3 Major Northern Virginia parkways (*NOT* NPS) now primary routes.

[Takumi]

The only other primary route above 600 in Virginia is the secret VA 785. Both 785 and 895 have their numbers due to planned interstate designations with the same numbers for those corridors, although it'll be a long way off, if ever, before we see either one. VA 895's tolls don't end until the early 22nd century (and even then, I don't know if it can get its interstate shield), and the planned I-785 corridor in North Carolina (US 29 north of Greensboro) is not interstate standard, nor are there any short term plans to make it so to my knowledge.

[cpzilliacus]

The only other primary route above 600 in Virginia is the secret VA 785. Both 785 and 895 have their numbers due to planned interstate designations with the same numbers for those corridors, although it'll be a long way off, if ever, before we see either one. VA 895's tolls don't end until the early 22nd century (and even then, I don't know if it can get its interstate shield), and the planned I-785 corridor in North Carolina (US 29 north of Greensboro) is not interstate standard, nor are there any short term plans to make it so to my knowledge.

I recall reading on the superbly-detailed Roads to the Future site (here) why 895 has a Virginia primary shield and not an Interstate shield - I have only driven it once or twice, and it certainly seemed to have the "look and feel" of a Virginia Interstate, and Roads to the Future says that it was built to Interstate standards.

[Beltway]

The only other primary route above 600 in Virginia is the secret VA 785. Both 785 and 895 have their numbers due to planned interstate designations with the same numbers for those corridors, although it'll be a long way off, if ever, before we see either one. VA 895's tolls don't end until the early 22nd century (and even then, I don't know if it can get its interstate shield), and the planned I-785 corridor in North Carolina (US 29 north of Greensboro) is not interstate standard, nor are there any short term plans to make it so to my knowledge.

Don't forget about I-664..

I recall reading on the superbly-detailed Roads to the Future site (here) why 895 has a Virginia primary shield and not an Interstate shield - I have only driven it once or twice, and it certainly seemed to have the "look and feel" of a Virginia Interstate, and Roads to the Future says that it was built to Interstate standards.

It was authorized as Interstate I-895 in the 1980s to be funded 90% with federal 4R funds.  Its original preliminary design was as such to Interstate standards.  In 1997 it was funded as a state PPTA project, and built.  Since about $8 million in federal funds was used in the 1980s EIS, under federal law it as a tollroad could not be signed as an Interstate.

I can't understand why the state (if nothing else) didn't offer to refund that money to FHWA to "buy back" the I-895 designation so that it can be signed as such.  The highway will be 10 years old in this September...

[hbelkins]

The only other primary route above 600 in Virginia is the secret VA 785.

Why is there a secret VA 785? Won't 785 follow the path of existing US 29?

How far north will the interstate designation go?

[Takumi]

Yes, I-785 will be entirely concurrent with US 29 on the Danville bypass.  The north end of the bypass was the initially planned north end of I-785, so VA 785 ends there. According to this thread, I-785 may go further north. As to why VA 785 is secret, I don't know. I believe its primary predecessor, VA 265 (the number of the bypass before it was finished and US 29 put on it), was posted.

[WillWeaverRVA]

"Why didn't they make it Primary Route 7100? How hard would that have been?"

That would be (in my opinion) an unpardonable offense.

Yes, I know about Va. 895 (and I-664), but still, with those two exceptions (I don't know of any others [do you?]) primary highways in the Commonwealth have route numbers between 1 and 599, and secondary system routes have numbers greater than 600.

I know there are other funny situations with major highways that route numbers greater than 600 - I think all of them are "secret" route numbers, such as Va. 90004, which is the Dulles Access Road in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties.

There is also VA 785, which is a secret but useless multiplex with the US 29 freeway in Danville. It's there since that's part of the future I-785 corridor.

[Beltway]

Yes, I-785 will be entirely concurrent with US 29 on the Danville bypass.  The north end of the bypass was the initially planned north end of I-785, so VA 785 ends there. According to this thread, I-785 may go further north. As to why VA 785 is secret, I don't know. I believe its primary predecessor, VA 265 (the number of the bypass before it was finished and US 29 put on it), was posted.

The Danville Expressway (named as such because it is mostly within the City of Danville) section between US-29 near the N.C. border and VA-86, opened about 1980, the section between VA-86 and US-58 east of town opened about 1984, the section between US-58 and VA-360 opened about 1994, and the section between VA-360 and US-29 north of town opened in July 1996 (that last date is definite).

To prevent the motorist confusion that would have resulted from signing the partially completed bypass as US-29, when US-29 already existed through town, the segments of the bypass were signed as VA-265 as they opened, and once the final segment of the US-29 Danville bypass was completed, it was all signed as US-29, and the older route through town was re-signed as Business US-29.

The dualization of the US-29 northeast quadrant, and the construction of the US-58 southwest quadrant, completed in 2004.  The southeast quadrant carries both US-29 and US-58.

The western junction of the bypass with US-58 is designed to be compatible with a future northwest bypass quadrant which will complete a circumferential freeway around Danville.

