U.S. Route 29 in Virginia

U.S. Route 29 (US 29) is a major northsouth route in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It covers 248 miles (399 km) from the North Carolina border at the city of Danville to the Key Bridge in Washington, D.C. US 29 roughly bisects Virginia into eastern and western halves, and along with I-81 and US 11 in western Virginia, and I-85/95 as well as US 1 farther east, provides one of the major northsouth routes through the Commonwealth.

U.S. Route 29 marker

U.S. Route 29

US 29 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by VDOT
Length248 mi[1] (399 km)
Existed1931–present
Tourist
routes
Journey Through Hallowed Ground Byway
Virginia Byway
Major junctions
South end
Future I-785 / US 29 near Reidsville, NC
Major intersections US 58 in Danville

US 460 near Lynchburg
I-64 near Charlottesville
US 250 in Charlottesville
US 33 in Ruckersville
US 522 near Culpeper
US 17 near Warrenton
US 15 in Gainesville
US 50 in Fairfax

I-66 in Arlington
North end US 29 in Washington, DC
Location
CountryUnited States
StateVirginia
CountiesCity of Danville, Pittsylvania, Campbell, City of Lynchburg, Amherst, Nelson, Albemarle, City of Charlottesville, Greene, Madison, Culpeper, Fauquier, Prince William, Fairfax, City of Fairfax, City of Falls Church, Arlington
Highway system
SR 28 SR 30
I-664SR 785 SR 895

Since 1928, when Virginia General Assembly passed Senate Bill 64, much of US 29 in Virginia is known as the Seminole Trail.[2][3] Through Northern Virginia, it is known as Lee Highway, except in Falls Church, where it acts as the east/west divider for city streets and is called North or South Washington Street, and Arlington, where it was renamed Langston Boulevard in July 2021 in honor of John Mercer Langston.[4] On April 7, 1993, the Virginia General Assembly officially designated the entire length of US 29 from the North Carolina border to the Potomac River as the "29th Infantry Division Memorial Highway" in honor of that Army unit, which, along with the 1st Infantry Division, formed the spearhead of the American infantry that landed on the morning of June 6, 1944, on Omaha Beach in Normandy as part of the invasion of France to liberate that country during World War II. These divisions next fought their way across France, and into Germany. In addition, the name of this highway serves to honor many members of the Virginia Army National Guard who serve as part of this National Guard Division today. Signs indicating this designation have been placed periodically on both sides of US 29.

For most of its route through Virginia, US 29 has been constructed to be at least four lanes along its route, with the two short exceptions being where the highway passes through Manassas National Battlefield Park, where it is two lanes wide for approximately three miles, and through Fairfax and Arlington counties, where it is sometimes wider. It can also be 6 and 8 lanes in much of Northern Albemarle County.

US 29 in Virginia has eleven highway by-pass routes around various cities and towns. These bypasses are around Danville, Chatham, Gretna, Hurt-Altavista, Lynchburg-Madison Heights-Amherst, Lovingston, Charlottesville, Madison, Culpeper, Remington, and Warrenton. In addition, Interstate 66 serves for the most part as a by-pass of Manassas and also Fairfax and Arlington.

Route description

North Carolina to Lynchburg

US 29 entering Virginia from North Carolina; The Bus/Byp split, Bus. entering, and Byp. entering.

US 29 enters Virginia in Danville from North Carolina, immediately splitting into business and by-pass routes. US 29 joins the Danville Expressway and US 58 around the east side of Danville, entering Pittsylvania County, and re-merging with the business route north of town in Blairs. The interchange where the split of US 29 into Business and Bypass routes/junction with US 58 occurs has ramps that enter North Carolina and ramps that enter Virginia, complete with welcome signs from each state. There is a cloverleaf ramp that dips into North Carolina from Virginia and then crosses the state lines back into Virginia. Along the southeastern quadrant of the Danville Expressway between the North Carolina US 360, the route is designated as part of unsigned State Route 785 for 7.39 mi (11.89 km).[5] Created c.2000, SR 785 is numbered in contradiction to the conventional system of numbering in the state, where primary routes are numbered less than 600 and secondary routes at or above this number. It is numbered as such because it is part of the planned Interstate 785, which will run south along US 29 to Interstate 85 in Greensboro, North Carolina, and is only one of two routes of this type. The other is Route 895 in Richmond for similar reasons.

