Virginia...
US 29:
Summary:
| Segment |
Type of Highway |
Designated Arterial System? |
View Pictures |
| Danville Bypass |
4-lane Freeway |
YES |
Picture (Gribblenation) |
| Danville to Chatham |
4-lane Arterial |
YES |
|
| Chatham Bypass |
4-lane Freeway |
YES |
|
| Chatham to Gretna |
4-lane Arterial |
YES |
|
| Gretna Bypass |
4-lane Freeway |
YES |
|
| Gretna to Hurt |
4-lane Arterial |
YES |
|
| Hurt / Altavista Bypass |
4-lane Freeway |
YES |
Picture (Gribblenation) |
| Altavista to US 460 West |
4-lane Arterial / 4-lane Boulevard |
YES |
|
| US 460 West to US 501 |
4-lane Freeway |
YES |
Pictures (Robert Jordan) |
| US 501 to US 460 East |
4-lane Arterial |
YES |
|
| US 460 East to Business US 29 north of Amherst |
4-lane Freeway (Under Construction) |
YES |
Construction Pictures (Bruce Harper)
Picture (Gribblenation)
|
| Amherst to Lovingston |
4-lane Arterial |
YES |
|
| Lovingston Bypass |
4-lane Expressway |
YES |
|
| Lovingston to I-64 |
4-lane Arterial |
YES |
Picture (Gribblenation) |
| Charlottesville Bypass |
4-lane Freeway |
YES |
Pictures (AARoads) |
| Charlottesville Bypass to 6 miles north of US 250 |
4-8-lane Boulevard (Freeway bypass proposed) |
YES |
Pictures (AARoads) |
| 6 miles north of US 250 to Madison |
4-lane Arterial |
YES |
Pictures (AARoads) |
| Madison Bypass |
4-lane Expressway |
YES |
|
| Madison to Culpeper |
4-lane Arterial |
YES |
Pictures (AARoads) |
| Culpeper Bypass |
4-lane Freeway |
YES |
Pictures (AARoads) |
| Brandy Station / Remington Bypass (US 522 at Culpeper to Business US 29 north of Remington) |
4-lane Expressway |
YES |
|
| Remington to Warrenton |
4-lane Arterial |
YES |
|
| Warrenton Bypass |
4-lane Freeway |
YES |
Pictures (Adam Froehlig) |
| Warrenton to Gainesville |
4-lane Arterial |
YES |
|
| Gainesville to Washington DC |
4-lane Boulevard |
YES |
|
Detailed Description:
A major north-south intrastate highway, US 29 traverses through over 200 miles in Virginia. By east coast standards, there is some spectacular mountain scenery from Lynchburg to Charlottesville. US 29 serves majors towns such as Danville, Lynchburg, Charlottesville, and Warrenton, as well as the Washington DC metropolitan area in Northern Virginia. US 29 is part of the National Highway System from Greensboro, NC to I-66 in Gainesville. It is a major interregional corridor, connecting I-40/Business 85 in Greensboro to I-66 in Gainesville as well as serving the towns and cities in between. Because of this status, 99% of US 29 in Virginia has four or more lanes. The only 2-lane section is through Manassas National Battlefield where there is no ROW to add lanes. The segment through Manassas National Battlefield is not on the National Highway system since I-66 carries through traffic in this area.
US 29 bypasses almost every town along its route; however, the traffic increases as one heads into Charlottesville and northward. The traffic picks up considerably for motorists heading towards the greater Washington, DC area. Furthermore, the current urban freeway through Lynchburg is obsolete with high traffic volumes and development throughout US 29. The new Lynchburg-Madison Heights bypass is now open, and diverts US 29 traffic onto a new alignment going over the James River. The VA-130 Connector is intended to connect Monroe to the new bypass. Traffic on the rest of the rural segments of the highway may be speeding up as well. The Virginia legislature passed a law allowing for 60 mph speed limits on certain rural 4-lane highways, including US 29.
In Charlottesville, the existing highway has been widened to include six to eight lanes of aggravating traffic. The Charlottesville bypass is still in the planning stages, but a northward extension of the bypass is desirable since traffic is much worse in Charlottesville than in Lynchburg. An extension of the freeway north of Ruckersville or even to I-66 would also be desirable considering the high traffic volumes along the highway.
History:
| Segment |
Designated as Limited Access Highway |
| Danville Bypass |
1/1973 |
| Chatham Bypass |
4/1961 |
| Gretna Bypass |
5/1969 |
| Gretna to Altavista |
5/1969 |
| Altavista Bypass |
5/1969 |
| Lynchburg Bypass |
1/1991 |
| Amherst Bypass |
1/1968 |
| Lovingston Bypass |
3/1967 |
| Charlottesville Bypass |
5/1952 |
| Northern Charlottesville Bypass (PROPOSED) |
4/1997 |
| Madison Bypass |
5/1958 |
| Culpeper Bypass |
8/1967 |
| Brandy Station Bypass |
8/1967 |
| Brandy Station to Remington |
12/1967 |
| Remington Bypass |
12/1967 |
| Warrenton Bypass |
10/1973 |
More History: (courtesy of Mike Roberson)
Future Improvements:
A 1997 study proposed that US 29 should be upgraded to a freeway from North Carolina to Lovingston and an expressway from Lovingston to Charlottesville. However, this is proposed only in a long-range and unfunded sense, and without any official approvals. A more detailed look at the study is available here.
Other proposed improvements include a Charlottesville Bypass and a South Lynchburg Bypass. (Note: Neither of the links lead to official websites. Both links lead to unofficial websites.)
Related Links:
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History of the proposed US 29 Charlottesville Bypass extension
-
Great Virginia Drives: US 29
-
Unofficial website advocating the extension of I-83 onto US 29 in Virginia
-
Old “cutout” highway signs along US 29
Sources:
Page written by Lou Corsaro and revised by Scott Kozel.
Last Updated: 11/16/05
Comments:
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