renumbered as 29). 

Then US 29 was extended to Baltimore via US 211, etc. pending improvements to VA 28 and new DC bypass.

[Rothman]

^This would be scarier than that time I saw a deer crossing the NYST with 6 lanes and 65 mph traffic south of Harriman.

I ran across the George Washington Parkway once to get to Theodore Roosevelt Island and waited for gaps in the traffic to do so.

The footage in this other instance doesn't seem real.