US 60 highlighted in red | ||||
Route information | ||||
Maintained byVDOT | ||||
Length | 302.69 mi[1] (487.13 km) | |||
Existed | 1926–present | |||
Major junctions | ||||
West end | ![]() ![]() | |||
Major intersections | ||||
East end | Harbour Point/Rudee Point Road in Virginia Beach | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Virginia | |||
Counties | Alleghany,City of Covington,Rockbridge,City of Lexington,City of Buena Vista,Amherst,Nelson,Appomattox,Buckingham,Cumberland,Powhatan,Chesterfield,City of Richmond,Henrico,New Kent,James City,City of Williamsburg,York,City of Newport News,City of Hampton,City of Norfolk,City of Virginia Beach | |||
Highway system | ||||
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U.S. Route 60 (US 60) in the Commonwealth ofVirginia runs 303 miles (488 km) west to east through the central part of the state, generally close to and paralleling theInterstate 64 corridor, except for the crossing of theBlue Ridge Mountains, and in theSouth Hampton Roads area.
BetweenLexington in theShenandoah Valley andRichmond, I-64 uses a lower elevation crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains located about 30 miles (48 km) further north, where it runs parallel toU.S. Route 250 throughRockfish Gap. In contrast, through this section, the older US 60 is mostly a rural two-lane road. With the crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains atHumphreys Gap at a higher altitude in more rugged terrain, US 60 in this area offers much more challenging and weather-sensitive driving conditions, as well as a history of many crashes in the years before I-64 was completed. (The original US 60 alignment throughGlasgow, nowUS 501, is lower than either but much curvier than I-64.)
East of north–southU.S. Route 29 (which runs parallel to the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge), the older US 60 and I-64 gradually converge as they pass through the rolling hills of the rockyPiedmont region in an easterly direction to reach theFall Line atRichmond, where they again become very close.
From Richmond east to the harbor area near the mouth ofHampton Roads, US 60 again essentially parallels I-64 throughWilliamsburg and theHistoric Triangle region, extending down theVirginia Peninsula east to theHampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel. A few miles south of thebridge-tunnel, inNorfolk, US 60 diverges to follow the south shoreline of theChesapeake Bay throughOcean View and past the south entrance to theChesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel to reachCape Henry. There it curves south to run along theAtlantic Ocean shoreline to end near the south end of the Virginia Beach resort strip.[1][2]
The first developed portions of US 60 in Virginia included theManchester Turnpike, later known as theMidlothian Turnpike, west from Richmond and theJames River and Kanawha Turnpike west of Lexington into West Virginia.
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In Virginia, as a through-route, U.S. 60 was largely replaced byInterstate 64. The latter is roughly parallel, although there is a separation of over 30 miles north and south betweenLexington andRichmond.
InSouth Hampton Roads, the roads also separate. I-64 became part of the circumferentialHampton Roads Beltway and looping far south and west of Norfolk, rather than reaching the Atlantic Ocean. Although older, Route 60 continues its west to east travel, becoming the public roadway actually closest to the waters of theChesapeake Bay and theAtlantic Ocean terminating near the traditional resort strip atVirginia Beach.
U.S. Route 60 enters the state concurrent withI-64 near the top of theEastern Continental Divide in theAppalachian Mountains and crosses the portions of the Great Valley, passing the city ofCovington, and town ofClifton Forge and the city of Lexington.
At Lexington, the newer Interstate route swings north, concurrent with I-81 toStaunton where it again turns east. The variation between the routes was largely due to terrain for the crossing of theBlue Ridge Mountains. U.S. 60 crosses atWhite's Gap; I-64 usesRockfish Gap. East of the Blue Ridge, the two pathways gradually converge, meeting again at Richmond.
Although US 60 offers a bucolic interlude for many motorists in comparison with I-64, the western portion of the Lexington-Richmond section of US 60 can be very difficult to drive, especially for larger vehicles such as motor homes and commercial vehicles, or any vehicles during inclement weather. It was notorious for deadly crashes in the years before I-64 was completed.
The newer I-64 usesRockfish Gap, a lower elevationwind gap which was also selected for a vitalrailroad crossing by Virginia's legendary 19th century state engineer,Claudius Crozet. Even that crossing, at Afton Mountain, can be very treacherous, and has been particularly notorious for accidents during reduced periods of visibility, motivating the state to install an innovative pavement lighting system. East of the mountain, I-64 passes Charlottesville and has easy grades on its way to Richmond.
From Lexington, US 60 runs easterly across theBlue Ridge Mountains. The switchbacks and grades along the crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains still used by U.S. 60 combine to form a very hilly and treacherous section. The 30 miles (48 km) east of Lexington become virtually impassable by most vehicles during inclement weather, particularly snow and ice. A short distance east ofInterstate 81, as it passes throughBuena Vista, even before leaving the city limits, the roadway immediately begins a steep climb. The roadway has many switchbacks and on both the eastern and western slopes, withWhite's Gap at the peak. After descending on the eastern side, travelers reachAmherst, where Route 60 intersects north–southU.S. Route 29.
Continuing east, there is an additional shorter section of mountainous terrain before the road levels out somewhat into the rollingPiedmont region through the middle belt of the state. AtSprouse's Corner inBuckingham County, north–southU.S. Route 15 is crossed. This is the last major intersection until reaching the outskirts of Richmond.
The road is two lanes for most of its journey eastward from Lexington, but widens to four lanes inPowhatan Virginia. Crossing intoChesterfield County, it intersectsState Route 288, a semi-circumferential expressway around the southwestern quadrant ofMetropolitan Richmond and becomingMidlothian Turnpike.
