State Route 90 (SR 90) is a primary
state highway in the U.S. state of
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 ...
. Known as Main Street, the state highway runs from SR 616 and SR 749 north to
Interstate 81
Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Isla ...
(I-81) within
Rural Retreat in western
Wythe County. SR 90 connects Rural Retreat with I-81 and
U.S. Route 11 (US 11).
Route description
SR 90's southern terminus is at the center of the town of Rural Retreat at the intersection of Main Street and Baumgardner Avenue. Main Street continues south as SR 749 and Baumgardner Avenue is SR 616 in both directions. The state highway heads north and has a grade crossing of
Norfolk Southern Railway's
Pulaski District
Pulaski may refer to:
Places
* Pulaski Heights, a section of the city of Little Rock, Arkansas
* Pulaski Shoal, an underwater landform west of the Florida Keys
* Pulaski, Georgia, a town
* Pulaski Square, one of the "Squares of Savannah" in th ...
. SR 90 leaves the town limits and intersects US 11 (Lee Highway) at Staley Crossroads. The state highway continues to its northern terminus at the southbound ramps of its
diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road.
Design
The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. Approaching the ...
with I-81. The roadway continues north as SR 680 (Blacklick Road).
History
From about 1946 to 1952, this route ran from
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 ...
in Speedwell, down what is now SR 749 into Rural Retreat, then down what is now SR 680, Blacklick Road, to
U.S. Route 52 in
Favonia, although the portion in between what is now U.S. 11 and I-81 was not part of the road until 1980. This routing also briefly took the road through
Smyth County
Smyth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,800. Its county seat is Marion.
History
Smyth County was formed on February 23, 1832, from Washington and Wythe counties. The county ...
, and may explain why it is still signed as an east-west route even though it currently runs fully north-south.
Major intersections
References
External links
{{Attached KML, display=title,inline
Virginia Highways Project: VA 90
090
State Route 090