Lynchburg to Charlottesville

View north along US 29 at US 29 Bus. in Lovingston

US 29 then continues north where it splits into business and by-pass routes for Chatham, Gretna, and Hurt before entering Campbell County.

US 29 outside of Gainesville

The next major city is Lynchburg. US 29 joins the US 460 by-pass and US 501 east of Lynchburg, splitting from them just before entering Amherst County. US 29 again bypasses Madison Heights and Amherst as an expressway, enters Nelson County, passes the town of Lovingston, and enters into Albemarle County.

Charlottesville to Warrenton

For the next few miles of US 29's route north of Lovingston, it enters mountainous terrain in the far western Piedmont close to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Several miles later, the route then continues north to Charlottesville, intersecting Interstate 64 and by-passing downtown Charlottesville. US 29 rejoins its congested business route just north of downtown, continuing north as a 6 lane road through Charlottesville's business district. Past Charlottesville, it converts back to 4 lanes and continues through Greene and Madison Counties, and then turns north-east toward Culpeper. US 15 joins US 29 around Culpeper, and heads to Warrenton, entering Northern Virginia.

Warrenton to Washington, D.C.

View south along US 29 (Lee Highway) at US 50 (Fairfax Boulevard) and SR 236 (Main Street) in Fairfax

US 29 / 15 is joined by US 17 south of Warrenton in Fauquier County, and continues around the town, with US 17 splitting off. US 29/15 continues mostly eastward to Gainesville where US 15 splits and US 29 intersects Interstate 66 for the first time. US 29 continues into Fairfax County, where it passes along the boundary of the city of Falls Church, where the road has two different names. The portion of the street running northbound is located in the City of Falls Church is called Washington Boulevard, and has different street addresses than the other side running southbound in Fairfax County, where it is named Lee Highway. The road continues into Arlington, having intersected I-66 five more times before crossing into the District.

History

US 29 originated in 1931 as a replacement of US 170 from Danville to Lynchburg. It was then added to VA 18 between Lynchburg and Charlottesville, and to VA 28 between Charlottesville and Culpeper. The route originally ended at US 15 in Culpeper. In 1934, US 29 was extended to run concurrently with US 15 to Warrenton, and with US 211 to Washington DC (US 211 now ends at US 29 Business in Warrenton).[6]

The portion of what is now US 29 from the North Carolina state line to Warrenton was named the Seminole Trail by an act of the Virginia General Assembly on February 16, 1928. Although it was apparently not part of the National Auto Trails initiative early in the 20th century, the Seminole Trail is believed to have originated as part of an effort to promote the road as a through-route to Florida, home of the Native American Seminole tribe. Many road maps of the 1930s and 1940s list the Seminole Trail on highways in Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia and ultimately Florida.[7]

In an October 4, 2006, meeting of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, the University of Virginia athletic department and basketball coach Dave Leitao suggested that Seminole Trail in Charlottesville should be renamed Cavalier Way. The board did not act on this suggestion.[8]

Gainesville Interchange

The Gainesville Interchange project took place at the interchange between Lee Highway (US 29) and Interstate 66 at the junction with Linton Hall Road (SR 619) starting in July 2011, with board planning on it dating back to 2006. The project was worth $230 million and included interchanges at many other heavily traveled roads in the area due to the rapid growth in development in Gainesville and Haymarket, along with it being a major area drivers departure off of I-66 to travel towards other major cities along Lee Highway, such as Charlottesville. Reasoning for this is because of the lack of road development to accommodate the new heavy traffic in the area. The plan included a single point interchange design and bridges over train tracks to ease traffic flow on Lee Highway onto I-66. Lee Highway was also widened around the interchange to combat this issue. What was once a two-lane country road is now a four lane suburban highway. Land was acquired by VDOT at the intersection of US 29 and Linton Hall Road/SR 619. The entire project was completed and opened to the general public on July 9, 2015.

