Virginia

[Rothman]

Wonder how they got around state preservation/§106 for that.  Wonder how frequent the flooding events were.

[1995hoo]

Thought some of you might be interested in learning about this newsletter. I'm sure bluecountry, in particular, will be a big fan.

https://x.com/VaDOT/status/1884262430974280029

[plain]

Thought some of you might be interested in learning about this newsletter. I'm sure bluecountry, in particular, will be a big fan.

https://x.com/VaDOT/status/1884262430974280029

Oh he's gonna love this one 

[Plutonic Panda]

https://x.com/vadotstaunton/status/1883890663290270169?s=61&t=b6K8m7mnCl3hI8EuxEn4og

Even though that bridge is not very big that timeline is still a bit surprising to me.

[Thing 342]

Another phase of the Colonial Parkway rehabilitation project has begun. In addition to existing closures, the Parkway will be closed between VA-132Y and VA-641/Penniman Road until mid-2026. With the current set of closures, basically the only stretch of the parkway that will be usable is the portion between VA-199 and Jamestown Island until about mid-March.



Considering that many of the bridges are not being replaced, this project seems to be moving at a snail's pace. The portion between Penniman Road and Yorktown, which serves some amount of commuter traffic, has been effectively closed for over a year now. The tunnel underneath Colonial Williamsburg has been closed for at least two.

[noelbotevera]

I'm definitely out of the loop here, but I've noticed that the GW Parkway is getting rehabbed (with some much needed rework at VA 123 / Chain Bridge Road). What I'm unaware of is the the construction at Exit 43; the NPS website doesn't mention it as part of the project.

Will Exit 43 finally be a 2 lane exit, or is the ramp geometry being reworked for merges onto the Beltway?

[Mapmikey]

I'm definitely out of the loop here, but I've noticed that the GW Parkway is getting rehabbed (with some much needed rework at VA 123 / Chain Bridge Road). What I'm unaware of is the the construction at Exit 43; the NPS website doesn't mention it as part of the project.

Will Exit 43 finally be a 2 lane exit, or is the ramp geometry being reworked for merges onto the Beltway?

Exit 43 is part of the extension of the 495 express lanes to the Potomac River.

https://495next.vdot.virginia.gov/

The ramps from 495 will continue to be single lane...

[roadman65]

Are non interstate freeways within independent cities state maintained like interstates?

I know that per agreement of city charters that the state don't maintain US or state routes inside independent cities except interstate freeways, but, for example, US 13,58, & 460 in Suffolk which is a freeway in an independent city but not interstate does that mean it's Suffolk's responsibility then?

[WillWeaverRVA]

Are non interstate freeways within independent cities state maintained like interstates?

I know that per agreement of city charters that the state don't maintain US or state routes inside independent cities except interstate freeways, but, for example, US 13,58, & 460 in Suffolk which is a freeway in an independent city but not interstate does that mean it's Suffolk's responsibility then?

I believe it depends on the jurisdiction. In the City of Richmond, all non-interstate freeways (which consist of about two-thirds of VA 195, VA 146, part of VA 76, and part of VA 150) are all maintained by the city or by the Richmond Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Also, the entirety of the VA 168 freeway (both the tolled Chesapeake Expressway and the non-tolled Great Bridge Bypass) is maintained by the City of Chesapeake. However, VA 164 runs through Suffolk and Portsmouth and is maintained by VDOT.

The Suffolk Bypass you mentioned is maintained by the City of Suffolk.

VDOT has an arcgis map that shows who is responsible for maintenance of pretty much every road in the state.

[sprjus4]

Are non interstate freeways within independent cities state maintained like interstates?

I know that per agreement of city charters that the state don't maintain US or state routes inside independent cities except interstate freeways, but, for example, US 13,58, & 460 in Suffolk which is a freeway in an independent city but not interstate does that mean it's Suffolk's responsibility then?

I believe it depends on the jurisdiction. In the City of Richmond, all non-interstate freeways (which consist of about two-thirds of VA 195, VA 146, part of VA 76, and part of VA 150) are all maintained by the city or by the Richmond Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Also, the entirety of the VA 168 freeway (both the tolled Chesapeake Expressway and the non-tolled Great Bridge Bypass) is maintained by the City of Chesapeake. However, VA 164 runs through Suffolk and Portsmouth and is maintained by VDOT.

The Suffolk Bypass you mentioned is maintained by the City of Suffolk.

VDOT has an arcgis map that shows who is responsible for maintenance of pretty much every road in the state.

US-17 in Chesapeake is also maintained by the city of Chesapeake. It is a freeway for the northern 3 miles, and a limited access expressway for the remaining 14 miles, built by VDOT in 2005.

