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

US Route 62 and US Route 180 in the Guadalupe Mountains

US Route 62/US Route 180 between El Paso, Texas and Carlsbad, New Mexico passes through the Guadalupe Mountains. The Guadalupe Mountains comprise the highest peaks of Texas which are largely protected as part Guadalupe Mountains National Park. The automotive highway through the Guadalupe Mountains was constructed in the late 1920s as part of Texas State Road 54. US Route 62 was extended from Carlsbad through the Guadalupe Mountains to El Paso during 1932. US Route 62 was joined in the Guadalupe Mountains by US Route 180 in 1943. The Guadalupe Mountains comprise a portion of the 130 mile "No Services" zone on US Route 62/US Route 180 between El Paso-Carlsbad. Part 1; the history of US Route 62 and US Route 180 in the Guadalupe Mountains The Guadalupe Mountains lie within the states of Texas and New Mexico. The Guadalupe Mountains essentially is a southern extension of the larger Rocky Mountains. The Guadalupe Mountains is the highest range in Texas with the peak elevati

Paper Highways; unbuilt California State Route 100 in Santa Cruz

This edition of Paper Highways examines the unbuilt California State Route 100 in Santa Cruz. The History of Unbuilt California State Route 100 The route that became CA 100 was added to the State Inventory in 1959 as part of the Freeway & Expressway System as Legislative Route 287 . According to CAhighways.org the initial definition of LRN 287 had it begin at LRN 5 (CA 17) and was defined over the below alignment to LRN 56 (CA 1) through downtown Santa Cruz. - Ocean Street - 2nd Street - Chestnut Street For context the above alignment would required tearing down a large part of the densely populated Santa Cruz. A modern Google imagine immediately reveals how crazy an alignment following Ocean Street, 2nd Street, and Chestnut Street would have been. LRN 287 first appears on the 1960 Division of Highways State Map . In 1961 the definition of LRN 287 was generalized to; from LRN 5 via the beach area in Santa Cruz to LRN 56 west of the San Lorenzo River.

New Mexico State Road 7 (Carlsbad Caverns Highway)

New Mexico State Road 7 is approximately a seven-mile highway in the Guadalupe Mountains of Eddy County. New Mexico State Road 7 connects US Route 62/US Route 180 at Whites City to the visitor center of Carlsbad Caverns National Park via Walnut Canyon. The so-called Carlsbad Caverns Highway to the National Park visitor center complex was constructed following the designation of the namesake National Monument in 1923. The current iteration of New Mexico State Road 7 was designated by the New Mexico State Highway Commission during June 1929. A proposal once was once floated to connect New Mexico State Road 7 to a cavern drive which would have been blasted into Big Room. Part 1; the history of New Mexico State Road 7 What are now Carlsbad Caverns was explored in the Guadalupe Mountains of Eddy County by local Jim White during 1898. White explored the caverns via a homemade ladder and named several of the more notable rooms. The name "Carlsbad Caverns" was derived from the