Virginia State Route 147
Encyclopedia
Virginia State Route 147 (SR 147) is a primary state highway
in the U.S. state of Virginia
. The state highway runs 13.13 miles (21.1 km) from U.S. Route 60
(US 60) in Midlothian
east to US 60 in Richmond
. SR 147 connects Midlothian with the West End of Richmond via the Huguenot Memorial Bridge
across the James River
. Within Richmond, the state highway follows Cary Street, a major thoroughfare that connects the city's two major universities, the University of Richmond
and Virginia Commonwealth University
, with Downtown Richmond
.
. SR 147 heads north as Huguenot Road, a four-lane divided highway that heads north through the expansive commercial area that surrounds the SR 147–US 60 intersection. The state highway veers northeast and intersects SR 711 (Robious Road) at the hamlet of Robious. The intersection also includes Norfolk Southern Railway
's Richmond District
rail line, which passes through the center of the junction at grade. SR 147 parallels the railroad east, then veers northeast through the Bon Air
sections of Chesterfield County
. The state highway enters the independent city
of Richmond just south of its partial cloverleaf interchange with SR 150
(Chippenham Parkway).
SR 147 passes through the Southampton neighborhood of Richmond's South Side
before meeting Riverside Drive at a partial cloverleaf interchange at the south end of the Huguenot Memorial Bridge, where the highway reduces to two lanes. The bridge crosses the James River, CSX
's Rivanna Subdivision, and the defunct James River and Kanawha Canal
east of the remnants of the Westham Bridge
, SR 147's original crossing of the river. The state highway enters Henrico County
at the south shore of the James River. At the north end of the bridge, SR 147 expands to a four-lane divided highway that curves east and intersects River Road just west of the Richmond city limit. River Road provides access to the University of Richmond, including the University of Richmond School of Law
and the university's athletic complex
, which includes Malcolm U. Pitt Field
, the Robins Center
, and E. Claiborne Robins Stadium.
SR 147 continues east as two-lane River Road through Richmond's West End. The state highway becomes Cary Street at its intersection with Three Chopt Road in the center of the Rio Vista neighborhood, whose riverfront contains the Wilton House Museum
. SR 147 continues southeast through the affluent Windsor Farms
neighborhood, which contains the historic, imported homes Agecroft Hall
and Virginia House
. West of its junction with the western end of SR 197
(Malvern Avenue), the state highway expands to four lanes, which it maintains east to its freeway interchange and crossing of CSX's North End Subdivision just west of Thompson Street. The interchange includes ramps to and from southbound SR 76
(Powhite Parkway), eastbound SR 195
(Downtown Expressway), and via Thompson Street, northbound Interstate 195
(I-195) (Beltline Expressway).
At Thompson Street, SR 147 becomes a one-way pair
, with eastbound following Cary Street and westbound following Elwood Avenue through the Carytown neighborhood, which features the historic Byrd Theatre
, the site of the annual VCU French Film Festival
. The westbound street's name changes to Main Street east of the street's intersection with SR 161
(Boulevard). As SR 147 passes through the Fan district
, Cary Street is paralleled one block to the south by SR 195. The state highway veers east to pass through the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University, then veers southeast into downtown Richmond at its intersections with US 1
and US 301
(Boulevard) on the south side of Monroe Park
. SR 147 passes through the Commonwealth Club Historic District and by the historic Jefferson Hotel, the Ellen Glasgow House
, and the Barret House
before reaching its eastern terminus at US 60 two blocks west of the Virginia State Capitol
. US 60 enters downtown from the Manchester Bridge on 8th and 9th Streets and turns southeast onto Cary Street and Main Street to pass through Shockoe Slip
.
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 13.13 miles (21.1 km) from U.S. Route 60
U.S. Route 60 in Virginia
U.S. Route 60 in Virginia runs west to east through the central part of the state, generally close to and paralleling the Interstate 64 corridor, except for the crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and in the South Hampton Roads area....