[RoadPelican]

US-17 in Chesapeake is also maintained by the city of Chesapeake. It is a freeway for the northern 3 miles, and a limited access expressway for the remaining 14 miles, built by VDOT in 2005.

There is a tolled bridge crossing (Dominion Blvd Veterans Bridge) in the northern 3 miles.(Finished in December 2014) Plus, there are two signalized intersections on the expressway portion.

It's better than the 2 lane road it was 20 years ago!!! Ditto for Route 168 before the Chesapeake Expressway was finished in 2001.

[roadman65]

https://www.facebook.com/reel/547486058261012?mibextid=gYSGZt&s=yWDuG2&fs=e
This is crazy. Unless it's AI, but truck hits sign on I-64 at I-295.

[WillWeaverRVA]

https://www.facebook.com/reel/547486058261012?mibextid=gYSGZt&s=yWDuG2&fs=e
This is crazy. Unless it's AI, but truck hits sign on I-64 at I-295.

It's real. Problem is, it happened a long time ago.

[roadman65]

https://www.facebook.com/reel/547486058261012?mibextid=gYSGZt&s=yWDuG2&fs=e
This is crazy. Unless it's AI, but truck hits sign on I-64 at I-295.

It's real. Problem is, it happened a long time ago.

Figures.  I was going to delete it after researching, but just to point out people on social media and other platforms.


I thought it was AI again or something else, but didn't figure old stuff would be posted as current.

Must work for Indeed. As they post month old jobs as current jobs.

[WillWeaverRVA]

https://www.facebook.com/reel/547486058261012?mibextid=gYSGZt&s=yWDuG2&fs=e
This is crazy. Unless it's AI, but truck hits sign on I-64 at I-295.

It's real. Problem is, it happened a long time ago.

Figures.  I was going to delete it after researching, but just to point out people on social media and other platforms.


I thought it was AI again or something else, but didn't figure old stuff would be posted as current.

Must work for Indeed. As they post month old jobs as current jobs.

Unfortunately a lot of Facebook "pages" these days are data aggregators and scrapers who republish existing content from other sources in the hopes that it goes viral. There are several such pages dedicated to roads, and their text actually is entirely AI-generated (and is loaded with mistakes). They've been discussed here a few times. They've exploded as Facebook has relaxed its rules against misinformation.

[roadman65]

https://www.facebook.com/reel/547486058261012?mibextid=gYSGZt&s=yWDuG2&fs=e
This is crazy. Unless it's AI, but truck hits sign on I-64 at I-295.

It's real. Problem is, it happened a long time ago.

Figures.  I was going to delete it after researching, but just to point out people on social media and other platforms.


I thought it was AI again or something else, but didn't figure old stuff would be posted as current.

Must work for Indeed. As they post month old jobs as current jobs.

Unfortunately a lot of Facebook "pages" these days are data aggregators and scrapers who republish existing content from other sources in the hopes that it goes viral. There are several such pages dedicated to roads, and their text actually is entirely AI-generated (and is loaded with mistakes). They've been discussed here a few times. They've exploded as Facebook has relaxed its rules against misinformation.

Google ain't no help either.  They pull up decade old info on stuff as well.

Indeed shouldn't be posting jobs that are over a few days old, but " Indeed" they do.

[Thing 342]

Found a fairly baffling sign in Suffolk off Bennett's Pasture Rd. (heading NB towards US-17):



Any idea what on earth the "I-64" route to Richmond is supposed to be here? My best guess is that it means taking taking VA-164 into downtown Portsmouth, then jumping over to I-64 and the HRBT to the Peninsula, but that's an absurd routing unless the MMMBT and JRB are somehow both blocked (and at that point I'd probably just take VA-10 or US-460). Perhaps it's an error and it's supposed to be US-17 there? GSV from July 2023 has posts installed but no sign, so I'm guessing it went up in late 2023.

[froggie]

Any idea what on earth the "I-64" route to Richmond is supposed to be here?

Taking 64 from Bowers Hill.

Weird, yes, from that location.  But that's what it is.

[sprjus4]

Found a fairly baffling sign in Suffolk off Bennett's Pasture Rd. (heading NB towards US-17):



Any idea what on earth the "I-64" route to Richmond is supposed to be here? My best guess is that it means taking taking VA-164 into downtown Portsmouth, then jumping over to I-64 and the HRBT to the Peninsula, but that's an absurd routing unless the MMMBT and JRB are somehow both blocked (and at that point I'd probably just take VA-10 or US-460). Perhaps it's an error and it's supposed to be US-17 there? GSV from July 2023 has posts installed but no sign, so I'm guessing it went up in late 2023.

I noticed this a few months ago, looked it, said wait a minute I-64? Here? Then forgot about it. But yes, very strange!