[1995hoo]

http://www.fairfaxunderground.com/forum/read/2/925418.html

"VDOT was erecting a big-ass sign on the parkway heading north just after Burke Centre Parkway. It says Fairfax County Parkway: Now 286, Old 7100."

....

Got a picture of that sign earlier this afternoon, although I was heading south (there are two signs, one for each direction):




There is another similar sign just west of the Sydenstricker exit, though that one appeared to have a slight fabrication issue because the text didn't appear entirely aligned. I didn't get the best look at it because I was trying to get around the poky silver Acura seen in the images below, as he was a left-lane hog going spot-on the speed limit.

What amused me about the signs advertising the new number is that in the area around the Sydenstricker exit the overhead signs shown below have also recently been erected (within the past few weeks when I was out of town, as I did not see them there in early June). Why is that amusing? Because these brand-new signs use the old numbers. While, as we've speculated before, the signs were surely ordered before the numbering change was authorized, I found it to be funny that they'd put up a brand-new sign advertising the new number while also putting up a clearly brand-new sign using the old one. (It still seems to me that it would have made sense just to patch the new signs before hoisting them.)






As to the first sign, I don't ever remember seeing a sign with "CONTINUES" like that anywhere else. Interesting idea.

The second overhead shown above is the first time I can recall seeing this style of arrow-per-lane sign in Virginia. I also noted with displeasure how VDOT still forgot to include some sort of indication that the "Restricted Lanes" are part of I-95.

[cpzilliacus]

The second overhead shown above is the first time I can recall seeing this style of arrow-per-lane sign in Virginia. I also noted with displeasure how VDOT still forgot to include some sort of indication that the "Restricted Lanes" are part of I-95.

Because those restricted lanes are part of I-95 (south of I-495) and I-395 (from I-495 to the District of Columbia), I believe that VDOT deliberately refrains from posting a route number associated with them.

[NE2]

The second overhead shown above is the first time I can recall seeing this style of arrow-per-lane sign in Virginia. I also noted with displeasure how VDOT still forgot to include some sort of indication that the "Restricted Lanes" are part of I-95.

Because those restricted lanes are part of I-95 (south of I-495) and I-395 (from I-495 to the District of Columbia), I believe that VDOT deliberately refrains from posting a route number associated with them.

I thought they were posted as I-95 south and I-395 north from the I-495 HOT lanes.

[1995hoo]

The new signs on the Beltway do indeed include I-95 and I-395 shields. They're the first signs VDOT has posted that do so. I recall remarking on it in another thread when the first one was hoisted and Mike Tantillo, who had seen renderings of what was planned, expressed bug surprise–apparently it was a late change in the plans.

NOT posting a shield seems to underscore the common complaint about signs assuming the driver knows where he's going.

[cpzilliacus]

The new signs on the Beltway do indeed include I-95 and I-395 shields. They're the first signs VDOT has posted that do so. I recall remarking on it in another thread when the first one was hoisted and Mike Tantillo, who had seen renderings of what was planned, expressed bug surprise–apparently it was a late change in the plans.

NOT posting a shield seems to underscore the common complaint about signs assuming the driver knows where he's going.

I would normally be a big proponent of posting shields, but the Shirley Highway HOV roadway is (and was always) designed for regular everyday users, and because opportunities to exit are relatively few (especially in northbound operation) I believe that not posting the shields is the right approach.

[NJRoadfan]

Today I-95 Northbound:
At Fairfax County Parkway, all but the exit sign for Exit 166B have VA-286 shields. No changes at PW Parkway yet. Didn't check to see if VA-289 was posted northbound, was busy cutting across to take I-95 north from the HOV flyover.

[mtantillo]

I think in the southbound direction, it is absolutely appropriate to post "I-95", as every I-95 exit can be reached from the Shirley HOV facility. 

In the northbound direction, I would be okay with omitting the shield and posting a destination or two: "Restricted Lanes - Pentagon - Washington", as those are really the only two places you can get to from the lanes.  Though the flip side to this argument is that the I-495 Express lanes will also have limited access points, and those are clearly signed "I-495 south - E-ZPass Express" and "I-495 north - E-ZPass Express". 

Another way in which those signs only cater to the familiar user: they don't have a VMS component telling you which way the lanes are pointed.  The locals all know the schedule, but an unfamilar driver might head that way thinking the lanes are open south only to find that they are open north, and then its a pain to get back to I-95 from Franconia-Springfield Parkway.  Even locals could be caught by surprise sometimes when VDOT changes the schedule (such as when there is a Sunday morning event that will impact the 14th Street Bridge, VDOT may keep the lanes open southbound until after the event, instead of the usual 2PM Saturday flip, to keep traffic from piling up at the north end of the lanes). 

The new signs on the Beltway do indeed include I-95 and I-395 shields. They're the first signs VDOT has posted that do so. I recall remarking on it in another thread when the first one was hoisted and Mike Tantillo, who had seen renderings of what was planned, expressed bug surprise– apparently it was a late change in the plans.

NOT posting a shield seems to underscore the common complaint about signs assuming the driver knows where he's going.