Charlottesville Interchange (Rio Road)

The Charlottesville Interchange project took place at the intersection of US 29 and Rio Road/SR 631, with construction starting in summer 2015 and ending in December 2016.[9] A diamond interchange was built, with two lanes from each direction of US 29, deemed the 'local lanes,' exiting from main traffic and meeting Rio Rd at a traffic signal. The project cost $69.7 million.

Lynchburg Interchange

The Lynchburg Interchange project took place at the intersection of US 29/US 460/US 501 and Odd Fellows Road, with construction starting in January 2016 and ending in August 2018. A diamond interchange was constructed at a cost of about $30 million. The interchange was built to reduce congestion on Candlers Mountain Drive/US 501 and to make access to Mayflower Dr/SR 128 easier.[10][11] As part of the construction, roundabouts were constructed on Odd Fellows Road at its intersection with Mayflower Drive, west of the interchange, and Top Ridge Road, east of the interchange.[12]

Charlottesville Bypass

A western Route 29 bypass around Charlottesville was originally proposed in 1979. Engineering and environmental work on the project began in late 1984 and the location was approved by the Commonwealth Transportation Board in 1990.

This bridge carried Route 29 across the Buffalo River until its destruction by Hurricane Camille in 1969.

Acquisition of right of way for the project began in 1991 and continued until 2001. No additional right of way has been purchased since then. VDOT owns 36 properties that are currently leased and occupied.

The bypass was projected to be 6.2 miles long, from the US 250 bypass to current US 29 north of the South Fork of the Rivanna River. It would have been two lanes in each direction with no other exits, to decrease possible interruption of commercial and residential growth in the area.

In 1998 a lawsuit was filed challenging the project, alleging that the environmental impact review of the project violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In 2001 the federal court ruled in favor of VDOT on the suit but required the agency to complete a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement addressing the road's impacts on the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir and the mitigation to minimize those impacts. That document was completed and accepted by the Federal Highway Administration in 2003.

In 1996 the Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) inserted language into its Transportation Improvement Program that prevented additional funds from being allocated to construction of the Western Bypass. That language was removed by the MPO Policy Board in July 2011.[13]

All activities on the Route 29 Charlottesville Bypass project were suspended in March 2014 following notification from the Federal Highway Administration that a new Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement would be required before the environmental process could be completed. The new Supplemental EIS was required due to the history of litigation and controversy associated with the project.[14]

Future

Charlottesville Interchange (Hydraulic Road)

The Charlottesville City Council voted on May 6, 2018, to add a long-range development plan for a diamond interchange at the intersection of US 29 and Hydraulic Road/SR 743 at an estimated cost of $63–80 million.[15]

Major intersections

All exits are unnumbered.

CountyLocationmikmExitDestinationsNotes
City of Danville0.000.00

Future I-785 / US 29 south Greensboro
Continuation into North Carolina; SR 785 begin
0.100.16


US 29 Bus. north / US 58 west Danville, Martinsville
South end of US 58 overlap
0.701.13Corning DriveSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
1.332.14Elizabeth Street
3.655.87 SR 86 (South Main Street) Yanceyville, Chapel Hill
5.619.03 SR 737 (Goodyear Boulevard)
6.3610.24River Park Drive – Dan Daniel Memorial Park
7.2311.64


US 58 east / US 360 / US 58 Bus. west (South Boston Road) Danville, South Boston, Richmond
North end of concurrency with US 58; future northern terminus of I-785; SR 785 end
Pittsylvania9.5915.43
SR 41 (East Franklin Turnpike) to SR 360 Danville, Halifax
15.3724.74

