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State Route 69 (Virginia)
Encyclopedia
Virginia State Route 69 (SR 69) is a primary state highway
in the U.S. state of Virginia
. Known as Lead Mine Road, the state highway runs 3.59 miles (5.8 km) from SR 636 in Austinville
east to U.S. Route 52 (US 52) in Poplar Camp. SR 69 is the last remnant of a much longer route. At its peak from 1940 to 1945, this route (then numbered State Route 81) ran from State Route 91 at Lodi
east via St. Clair Bottom, Sugar Grove
, Cedar Springs, Speedwell
, Porters Crossroads, and Austinville to today's SR 69. However, it was never fully continuous; portions from Sugar Grove to Cedar Springs and west of Porters Crossroads to east of Austinville were secondary routes. The full length of this route as it existed and was planned is now part of SR 762
, part of SR 660, all of SR 650, part of SR 16 (and SR 695, its former alignment at Sugar Grove), all of SR 614, part of SR 749, part of US 21, part of SR 690, a small piece of SR 642, part of SR 619, part of SR 636, and SR 69.
–Carroll
county line, which the highway travels atop for a short distance through the hamlet of Bethany. SR 69 expands to a four-lane divided highway through its diamond interchange
with Interstate 77
before reaching its eastern terminus at US 52 (Fort Chiswell Road) in Poplar Camp.
to north of Troutdale, what later became SR 81 was part of State Route 12 until 1933 and U.S. Route 58 until 1940. Other than the State Route 16 concurrency
, which was added to the state highway system in 1931 as part of State Route 113, the first new pieces of the route were added in 1928. These sections ran from State Route 26 (now U.S. Route 21) at Speedwell
west to Cedar Springs and from SR 26 north of Speedwell east towards Porters Crossroads for 6.94 miles (11.17 km) to a point west of present SR 642. A 3.50-mile (5.63 km) piece from State Route 15 (now U.S. Route 52 at Poplar Camp towards Austinville
, was added in 1930 as State Route 116, but was renumbered as part of SR 115 by 1933. This was the last piece of the Lodi-Poplar Camp route to be added to the primary state highway system.
Several other pieces of SR 115 from Cedar Springs north through Rural Retreat were added in 1930 and 1932, but became State Route 90
in the 1933 renumbering; the pieces of SR 115 east of Cedar Springs, plus a proposed extension west to Sugar Grove, became State Route 91. The State Route 91 designation was needed in the 1940 renumbering to match Tennessee
's State Route 91 on the former State Route 81, so this State Route 81 designation was used for the former SR 91 from Sugar Grove to Poplar Camp. At the same time, U.S. Route 58 was relocated to the south, and SR 91 was extended southwest and west from Sugar Grove along State Route 16 and former US 58 to Lodi
.
The first section of this route to be transferred to the secondary system was from State Route 79 at St. Clair Bottom to SR 16 southwest of Sugar Grove in 1945; the part from St. Clair Bottom west to Lodi became an extension of SR 79. The next year, the piece from US 21 north of Speedwell towards Porters Crossroads became a secondary route, as it was a "stub end primary route that could be transferred with logic" with an annual average daily traffic
of 201 in 1941, and the route from Speedwell west to State Route 90
at Cedar Springs became an extension of SR 90. This left only the present SR 69, which was renumbered in 1958 to avoid conflicting with the new Interstate 81. (The two pieces that became SR 79 and SR 90 are now also secondary routes.)
.
{|class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|Austinville
|0.00
|
|Western terminus
|-
|rowspan=2|Poplar Camp
|3.29
|
|I-77 Exit 24
|-
|3.59
|
|Eastern terminus
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in the U.S. state of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. Known as Lead Mine Road, the state highway runs 3.59 miles (5.8 km) from SR 636 in Austinville
Austinville, Virginia
Austinville is an unincorporated community that spans both Carroll County and Wythe County, Virginia, United States. New River Trail State Park runs through Austinville. Shot Tower Historical State Park is located nearby. The town is the birthplace of Stephen F. Austin, for whose family it is...
east to U.S. Route 52 (US 52) in Poplar Camp. SR 69 is the last remnant of a much longer route. At its peak from 1940 to 1945, this route (then numbered State Route 81) ran from State Route 91 at Lodi
Lodi, Virginia
Lodi is an unincorporated community in Washington County, Virginia, United States. Lodi is located on Virginia State Route 91 south of Glade Spring. It owes its name to the Italian city of Lodi....
east via St. Clair Bottom, Sugar Grove
Sugar Grove, Virginia
Sugar Grove is a census-designated place in Smyth County, Virginia, United States. The population was 741 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sugar Grove is located at ....
, Cedar Springs, Speedwell
Speedwell, Virginia
Speedwell is an unincorporated community in Wythe County, Virginia, United States. Speedwell Is famous for 'Cave Hill' a Cave in the side of the mountain. Speedwell has been known to be called a 'Sinkhole'...
, Porters Crossroads, and Austinville to today's SR 69. However, it was never fully continuous; portions from Sugar Grove to Cedar Springs and west of Porters Crossroads to east of Austinville were secondary routes. The full length of this route as it existed and was planned is now part of SR 762
State Route 762 (Smyth and Washington Counties, Virginia)
State Route 762 is a secondary state highway in the southwest part of the U.S. state of Virginia, running east from State Route 91 at Lodi to State Route 600 and State Route 660 at St. Clair Bottom and then north to Interstate 81 and State Route 107 in Chilhowie.-History:The part of SR 762 from...
