State Route 256 (SR 256) 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 for most of its length as Weyers Cave Road, the state highway runs from
U.S. Route 11 (US 11) near
Weyers Cave east to
US 340 in
Grottoes Grottoes may refer to:
*The plural form of Grotto (disambiguation)
* Grottoes, Virginia, a town named for the nearby cave system Grand Caverns
{{Disambig ...
. SR 256 connects
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) with Weyers Cave in northern
Augusta County
Augusta County is a county in the Shenandoah Valley on the western edge of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The second-largest county of Virginia by total area, it completely surrounds the independent cities of Staunton and Waynesboro. Its count ...
and Grottoes, which is home to
Grand Caverns, in southeastern
Rockingham County.
Route description
SR 256 begins at an intersection with US 11 (Lee Highway) west of Weyers Cave. The state highway heads east as two-lane undivided Weyers Cave Road, which immediately has a
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. SR 256 has a grade crossing of the
Chesapeake Western Railway and meets the southern end of
SR 276 (Keezletown Road) in the community of Weyers Cave. The state highway passes
Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport
Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport is in Weyers Cave, Virginia, United States, northeast of Staunton. It is used for general aviation and is served by one airline, subsidized by the Essential Air Service program.
The airport is operated by ...
and crosses the
Middle River, a tributary of the
North River. SR 276 then crosses the
South River—which with the North River forms the
South Fork Shenandoah River
The Shenandoah River is the principal tributary of the Potomac River, long with two forks approximately long each,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 in t ...
—into Rockingham County and the town of Grottoes. The state highway passes along the southern edge of the town as 3rd Street and provides access to Grand Caverns, a
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...
that was originally known as Weyer's Cave and is the oldest
show cave in the United States. SR 256 has a grade crossing of
Norfolk Southern Railway's Roanoke District before reaching its eastern terminus at US 340 (East Side Highway).
Major intersections
References
External links
{{Attached KML, display=title,inline
Virginia Highways Project: VA 256
256
Year 256 ( CCLVI) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Claudius and Glabrio (or, less frequently, year 1009 ''Ab urbe condi ...
State Route 256
State Route 256