SR 726 to US 29 Bus. Blairs, Danville
Northbound exit and southbound entrance
15.9525.67


US 29 Bus. south to SR 726 Blairs, Danville
North end of freeway; southbound exit and northbound entrance
Chatham23.3937.64

US 29 Bus. north Chatham
South end of expressway; northbound exit and southbound entrance
24.7939.90 SR 57 Chatham, South Boston
25.7141.38 SR 685 Chatham
26.9543.37



US 29 Bus. south to SR 57 west Chatham
North end of expressway
33.0053.11

US 29 Bus. north Gretna
South end of expressway; northbound exit and southbound entrance
35.0056.33 SR 40 Gretna, Rocky Mount
37.2359.92

US 29 Bus. south Gretna
North end of expressway; southbound exit and northbound entrance
44.6471.84

US 29 Bus. north Hurt
South end of expressway
41.7467.17 SR 924 Hurt
Campbell48.6078.21 SR 43 Altavista, Leesville
49.5479.73 SR 714 Altavista
Altavista50.7981.74 SR 711 (Clarion Road)
51.9483.59

US 29 Bus. south Altavista
North end of expressway
Yellow Branch61.3098.65 SR 24 (Colonial Highway) Evington, Rustburg, Smith Mountain Lake
67.93109.32


US 460 west / US 29 Bus. north (Wards Road) Lynchburg, Roanoke
South end of freeway section; south end of concurrency with US 460
City of Lynchburg68.64110.47University BoulevardSouthbound entrance only
69.43111.74
To SR 670 (Candlers Mountain Road) Liberty University
University Blvd. not signed northbound; SR 670 not signed southbound
70.02112.69
US 501 north (Candlers Mountain Road) Buena Vista
South end of concurrency with US 501
71.24114.65Odd Fellows Road
72.31116.37




US 501 south / US 460 Bus. west / US 501 Bus. north (Campbell Avenue) South Boston
North end of freeway section; north end of concurrency with US 501
Campbell74.31119.59
US 460 east (Richmond Highway) Appomattox
South end of freeway; north end of concurrency with US 460
Amherst76.05122.39
SR 210 west Madison Heights, Downtown Lynchburg
80.05128.83
SR 130 west Madison Heights
Sweet Briar86.97139.96
US 29 Bus. Madison Heights, Amherst
Amherst88.89143.05 US 60 Amherst, Lexington, Richmond
90.26145.26


US 29 Bus. south (Main Street) / SR 739 north (Boxwood Farm Road) Amherst
North end of freeway; SR 739 is former southern terminus of SR 150
92.17148.33
SR 151 north (Patrick Henry Highway) Piney River, Afton, Wintergreen
96.74155.69 SR 739 Tye RiverFormer SR 150
97.07156.22
SR 739 south (Napier Loop)
Former northern terminus of SR 150
NelsonColleen100.72162.09
SR 56 west (Tye Brook Highway) Piney River
South end of concurrency with SR 56
Lovingston104.99168.97


US 29 Bus. north / SR 56 east (Front Street) Lovingston, Shipman
North end of concurrency with SR 56
105.80170.27

US 29 Bus. south (Northside Lane) Lovingston
Woods Mill112.29180.71
SR 6 west (River Road) Afton, Wintergreen
South end of concurrency with SR 6
116.16186.94
SR 6 east (Irish Road) Scottsville, Schuyler
North end of concurrency with SR 6
AlbemarleCrossroads125.48201.94 SR 692 (Plank Road) Batesville, North GardenFormer SR 230 north
134.15215.89 I-64 Staunton, RichmondSouth end of freeway; I-64 exit 118
134.79216.92

US 29 Bus. north Charlottesville, University of Virginia Health System
136.17219.14


US 250 west / US 250 Bus. east Waynesboro, Charlottesville, Ivy
South end of concurrency with US 250
136.51219.69
To SR 601
Southbound exit and northbound entrance
136.93220.37Leonard Sandridge Road University of VirginiaNorthbound exit and entrance only
137.68221.57 SR 654 (Barracks Road)
City of Charlottesville138.16222.35