I would normally be a big proponent of posting shields, but the Shirley Highway HOV roadway is (and was always) designed for regular everyday users, and because opportunities to exit are relatively few (especially in northbound operation) I believe that not posting the shields is the right approach.

[1995hoo]

In fact I was caught by surprise in a bad way last Sunday afternoon (July 1) when they were pointed southbound. We were coming back from Florida and had taken Route 1 from Richmond and I was hoping to hop over to the express lanes near Wegmans, but WTOP reported they were going the other way. Stunk. It took an hour 45 minutes to go 45 miles on Route 1.

I shouldn't grouse. With the downed trees and dark traffic lights, there were more important tasks than reversing the express lanes.

[dfnva]

Finally VA-294 is beginning to be posted... there is now a BGS (similar to those on VA-286) on the Prince William Pkwy near Target/Famous Dave's in Woodbridge that says "Prince William Pkwy: Now VA-294 / Old SR-3000." I've seen no other VA-294 signs. At its western terminus, it is still posted as SR-3000.

I'm wondering how well VA-294 will be posted. SR-3000 is sparsely/inconsistently posted with the exception of major intersections with VA-234, I-95, US-1, Southbound Liberia Ave, a few other places where VDOT still has little white signs at intersections (an increasing rarity in Prince William County), and of course the tiny "SR 3000" on PWC street signs. This is as opposed to how SR-7100 was posted with shields and/or white signs at nearly every intersection and with many, many, reassurance signs on the road itself. In fact, with one exception eastbound approaching Old Bridge Road, SR-3000 is not posted where one has to turn to stay on it and the only reassurance sign for SR-3000 is eastbound leaving VA-234.

-Dan

[froggie]

In fact, with one exception eastbound approaching Old Bridge Road, SR-3000 is not posted where one has to turn to stay on it...

Even that signpost was missing the SR 3000 shield when I passed through last week.

[Takumi]

The only hints of VA 294's existence from I-95 I saw today were the "Old SR 3000" signs on the sides of a few gantries. There were a few unpatched signs for SR 7100 as well, but for the most part the VA 286 shields had been patched on. VA 289 was entirely posted from the interstate (directly accessed only from the HOV lanes, however), but I saw an unpatched 7900 sign on the surface from the transition to the Outer Loop from I-95.

So, who wants to see some shields?:













7900 shield barely visible in this last one.

[74/171FAN]

I got some photos of this when going to DC about a week ago to watch the Braves play the Nationals.  Unfortunately seeing the new shields was may more enjoyable than watching the Braves lose again.

[1995hoo]

....



....

On our way up the express lanes after golfing in Woodbridge Saturday I noted that the left-hand sign in this set hadn't been changed yet (neither had the next one seen at the overpass in the distance) and I foudn it amusing that they did one but not the other. Then I found myself thinking that they ought to just replace the left-hand sign with something more useful that states where the road actually goes, now that it actually does go somewhere. Having "Backlick Rd" and "Fullerton Rd" made sense when the Fairfax County Parkway stub-ended at Fullerton–and indeed the road's name was greened out during that era–but now that it's been completed it seems high time for a replacement sign. Perhaps either Burke or Centreville and Reston might be two logical destinations.

On the southbound side, I noted that the overhead advance signs for the northbound Fairfax County Parkway were patched to say 286 but that the overhead sign on the ramp itself still said 7100, as did the ground-level sign telling truck drivers headed to the military base (the portion formerly called the Proving Grounds) which way to go. No pictures, traffic was too heavy to fool with a camera at that time.

[Takumi]

Yeah, I wouldn't have been able to get those pictures had I been driving. I did see the southbound shields you mentioned, but by then it was nearly midnight.

[Mapmikey]

VA 294 is finally posted on I-95.  In the HOV lanes, anyway. 

Wednesday night at least 3 BGS signs in the HOV received their VA 294 shield patch.


  Here is a photo taken yesterday...


Mapmikey

[Mapmikey]

Last night they finished patching 286 and 294 shields on all BGSs directly on I-95.  Only the assembly on the 95 SB ramp to 286 NB (Heller Rd split) still had a 7100 shield.  "They even patched the Trucks to Ft Belvoir use..." sign on 95 SB.

Mapmikey

[1995hoo]

I drive down to Lorton earlier this morning and the signs for the Heller Road split had both been changed to 286 shields.

[cpzilliacus]

The Washington Post is (finally) reporting the number change (not really news for anyone in this forum).

Why change the numbers of the Fairfax, Prince William and Franconia parkways? Here's why

The route number for the Fairfax County Parkway may have been odd – Route 7100 – but at least you could remember it. Same with the Prince William Parkway. Route 3000. Who ever heard of Route 3000? But for road signs or GPS or map use, they at least were memorable, if odd.

Now, they're changing. The Fairfax County Parkway is becoming Route 286. The Prince William Parkway is becoming Route 294. The Franconia-Springfield Parkway, formerly Route 7900, is becoming Route 287. None of these should be confused with the Dulles Toll Road, which is Route 267.