(US 60) in Midlothian
Midlothian, Virginia
Midlothian is an unincorporated community in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. Founded over 300 years ago as a coal mining village, it is now a suburban community located in the Southside of Richmond well beyond the city limits of Richmond in the Richmond–Petersburg region.It was named...
east to US 60 in Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. SR 147 connects Midlothian with the West End of Richmond via the Huguenot Memorial Bridge
Huguenot Memorial Bridge
Huguenot Memorial Bridge is located in Henrico County and the independent city of Richmond, Virginia. It carries State Route 147 across the former Chesapeake and Ohio Railway , the James River and Kanawha Canal, and the James River in the fall line region above the head of navigation at...
across the James River
James River
The James River may refer to:Rivers in the United States and their namesakes* James River * James River , North Dakota, South Dakota* James River * James River * James River...
. Within Richmond, the state highway follows Cary Street, a major thoroughfare that connects the city's two major universities, the University of Richmond
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
and Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
, with Downtown Richmond
Downtown Richmond, Virginia
Downtown Richmond, Virginia, is central urban area of that city. It is generally defined as being bound by Belvidere Street to the west, I-95 to the north and east, and the James River to the south.-Description:...
.
Route description
SR 147 begins at an intersection with US 60 (Midlothian Turnpike) in Midlothian. The south leg of the intersection is SR 653 (Courthouse Road), which heads south toward Chesterfield Court HouseChesterfield Court House, Virginia
Chesterfield Court House is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP had a total area of .-Demographics:...
. SR 147 heads north as Huguenot Road, a four-lane divided highway that heads north through the expansive commercial area that surrounds the SR 147–US 60 intersection. The state highway veers northeast and intersects SR 711 (Robious Road) at the hamlet of Robious. The intersection also includes Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk 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...
's Richmond District
Richmond District
Richmond District may refer to:*Richmond District, San Francisco, California, an area of the city of San Francisco*Richmond District, Pennsylvania, a former area of the city of Philadelphia*Richmond District , a rail line in Virginia...
rail line, which passes through the center of the junction at grade. SR 147 parallels the railroad east, then veers northeast through the Bon Air
Bon Air, Virginia
Bon Air is a census-designated place in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. The population was 16,366 at the 2010 census. The community is considered a suburb of the independent city of Richmond in the Richmond-Petersburg region, and shares a post office with Richmond...
sections of Chesterfield County
Chesterfield County, Virginia
Chesterfield County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. In 2010, its population was estimated to be 316,236. Chesterfield County is now the fourth-largest municipality in Virginia . Its county seat is Chesterfield...
. The state highway enters the independent city
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...
of Richmond just south of its partial cloverleaf interchange with SR 150
Virginia State Route 150
Virginia State Route 150 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Chippenham Parkway, the state highway runs from Interstate 95 and SR 895 in Bensley north to Parham Road and River Road near Tuckahoe in Henrico County...
(Chippenham Parkway).
SR 147 passes through the Southampton neighborhood of Richmond's South Side
Southside (Richmond, Virginia)
The Southside of Richmond is an area of the Metropolitan Statistical Area surrounding Richmond, Virginia. It generally includes all portions of the City of Richmond which lie south of the James River, and includes all of the former city of Manchester...
before meeting Riverside Drive at a partial cloverleaf interchange at the south end of the Huguenot Memorial Bridge, where the highway reduces to two lanes. The bridge crosses the James River, CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
's Rivanna Subdivision, and the defunct James River and Kanawha Canal
James River and Kanawha Canal
The James River and Kanawha Canal was a canal in Virginia, which was built to facilitate shipments of passengers and freight by water between the western counties of Virginia and the coast....
east of the remnants of the Westham Bridge
Westham Bridge
Westham Bridge crossed the James River between Henrico County and Chesterfield County. The bridge was located between Bosher Dam and Williams Island Dam just west of the 7 miles of rapids and falls which constitute the fall line of the James River at Richmond, Virginia.Built as a toll bridge in...