US 250 east / US 29 Bus. south (Emmet Street) Richmond, University of Virginia
North end of freeway; north end of concurrency with US 250
Albemarle140.22225.66 SR 631 (Rio Road) CharlottesvilleInterchange
144.30232.23 SR 649 (Airport Road / Proffit Road) Earlysville, Proffit, Charlottesville Albemarle Airport, Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital
GreeneRuckersville152.14244.85 US 33 (Spotswood Trail) Harrisonburg, Richmond
Burtonville155.16249.71 SR 609 (Fredericksburg Road)former SR 243 west
Madison161.36259.68
SR 230 west (WolftownHood Road) / SR 626 (Gibbs Road) Stanardsville
South end of concurrency with SR 230
161.89260.54

SR 230 east / SR 231 south (Orange Road) Gordonsville, Orange
North end of concurrency with SR 230; south end of concurrency with SR 231
163.25262.73


US 29 Bus. north / SR 231 north (South Main Street) Madison, Shenandoah National Park, Skyline Drive, Historic Downtown Madison
North end of concurrency with SR 231; northbound exit and southbound entrance
163.42263.00 SR 687 (Fairground Road)former SR 27
164.21264.27 SR 634 (Washington Street / Oak Park Road) Madison, Locust Daleformer SR 230
165.26265.96



US 29 Bus. south (North Main Street) / SR 722 (Fishback Road) to SR 231 north Madison
Culpeper178.96288.01


US 29 Bus. north / SR 299 south Culpeper
South end of expressway
179.91289.54


US 15 south / US 15 Bus. north Culpeper, Orange
South end of concurrency with US 15
181.38291.90 US 522 / SR 3 Mineral, Fredericksburg
183.71295.65 SR 666 Culpeper
Inlet185.24298.11



US 15 Bus. south / US 29 Bus. south Culpeper, Brandy Station
North end of expressway
192.06309.09



US 15 Bus. north / US 29 Bus. north (Remington Road) Remington
Fauquier194.47312.97



US 15 Bus. south / US 29 Bus. south (James Madison Street) Remington
194.79313.48
SR 28 north (Catlett Road) / SR 657 (Kings Hill Road) Manassas, Warrenton-Fauquier Airport
Opal198.34–
198.93
319.20–
320.15


US 17 south (Marsh Road) / SR 687 (Opal Road) to I-95 Fredericksburg
Interchange; south end of concurrency with US 17
203.62327.69





US 15 Bus. north / US 17 Bus. north / US 29 Bus. north / SR 880 (Lord Fairfax Road) Warrenton, Lord Fairfax Community College Fauquier Campus
Warrenton205.27330.35 SR 643 (Meetze Road / Lee Street) WarrentonInterchange
206.49332.31









US 17 north / US 15 Bus. south / US 29 Bus. south to I-66 west / I-81 / US 211 west Winchester, Warrenton, Luray
Interchange; north end of concurrency with US 17
Buckland213.00342.79
SR 215 east (Vint Hill Road) Vint Hill Farms Station, Lake Brittle
Prince William213.98344.37
US 15 north (James Madison Highway) Leesburg
North end of concurrency with US 15
Gainesville216.98349.20

SR 55 west (John Marshall Highway) / SR 619 east (Linton Hall Road) Haymarket, Front Royal
Interchange
217.77350.47 I-66 Front Royal, WashingtonInterchange; I-66 exit 43
Manassas National Battlefield Park221.84357.02
SR 234 (Sudley Road) to I-66 Visitor Center, NVCC, Manassas
FairfaxBull Run224.71361.64 SR 609 (Pleasant Valley Road)
Centreville226.32364.23 I-66 Washington, Front RoyalI-66 exit 52
227.18365.61

