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State Route 78 (Virginia)
Encyclopedia
Virginia State Route 78 (SR 78) is a primary state highway
in the U.S. state of Virginia
. The state highway runs 3.85 miles (6.2 km) from U.S. Route 23 Business (US 23 Business) north to SR 600 at Stonega. SR 78 connects Appalachian with several coal mining
communities in western Wise County
. The state highway became a primary state highway, SR 62, in the early 1940s. SR 78 received its present number in the mid-1940s when current SR 62 received its designation.
spur line, formerly part of the Interstate Railroad
, on a sweeping bridge. SR 78 parallels the creek and rail spur out of the town of Appalachia as Stonega Road and through the hamlet of Andover, where the highway passes a rail yard. The state highway intersects several auxiliary rail spurs on its way to the hamlet of Stonega. SR 78 reaches its northern terminus at an arbitrary spot south of the clusters of houses that form Stonega. The road continues north as SR 600 to a dead end at a coal mine.
was added in 1946 to match North Carolina Highway 62
, and at that time SR 62 was renumbered State Route 78.
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...
. The state highway runs 3.85 miles (6.2 km) from U.S. Route 23 Business (US 23 Business) north to SR 600 at Stonega. SR 78 connects Appalachian with several coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
communities in western Wise County
Wise County, Virginia
Wise County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. In 1856, the county was formed from land taken from Lee, Scott, and Russell Counties. It was named after Henry A. Wise, who was the Governor of Virginia at the time. As of 2010, the population was 41,452, making it the largest...
. The state highway became a primary state highway, SR 62, in the early 1940s. SR 78 received its present number in the mid-1940s when current SR 62 received its designation.
Route description
SR 78 begins at an intersection with US 23 Business (Main Street) in the town of Appalachia. The state highway heads east and immediately turns north onto the old alignment of Main Street, which parallels US 23 Business. SR 78 crosses Callahan Creek and curves northwest onto Callahan Avenue to pass under US 23 Business, which crosses over the creek, the state highway, and a Norfolk Southern RailwayNorfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
spur line, formerly part of the Interstate Railroad
Interstate Railroad
The Interstate Railroad was a railroad in the southwest part of the U.S. state of Virginia. It extended from the Clinchfield Railroad at Miller Yard in northeastern Scott County north and west to Appalachia and north to the main yard at Andover, with many branches to the north into the mountains...
, on a sweeping bridge. SR 78 parallels the creek and rail spur out of the town of Appalachia as Stonega Road and through the hamlet of Andover, where the highway passes a rail yard. The state highway intersects several auxiliary rail spurs on its way to the hamlet of Stonega. SR 78 reaches its northern terminus at an arbitrary spot south of the clusters of houses that form Stonega. The road continues north as SR 600 to a dead end at a coal mine.
History
All of SR 78 outside Appalachia was numbered SR 600 in the 1930s. In 1942, the present length of SR 78 was transferred to the primary system as State Route 62. The current State Route 62State Route 62 (Virginia)
Virginia State Route 62 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Milton Highway, the state highway runs from the North Carolina state line, where North Carolina Highway 62 continues into Milton, north to U.S. Route 58 and US 360 east of Danville...
was added in 1946 to match North Carolina Highway 62
North Carolina Highway 62
North Carolina Highway 62 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Primarily in the Piedmont Triad, it runs from NC 109 in Thomasville northeast to the Virginia state line in Milton.-Route description:...
, and at that time SR 62 was renumbered State Route 78.