US-17 JRB and US-460 would both be faster alternatives to I-295 Richmond. And ironically enough, it duplicates a sign near US-17 Deep Creek by the High Rise Bridge (on I-64 heading towards Bowers Hill) that instead of "I-64" has "US-460".

[74/171FAN]

Speaking of odd sign goofs, this one in Chesapeake on US 13 SB confuses me.  First, I think the "TO" should be switched with the "TOLL".  Also I wonder if VA 168 should be signed.

US 13 NORTH AT I-464 SOUTH (2) by Mark Moore, on Flickr

[WillWeaverRVA]

Speaking of odd sign goofs, this one in Chesapeake on US 13 SB confuses me.  First, I think the "TO" should be switched with the "TOLL".  Also I wonder if VA 168 should be signed.

US 13 NORTH AT I-464 SOUTH (2) by Mark Moore, on Flickr

VA 168 isn't signed at other entrances to I-464, nor is I-464 signed at entrances to VA 168 (though "NORFOLK SUFFOLK" is), so I guess not posting VA 168 is fine.

The TOLL banner probably got tacked on as an afterthought since the US 17 toll road is relatively new.

[sprjus4]

I have wondered though why "US-17" is signed here to begin with.

If you want some poor signage, look at Dominion Blvd (US-17) between I-64 and Cedar Rd (VA-165). Several non-compliant overhead signage. It was installed during the widening / upgrading of Dominion Blvd into a freeway around 8-10 years ago.

[Mapmikey]

I have wondered though why "US-17" is signed here to begin with.

If you want some poor signage, look at Dominion Blvd (US-17) between I-64 and Cedar Rd (VA-165). Several non-compliant overhead signage. It was installed during the widening / upgrading of Dominion Blvd into a freeway around 8-10 years ago.

TO US 17 has had a posting here since VA 104 was still the route to the left.

[WillWeaverRVA]

Playing around with the VDOT ArcGIS map while waiting for VCU's new coach's presser...

- There is a US 11Y designated for the piece of US 11 that crosses over I-81 in Red Mills for some reason (the LRS Route Overlap map shows a gap between this segment and the beginning of one of the I-81 overlaps). It doesn't make any sense as it's not a wye setup.

- There are a few routes designated as "Retired Routes". Most of them are secondary but there are pieces of VA 353 (between 8th and 10th Streets in Richmond), VA 364 (the tiny piece that crosses US 58), and VA 376 (Lake Drive on the Northern Virginia Community College Annandale campus) that are listed as "retired". I don't know what the significance of this is.

- The former routing of VA 256 in Grottoes on Aspen Avenue and Cary Street is still primary and designated "OLD VA 256".

- Elm Avenue and Courthouse Square in Louisa is designated "OLD VA 208", which is odd because it should be SR 630. Google Street View shows that it's still posted as VA 208, though.

[Mapmikey]

Playing around with the VDOT ArcGIS map while waiting for VCU's new coach's presser...

- There is a US 11Y designated for the piece of US 11 that crosses over I-81 in Red Mills for some reason (the LRS Route Overlap map shows a gap between this segment and the beginning of one of the I-81 overlaps). It doesn't make any sense as it's not a wye setup.

- There are a few routes designated as "Retired Routes". Most of them are secondary but there are pieces of VA 353 (between 8th and 10th Streets in Richmond), VA 364 (the tiny piece that crosses US 58), and VA 376 (Lake Drive on the Northern Virginia Community College Annandale campus) that are listed as "retired". I don't know what the significance of this is.

- The former routing of VA 256 in Grottoes on Aspen Avenue and Cary Street is still primary and designated "OLD VA 256".

- Elm Avenue and Courthouse Square in Louisa is designated "OLD VA 208", which is odd because it should be SR 630. Google Street View shows that it's still posted as VA 208, though.

Old State Route (OSR) has been a designation category for at least 50 years.  I've been aware of several.  Off the top of my head I don't recall any posting that would tell you...but it is on traffic logs back then.  Not every former alignment gets an OSR and I believe it is the interim designation between posting a new alignment and formally redesignating the old alignment or abandoning it.  This is from the 2007 Traffic Log:

http://www.vahighways.com/osr234.jpg

The 1975 log has "15 & 29 OLD RT" as an entry for current SR 762 through Brandy Station

I'm stumped regarding US 11Y.  Would only make sense if US 11 were restored to FR 55.  The title suggests there are at least 5 US 11Y routes...but I pulled up the table of WYE routes and that US 11Y entry is the only one that is beyond the handful of WYE routes I know about.

Retired route is a new one on me.

_{EDITED TO ADD INFO ABOUT 1975 REFERENCE}