SR 28 to I-66 east Dulles Airport, Manassas
Willow Springs228.62367.93 SR 645 (Stringfellow Road / Clifton Road) Clifton
230.25370.55
SR 286 (Fairfax County Parkway) / SR 608 (West Ox Road) to I-66
Interchange
Jermantown232.31373.87




SR 655 south (Shirley Gate Road) / SR 665 (Waples Mill Road) to I-66 / I-495 / SR 123 south George Mason University
City of Fairfax233.07375.09


US 50 west / SR 236 east (Fairfax Boulevard / Main Street) to I-66 Old Town Fairfax
South end of concurrency with US 50
234.04376.65
SR 123 (Chain Bridge Road) to I-66 Old Town Fairfax, George Mason University
235.83379.53

US 50 east / SR 237 west (Fairfax Boulevard) / Old Lee Highway
Fairfax Circle (traffic circle with cut-through); north end of concurrency with US 50; south end of concurrency with SR 237
Fairfax236.04379.87
SR 655 (Blake Lane) to SR 236 (Pickett Road)
Merrifield236.71380.95

SR 243 north (Nutley Street) to I-66 Vienna/Fairfax-GMU Station
238.66384.09
SR 650 (Gallows Road) to I-495
239.02384.67

I-495 Express south
City of Falls Church241.52388.69
SR 338 east (Hillwood Avenue)
241.80389.14 SR 7 (Broad Street)
ArlingtonEast Falls Church242.43390.15


SR 237 east to I-66 west
North end of concurrency with SR 237
Glebewood244.63393.69 SR 120 (North Glebe Road) Chain Bridge, Alexandria
Waverly Hills244.77393.92

SR 309 west (Old Dominion Drive) to SR 120 McLean
South end of concurrency with SR 309; no left turn northbound
244.82394.00
SR 309 east (Cherry Hill Road) / to Lorcom Lane
North end of concurrency with SR 309
Cherrydale245.51395.11
SR 309 west (Cherry Hill Road) / Military Road / Quincy Street
Eastern terminus of SR 309
Lyon Village246.05395.98
I-66 west Front Royal, Dulles Airport
I-66 exit 72
246.20396.22
SR 124 east (Spout Run Parkway) / Kirkwood Road
Western terminus of SR 124
Rosslyn246.97397.46

I-66 west to SR 267
I-66 exit 74; southbound exit and northbound entrance
247.63398.52

I-66 east to I-395
I-66 exit 74
247.71398.65
George Washington Parkway north to I-495
No southbound entrance
Potomac River248.00399.12
US 29 north (Key Bridge) Washington
Continuation into the District of Columbia
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. "2010 Traffic Data". Virginia Department of Transportation. 2010. Retrieved January 9, 2012.
  2. Dave McNair (October 9, 2006). "Route 29 to become Wahoo Highway?". The Hook.
  3. Answerman (February 22, 2004). "Decoding MD + VA + DC". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  4. Sophia Barnes (July 17, 2021). "Lee Highway in Arlington County Renamed Langston Boulevard". NBC 4 Washington.
  5. "2005 Virginia Department of Transportation Jurisdiction Report - Daily Traffic Volume Estimates - Pittsylvania County" (PDF). (483 KiB)
  6. "US 29". www.vahighways.com. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  7. "US 29 through Virginia - The Seminole Trail". Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  8. "Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center: Seminole Trail becomes Cavalier Way?". cvilletomorrow.typepad.com. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  9. "Route 29 Solutions: Rio Road Intersection". www.route29solutions.org. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  10. "NEW US 29/460 INTERCHANGE at ODD FELLOWS ROAD to OPEN - Newsroom | Virginia Department of Transportation". virginiadot.org. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  11. "PHOTOS: Odd Fellows Road interchange nearly ready for traffic". NewsAdvance.com. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  12. Gillis, Casey (August 8, 2018). "Odd Fellows Road, U.S. 460 interchange to open Thursday morning". The News and Advance. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  13. "Route 29 Charlottesville Bypass". Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  14. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. "Route 29: Hydraulic Road Intersection". www.route29solutions.org. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
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