The 0.23 miles of glory that is Virginia State Route 79

Virginia State Route 79 is a 0.23-mile Primary State Highway which serves to connect Interstate 66 and Virginia State Route 55 near the community of Linden. Virginia State Route 79 is located in Warren County along Apple Mountain Road. Despite only being 0.23 miles long the alignment of Virginia State Route 79 is a signed access point to Shenandoah National Park. A large Park & Ride lot can be found at the southern terminus of Virginia State Route 79.

Part 1; the history of Virginia State Route 79

Modern Virginia State Route 79 appears as aligned between Route 55 to Route I-66 in the 2003 Virginia Route Index Book.

According to vahighways.com the current iteration of Virginia State Route 79 is the third time the number has been assigned. Vahighways.com references the current iteration of Virginia State Route 79 as likely having been added during 1980 as a connecting route between Interstate 66-Virginia State Route 55. Vahighways.com notes the short distance of the current Virginia State Route 79 as being unusual for a Primary State Highway and suggests a more appropriation designation would have been Virginia State Route 55Y.

The current Virginia State Route 79 appears to have been added as part of the construction of Interstate 66 between US Route 340 east to US Route 17 near Delaphane. The US Route 340-US Route 17 segment of Interstate 66 was completed by August 1979. Apple Mountain Road was part of the construction of Interstate 66 in the US Route 340-US Route 17 corridor at what is now Exit 13.

Despite the unusually short length of Virginia State Route 79 is not the shortest Primary State Highway. A complete list of Primary State Highways in Virginia under one mile can be found below:

List of primary state highways in Virginia shorter than one mile - Wikipedia

Part 2; a drive on Virginia State Route 79

From Interstate 66 westbound traffic can access Virginia State Route 79 via Exit 13. All signage from Interstate 66 westbound displays Virginia State Route 79 co-signed as "To Viriginia State Route 55." Traffic departing Interstate 66 onto Virginia State Route 79 is advised it can be used to access Skyline Drive of Shenandoah National Park.

Virginia State Route 79 terminates at Virginia State Route 55 at a Park & Ride lot located behind an Exxon station.

From Virginia State Route 55 eastbound Virginia State Route 79 northbound is co-signed as "To Interstate 66."

Comments

Former US Route 50 and the Pioneer Route Lincoln Highway on Johnson's Pass Road

Johnson's Pass Road is one of the oldest highway corridors in California. Johnson's Pass was part of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road as it was completed during 1856 over the Sierra Nevada. The pass would later be incorporated into the Pioneer Branch of the Lincoln Highway in 1913 and US Route 50 in 1926. Johnson's Pass Road would be bypassed by a new alignment of US Route 50 over Echo Summit in 1938. A replacement of the Meyers Grade east of Johnson's Pass would be opened to traffic in 1947. Johnson's Pass Road remains accessible to traffic and is still signed by the Lincoln Highway Association. Pictured as the blog cover is the view from the top of Johnson's Pass Road overlooking modern US Route 50 and Lake Tahoe. Part 1; the history of Johnson's Pass Much of the history of what become the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road is discussed in the September 1950 California Highways & Public Works during its Centennial Edition. The or...

Former US Route 50 and the South Lincoln Highway from Folsom east to Placerville

The corridor of Folsom of Sacramento County east to Placerville of El Dorado County has been a long established corridor of overland travel dating back to the California Gold Rush. The Folsom-Placerville corridor was once part of the path of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road which became the first California State Highway and later the South Lincoln Highway. In time the South Lincoln Highway's surface alignment was inherited by US Route 50. The Folsom-Placerville corridor also includes the communities of; Clarksville, Shingle Springs and El Dorado. Part 1; the history of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road, South Lincoln Highway and US Route 50 through Folsom-Placerville Folsom is located on the American River/Lake Natoma of eastern Sacramento County. That lands now occupied by the City of Folsom were part of Rancho Rio de los Americanos prior to the finding of gold at Sutter's Mill during 1848. During the California Gold Rush the lands of Rancho Rio de los Americanos were p...

Angus L. Macdonald Bridge

At 1.3 kilometers (or about 0.84 miles) in length, the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge is one of two bridges crossing over the Halifax Harbour between Halifax, Nova Scotia and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, with the other bridge being the A. Murray Mackay Bridge . Opened in 1955 and named after former Nova Scotia Premier and Canadian Minister of Defense for Naval Services Angus L. Macdonald, the Macdonald Bridge was the first bridge that crossed Halifax Harbour that was opened to traffic. The Macdonald Bridge was also the subject of the Big Lift, which was only the second time in history that the span of a suspension bridge were replaced while the bridge was open to traffic. Planning began in 2010 for the Big Lift, while construction took place between 2015 and 2017. Similar work occurred on the Lion's Gate Bridge in Vancouver, British Columbia before the project took place on the Macdonald Bridge. At this time, much of the bridge infrastructure is new, leaving only the towers, main cables and...