, part of SR 660, all of SR 650, part of SR 16 (and SR 695, its former alignment at Sugar Grove), all of SR 614, part of SR 749, part of US 21, part of SR 690, a small piece of SR 642, part of SR 619, part of SR 636, and SR 69.
Route description
SR 69 begins at an intersection with SR 636 (Store Hill Road) just south of the village of Austinville on the New River. The state highway heads east parallel to Poplar Camp Mountain and the WytheWythe County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 27,599 people, 11,511 households, and 8,103 families residing in the county. The population density was 60 people per square mile . There were 12,744 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...
–Carroll
Carroll County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 29,245 people, 12,186 households, and 8,786 families residing in the county. The population density was 61 people per square mile . There were 14,680 housing units at an average density of 31 per square mile...
county line, which the highway travels atop for a short distance through the hamlet of Bethany. SR 69 expands to a four-lane divided highway through its diamond interchange
Diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a freeway crosses a minor road. The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge...
with Interstate 77
Interstate 77 in Virginia
In the U.S. state of Virginia, Interstate 77 is a north–south along the U.S. Route 52 corridor, serving Hillsville, Wytheville, and Bland...
before reaching its eastern terminus at US 52 (Fort Chiswell Road) in Poplar Camp.
History
From LodiLodi, Virginia
Lodi is an unincorporated community in Washington County, Virginia, United States. Lodi is located on Virginia State Route 91 south of Glade Spring. It owes its name to the Italian city of Lodi....
to north of Troutdale, what later became SR 81 was part of State Route 12 until 1933 and U.S. Route 58 until 1940. Other than the State Route 16 concurrency
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
, which was added to the state highway system in 1931 as part of State Route 113, the first new pieces of the route were added in 1928. These sections ran from State Route 26 (now U.S. Route 21) at Speedwell
Speedwell, Virginia
Speedwell is an unincorporated community in Wythe County, Virginia, United States. Speedwell Is famous for 'Cave Hill' a Cave in the side of the mountain. Speedwell has been known to be called a 'Sinkhole'...
west to Cedar Springs and from SR 26 north of Speedwell east towards Porters Crossroads for 6.94 miles (11.17 km) to a point west of present SR 642. A 3.50-mile (5.63 km) piece from State Route 15 (now U.S. Route 52 at Poplar Camp towards Austinville
Austinville, Virginia
Austinville is an unincorporated community that spans both Carroll County and Wythe County, Virginia, United States. New River Trail State Park runs through Austinville. Shot Tower Historical State Park is located nearby. The town is the birthplace of Stephen F. Austin, for whose family it is...
, was added in 1930 as State Route 116, but was renumbered as part of SR 115 by 1933. This was the last piece of the Lodi-Poplar Camp route to be added to the primary state highway system.
Several other pieces of SR 115 from Cedar Springs north through Rural Retreat were added in 1930 and 1932, but became State Route 90
State Route 90 (Virginia)
Virginia State Route 90 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Main Street, the state highway runs from SR 616 and SR 749 north to Interstate 81 within Rural Retreat in western Wythe County. SR 90 connects Rural Retreat with I-81 and U.S...
in the 1933 renumbering; the pieces of SR 115 east of Cedar Springs, plus a proposed extension west to Sugar Grove, became State Route 91. The State Route 91 designation was needed in the 1940 renumbering to match Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
's State Route 91 on the former State Route 81, so this State Route 81 designation was used for the former SR 91 from Sugar Grove to Poplar Camp. At the same time, U.S. Route 58 was relocated to the south, and SR 91 was extended southwest and west from Sugar Grove along State Route 16 and former US 58 to Lodi
Lodi, Virginia
Lodi is an unincorporated community in Washington County, Virginia, United States. Lodi is located on Virginia State Route 91 south of Glade Spring. It owes its name to the Italian city of Lodi....
.
The first section of this route to be transferred to the secondary system was from State Route 79 at St. Clair Bottom to SR 16 southwest of Sugar Grove in 1945; the part from St. Clair Bottom west to Lodi became an extension of SR 79. The next year, the piece from US 21 north of Speedwell towards Porters Crossroads became a secondary route, as it was a "stub end primary route that could be transferred with logic" with an annual average daily traffic
Annual average daily traffic
Average Annual daily traffic, abbreviated AADT, is a measure used primarily in transportation planning and transportation engineering. It is the total volume of vehicle traffic of a highway or road for a year divided by 365 days. AADT is a useful and simple measurement of how busy the road is...
of 201 in 1941, and the route from Speedwell west to State Route 90
State Route 90 (Virginia)
Virginia State Route 90 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Main Street, the state highway runs from SR 616 and SR 749 north to Interstate 81 within Rural Retreat in western Wythe County. SR 90 connects Rural Retreat with I-81 and U.S...
at Cedar Springs became an extension of SR 90. This left only the present SR 69, which was renumbered in 1958 to avoid conflicting with the new Interstate 81. (The two pieces that became SR 79 and SR 90 are now also secondary routes.)
Major intersections
The entire route is in Wythe CountyWythe County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 27,599 people, 11,511 households, and 8,103 families residing in the county. The population density was 60 people per square mile . There were 12,744 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...
.
{|class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|Austinville
Austinville, Virginia
Austinville is an unincorporated community that spans both Carroll County and Wythe County, Virginia, United States. New River Trail State Park runs through Austinville. Shot Tower Historical State Park is located nearby. The town is the birthplace of Stephen F. Austin, for whose family it is...
|0.00
|
|Western terminus
|-
|rowspan=2|Poplar Camp
|3.29
|
|I-77 Exit 24
|-
|3.59
|
|Eastern terminus