ROANOKE VA trip
Aug. 25-27 2021
PART 1
Let's all huddle some more as we continue our big trips of the early 2020s! Small cities and rural areas started leading the way for America again, so why not be cool?
I-64/77 in West Virginia is also the West Virginia Turnpike here. This shows the region's mountainous layout.
The I-64/77 split advertises the next major city on each route.
US 460 near Oakvale, W.Va.
US 460 enters Virginia! US 460 was also once US 219 here. It crosses the East River up ahead. (This is not to be confused with the East River in New York where TV networks reportedly discarded tapes of old shows. If you know me, you know that makes me mad - for several reasons!)
Just after that, we cross the New River. The old US 219/460 is at right.
Columns for a dismantled rail bridge on the New River are visible.
This has to be approaching US 219 in Rich Creek.
US 460 runs along the New River and has a wide median with trees.
US 460 goes under VA 61 in Narrows.
US 460 continues from Narrows.
US 460 crosses the New River past Pearisburg. In some towns in this area, US 460 is labeled as Virginia Avenue. I only mention that because it made me think of some kid in high school saying something about "Virginia Avenue gum" during a Monopoly game.
US 460 continues near Blacksburg.
VA 412 in Blacksburg. This town of 45,000 is home of Virginia Tech. It's also the site of the Virginia Smart Road, a currently unopened highway that is slated to someday become part of I-73. The Smart Road is used for testing of various technologies - which appears to include weather modification.
VA 412 uses Prices Fork Road in front of the university as students lurk at the traffic island.
Biz US 460 (old US 460) uses Main Street in Blacksburg.
Main continues in downtown Blacksburg.
Continuing southeast on Main.
The ramp to US 460 glides through this tunnel. The US 460 bypass around Blacksburg has reportedly been in existence since 1969, but the freeway that continues to I-81 came much later.
US 460 nears I-81!
This has to be northeast on I-81.
I-81 near Elliston.
West on US 460 (Main Street) in Salem. This city of 25,000 is the county seat of Roanoke County, though it has been an independent city since New Year's Day 1968.
North on College Avenue (US 11) in Salem.
West on Main again, after it picks up US 11.