, SR 147's original crossing of the river. The state highway enters Henrico County
Henrico County, Virginia
Henrico is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. As of 2010, Henrico was home to 306,935 people. It is located in the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
at the south shore of the James River. At the north end of the bridge, SR 147 expands to a four-lane divided highway that curves east and intersects River Road just west of the Richmond city limit. River Road provides access to the University of Richmond, including the University of Richmond School of Law
University of Richmond School of Law
The University of Richmond School of Law , a school of the University of Richmond, is located in Richmond, Virginia...
and the university's athletic complex
Richmond Spiders
The Richmond Spiders represent the University of Richmond, a member of the NCAA's Division I and a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference for all sports except football and women's golf, which participate as members of the Colonial Athletic Association....
, which includes Malcolm U. Pitt Field
Malcolm U. Pitt Field
Malcolm U. Pitt Field is a baseball field located on the campus of the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia, USA. The field is home to the Richmond Spiders baseball team of the Division I Atlantic 10 Conference. The field is named after longtime Spiders baseball and basketball coach...
, the Robins Center
Robins Center
The Robins Center is a 9,071-seat multi-purpose arena in Richmond, Virginia. Opened in 1972, the arena is home to the University of Richmond Spiders basketball. It hosted the ECAC South men's basketball tournament in 1983. It is named for E...
, and E. Claiborne Robins Stadium.
SR 147 continues east as two-lane River Road through Richmond's West End. The state highway becomes Cary Street at its intersection with Three Chopt Road in the center of the Rio Vista neighborhood, whose riverfront contains the Wilton House Museum
Wilton House Museum
Wilton House Museum is a museum located in a historic house located in Richmond, Virginia. Wilton House was constructed circa 1753 in a Georgian style by William Randolph III, son of William Randolph II, of Turkey Island. Wilton was constructed as a tobacco plantation and located along the north...
. SR 147 continues southeast through the affluent Windsor Farms
Windsor Farms
Windsor Farms is a 20th-century neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia of primarily Colonial Revival design.Designed in 1926, Windsor Farms is one of Richmond's first planned neighborhoods. The road layout consists of circular and diagonal patterns with English street names such as Dover, Canterbury,...
neighborhood, which contains the historic, imported homes Agecroft Hall
Agecroft Hall
Agecroft Hall is a Tudor-style estate currently on the James River in Virginia, United States, though originally built in Pendlebury, Lancashire, England in the late 15th century. It is now operated as a museum. It was the home of Lancashire's Langley and Dauntesey families before falling into...
and Virginia House
Virginia House
Virginia House is a country house on a hillside overlooking the James River in Richmond, Virginia, United States.The house was constructed from the materials of the 16th Century Warwick Priory and shipped over and reassembled, completed several months before the stock market crash of 1929...
. West of its junction with the western end of SR 197
Virginia State Route 197
State Route 197 is a primary state highway in and near Richmond, Virginia, United States. It forms a partial bypass of downtown Richmond, using Malvern Avenue, Westwood Avenue, Saunders Avenue, and Laburnum Avenue between State Route 147 and U.S. Route 1/U.S. Route 301 .-External links:*...
(Malvern Avenue), the state highway expands to four lanes, which it maintains east to its freeway interchange and crossing of CSX's North End Subdivision just west of Thompson Street. The interchange includes ramps to and from southbound SR 76
Virginia State Route 76
Virginia State Route 76 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Powhite Parkway , the state highway runs from SR 652 near Midlothian north to Interstate 195 in Richmond. SR 76 is a toll freeway that connects SR 288, U.S...
(Powhite Parkway), eastbound SR 195
Virginia State Route 195
Virginia State Route 195 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as the Downtown Expressway, the state highway runs from Interstate 195 east to I-95 within the independent city of Richmond. SR 195 is a toll freeway that connects the West End of Richmond with Downtown...
