U.S. Route 52 (US 52) in
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
runs north–south through the southwestern part of the state along the
Interstate 77
Interstate 77 (I-77) is a north–south Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. It traverses diverse terrain, from the mountainous state of West Virginia to the rolling farmlands of North Carolina and Ohio. It largely supplants the ...
(I-77) corridor. Though an even-numbered U.S. route, it is signed north–south in Virginia (standard convention being to label even-numbered U.S. routes with east–west designations). In some other states along its route, it is signed east–west. The Virginia segment is signed such that US 52 north corresponds to the general westward direction of the highway, and ''vice versa''.
Route description
US 52 parallels
I-77
Interstate 77 (I-77) is a north–south Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. It traverses diverse terrain, from the mountainous state of West Virginia to the rolling farmlands of North Carolina and Ohio. It largely supplants the ...
through the state. It enters Virginia from
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
in the town of
Cana, Virginia
Cana is a census-designated place (CDP) in Carroll County, Virginia, Carroll County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,254 at the 2010 census, up from 1,228 in 2000. It is the only CDP designated area in the county that is outside of th ...
as a two-lane road known as Fancy Gap Highway. In the town of
Fancy Gap there is an interchange with the
Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is America's longest linear park, runs for through 29 Virginia and North Carolina counties, linking Shenand ...
, and at the center of town an intersection with SR 755 (Chances Creek Road) provides access to I-77. In
Hillsville the route enters town as South Main Street and has an interchange with
US 58
U.S. Route 58 (US 58) is an east–west U.S. Highway that runs for 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 ...
at the south edge of town, and in the center of town, it meets
US 221
U.S. Route 221 (US 221) is a spur of U.S. Route 21. It travels from Perry, Florida, at US 19/ US 98/ US 27 Alternate to Lynchburg, Virginia, at US 29 Business (Lynchburg Expressway). It travels through the states ...
(Stuart Drive) at an intersection, where South Main Street becomes North Main Street, before leaving north out of town along Poplar Camp Road. Gradually climbing through the rolling foothills of the
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...
, an intersection with
SR 69 provides another access point for I-77, before it crosses over the
New River and passes under, but does not interchange with, I-77.
In
Fort Chiswell
Chiswell , sometimes , is a small village at the southern end of Chesil Beach, in Underhill, on the Isle of Portland in Dorset. It is the oldest settlement on the island, having formerly been known as Chesilton. The small bay at Chiswell is ca ...
, US 52 meets
SR 94 at the center of town before merging with I-77 North/
I-81 South/
US 11 South. The four routes continue along a freeway together to the city of
Wytheville, Virginia, where US 11 leaves along Lee Highway/East Main Street, then I-77 leaves northward along its own freeway, and finally US 52 leaves the freeway at North 4th Street. Leaving Wytheville along Stoney Fork Road, US 52 begins its steep climb across the peak of the
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virgin ...
, passing
Big Walker Lookout
Big Walker Lookout is a observation tower located in the Blue Ridge Highlands Region atop Big Walker Mountain in Bland County, Virginia.
Location
The tower is accessed from the Big Walker General Store, just off US Route 52 about from Wy ...
tower at a
hairpin turn
A hairpin turn (also hairpin bend or hairpin corner) is a bend in a road with a very acute inner angle, making it necessary for an oncoming vehicle to turn about 180° to continue on the road. It is named for its resemblance to a bent metal hai ...
just at the ridge of the mountains. Descending via a long series of short switchbacks down the other side of the mountain ridge, there is an interchange with I-77 in the community of
Bland. From here northwards, the road is known as Scenic Highway, and it again crosses another ridge of mountains, steeply climbing to meet the
Appalachian Trail south of the community of
Bastian Bastian is a German short form of Sebastian. Notable people with the surname include:
*Adolf Bastian (1826–1905), 19th-century anthropologist
*Ali Bastian (born 1982), English television actress
*Amy Bastian (born 1968), American neuroscientist
* ...
. Past Bastian, SR 666 provides access to I-77 yet again, and US 52 passes through the small community of
Hicksville before a complex interchange with I-77 and SR 606 at
Wolf Creek. US 52 closely hugs I-77 as the two routes follow the narrow Wolf Creek valley, as US 52 serves as a
frontage road
A frontage road (also known as an access road, outer road, service road, feeder road, or parallel road) is a local road running parallel to a higher-speed, limited-access road. A frontage road is often used to provide access to private drivew ...
to the southbound lanes of I-77. At
Rocky Gap there is a brief concurrency with
SR 61 and an interchange with I-77. US 52 merges with I-77 just south of the
East River Mountain Tunnel
The East River Mountain Tunnel is a vehicular tunnel that carries Interstate 77 (I-77) and U.S. Route 52 (US 52) through East River Mountain between the communities of Bluefield, West Virginia, and Rocky Gap, Virginia.
History
Groundbreak ...
entrance. The two routes pass into
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
through the tunnel.
History
The piece of US 52 south of
Fort Chiswell
Chiswell , sometimes , is a small village at the southern end of Chesil Beach, in Underhill, on the Isle of Portland in Dorset. It is the oldest settlement on the island, having formerly been known as Chesilton. The small bay at Chiswell is ca ...
was part of the state highway system defined in 1918. It was initially designated State Route 12-Z, at least south of
Hillsville, but by 1924 it was State Route 15. In 1926, the
U.S. Route 121
U.S. Route 121 (US 121) is a proposed U.S. highway designated as the Coalfields Expressway, a four-lane highway stretching from Beckley, West Virginia, to Pound, Virginia, approximately in length. It is designed to connect Interstate ...
designation was applied to the whole length of SR 15, from
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
to Fort Chiswell, but it did not turn west on
U.S. Route 11
{{Infobox road
, country=USA
, type=US
, route=11
, map={{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, frame-height=330, type=line, from=U.S. Route 11.map
, map_custom=yes
, map_notes=US 11 in red, US 11E in blue, US 11W in ...
at Fort Chiswell to connect to
U.S. Route 21
U.S. Route 21 or U.S. Highway 21 (US 21) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway in the Southeastern United States that travels . The southern terminus is in Hunting Island State Park, South Carolina, south of the ...
.
An extension of SR 15 from Fort Chiswell north to
Max Meadows was added to the state highway system in 1931. In the 1933 renumbering, SR 15 was dropped from the US 121
concurrency
Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to:
Law
* Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea''
* Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...
, while the short extension to Max Meadows became
State Route 121.
US 121 was absorbed by an extension of US 52 by 1935. US 52 was extended through West Virginia and along US 21 to
Wytheville
Wytheville is a town in, and the county seat of, Wythe County, in southwestern Virginia, United States. It is named after George Wythe, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, and mentor to Thomas Jefferson. Wytheville's populat ...
and US 11 to Fort Chiswell, where it replaced US 121 into North Carolina.
[Richard F. Weingroff]
U.S. 52 Charleston, South Carolina, to Portal, North Dakota
/ref>
Major intersections
References
{{s-end
52
U.S. Route 052
U.S. Route 052
U.S. Route 052
Virginia
Virginia Byways
1930s establishments in Virginia