(Downtown Expressway), and via Thompson Street, northbound Interstate 195
Interstate 195 (Virginia)
Interstate 195 is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as the Beltline Expressway, the highway runs from Virginia State Route 195 , a toll road that continues south into Downtown Richmond, north to I-64 and I-95 on the northern edge of Richmond. I-195 passes through the West...
(I-195) (Beltline Expressway).
At Thompson Street, SR 147 becomes a one-way pair
One-way pair
A one-way pair, one-way couple, or just couplet is a pair of parallel, usually one-way streets that carry opposite directions of a signed route or major traffic flow, or sometimes opposite directions of a bus or streetcar route....
, with eastbound following Cary Street and westbound following Elwood Avenue through the Carytown neighborhood, which features the historic Byrd Theatre
Byrd Theatre
The Byrd Theatre is a cinema in the Carytown neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia. It was named after William Byrd II, the founder of the city. The theater — the first in Virginia to be equipped with a sound system — opened on December 24, 1928 to much excitement and is affectionately referred to as...
, the site of the annual VCU French Film Festival
VCU French Film Festival
The VCU French Film Festival, an annual film festival held in Richmond, Virginia, focused on recently-produced French-language films.It was created at Virginia Commonwealth University in 1993. It is billed as the largest festival of French film in the United States...
. The westbound street's name changes to Main Street east of the street's intersection with SR 161
Virginia State Route 161
State Route 161 is a primary state highway in and near Richmond, Virginia, United States. It extends from an interchange with Interstate 95 in the independent city of Richmond north to an intersection with U.S...
(Boulevard). As SR 147 passes through the Fan district
Fan district
The Fan is a district of Richmond, Virginia, so named because of the "fan" shape of the array of streets that extend west from Belvidere Street, on the eastern edge of Monroe Park, westward to the Boulevard....
, Cary Street is paralleled one block to the south by SR 195. The state highway veers east to pass through the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University, then veers southeast into downtown Richmond at its intersections with US 1
U.S. Route 1 in Virginia
U.S. Route 1 in the U.S. state of Virginia runs north–south through South Hill, Petersburg, Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Alexandria on its way from North Carolina to the 14th Street Bridge into the District of Columbia...
and US 301
U.S. Route 301 in Virginia
U.S. Route 301 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Sarasota, Florida to Glasgow, Delaware. In Virginia, the U.S. Highway runs from the North Carolina state line near Skippers north to the Maryland state line at the Potomac River near Dahlgren. US 301 forms the local complement...
(Boulevard) on the south side of Monroe Park
Monroe Park
Monroe Park is a landscaped park located northwest of the Virginia State Capitol Building in Richmond, Virginia. It is named after James Monroe, the fifth President of the United States...
. SR 147 passes through the Commonwealth Club Historic District and by the historic Jefferson Hotel, the Ellen Glasgow House
Ellen Glasgow House
Ellen Glasgow House, also known as Branch-Glascow House, was a home of writer Ellen Glasgow.It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1971.-External links:*, at Historic American Building Survey...
, and the Barret House
Barret House (Richmond, Virginia)
The William Barret House, located at 15 South 5th Street, Richmond, Virginia, is a mid-nineteenth century house, and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1972 -History:...
before reaching its eastern terminus at US 60 two blocks west of the Virginia State Capitol
Virginia State Capitol
The Virginia State Capitol is the seat of state government in the Commonwealth of Virginia, located in Richmond, the third capital of Virginia. It houses the oldest legislative body in the United States, the Virginia General Assembly...
. US 60 enters downtown from the Manchester Bridge on 8th and 9th Streets and turns southeast onto Cary Street and Main Street to pass through Shockoe Slip
Shockoe Slip
Shockoe Slip is a district in the downtown area of Richmond, Virginia. The name "slip" referred to a narrow passageway leading from Main Street to where goods were loaded and unloaded from the former James River and Kanawha Canal...
.