East of VA-288, Route 60 continues a few miles into the community ofMidlothian. From this point east, the road becomes almost a continuous business district and widens to six lanes through the urban parts of Chesterfield County and the westernmost portion in the city ofRichmond.
U.S. 60 in the Richmond area enters on Midlothian Turnpike. The road largely follows the path of the oldManchester Turnpike, built early in the 18th century. Nearby, remnants of theChesterfield Railroad, first in Virginia can be seen just south of the current highway.Midlothian was the site ofcoal mines after about 1700, with product transported overland toManchester which was Richmond's sister city south of the river (until they merged in 1910). At Manchester, ships could dock in the navigable waters of theJames River just east of thefall line.
U.S. Route 60 crosses the James River on theManchester Bridge into downtown Richmond. Nearby in Richmond, it crossesU.S. Route 360, technically a spur. From Richmond, U.S. 360 extends southwest toDanville, Virginia just north of theNorth Carolina border and northeast toReedville, Virginia on theChesapeake Bay.
Rt. 60 leaves theChurch Hill section of Richmond on Government Road and the Williamsburg Road, which follows the old Richmond-Williamsburg Stage Road for some distance inHenrico County. This area was the scene of several majorAmerican Civil War battles during thePeninsula Campaign in 1862, and the roadway borders federal cemeteries at Government Road near the city limits and atSeven Pines. ThereNine Mile Road bringsState Route 33 to the intersection.
East of downtown Richmond, US 60 again parallels I-64 east along theVirginia Peninsula through the much flattercoastal plains of theTidewater region of Virginia to reach the harbor atHampton Roads. Most of the route immediately east of Richmond is two laned. In the years before I-64 was built, a hilly three-laned portion of US 60 in eastern Henrico County east of Seven Pines (and the junction of much newerI-295) was infamous for many years for its center "suicide lane". Most of this section is now two-laned, with the center lane area reserved for turning lanes.
East ofBottoms Bridge, inNew Kent County and westernJames City County, US 60 is a lightly traveled four-lane divided highway that is sometimes used as an alternate route to Interstate 64 when the latter becomes congested. NearAnderson's Corner at the junction ofVirginia State Route 30 (near I-64 at exit 227), US 60 swings somewhat south to pass throughToano andNorge to reachWilliamsburg, which I-64 bypasses slightly to the north. (First designated through the area in the late 1920s, US 60 also has a shorter bypass of the Historic District which encompasses mostColonial Williamsburg attractions). At Williamsburg, theNational Park Service'sColonial Parkway leads to bothJamestown andYorktown.
At milepost 238 on I-64,Virginia State Route 143 begins. As Colonial Williamsburg opened, this four-laned route was built in the 1930s asMerrimack Trail to supplement US Route 60. It parallels both US 60 and I-64 all the way east through Williamsburg, James City, and York counties, and through Newport News to reachFort Monroe (near the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel) inHampton.
East of Williamsburg, US 60 passes the multipleAnheuser Busch developments inJames City County, which include an office park, theKingsmill Resort, its Williamsburg brewery, and theBusch Gardens Williamsburgtheme park. East of there, US 60 narrows again to two lanes, passing through the historicGrove Community and pastCarter's Grove Plantation in southeastern James City County.
After crossingSkiffe's Creek, the roadway enters theLee Hall section of the city ofNewport News, where it becomesWarwick Boulevard, a major thoroughfare in the independent city, and stretches over 20 miles (32 km) to downtown Newport News.
Warwick Boulevard, once a major through traffic route, and now mostly a local connector road, is largely paralleled by newer highways,Interstate 64 andState Route 143 (Jefferson Avenue). These, with more lanes and higher speed limits, in combination with Warwick Boulevard, form the major east–west highways through modern-day Newport News.
The road was named for the formerWarwick County, Virginia, one of the original eightshires of Virginia which consolidated with the City of Newport News in 1958 and assumed the better-known name. Warwick County was named in 1634 forRobert Rich (1587–1658), secondEarl of Warwick and a prominent member of theVirginia Company of London, the proprietary venture which foundedJamestown in 1607. The western reaches of Warwick Boulevard transverse theDenbigh area, long thecounty seat of Warwick County.
A notable section of Huntington Avenue (the block between 25th and 26th streets) carries US 60 in both directions overlapping, and is possibly the only example of a highway in the United States with such a configuration.
Notable sites along Warwick Boulevard or close by, west to east, include:
Several miles east of Lee Hall, the road widens to four lanes near the entrance toFort Eustis. From there, as Warwick Boulevard, US 60 stretches about 18 miles (29 km) to reach downtown Newport News. In the early 21st century, Newport News was in the midst of a widening project to expand portions of Warwick Boulevard to six lanes. Another project in Newport News to relocate and widen the portion of Route 60 west of Fort Eustis and construct a new crossing of Skiffe's Creek is in a planning stage.
Route 60 follows 25th Street out of downtown Newport News into the city of Hampton.
When it enters Hampton, 25th Street becomes Kecoughtan Road and Route 60 follows it to downtown. It runs through theWythe and Southhampton neighborhoods, forming the northern boundary of theOlde Wythe Historic District. In the 1940s and 50s Kecoughtan Road was one of Hampton and Newport News's primary commercial centers.[3]
It then turns onto Settlers' Landing Road and follows it through downtown Hampton and across Hampton River on the Booker T. Washington Bridge to join Interstate 64 in crossing Hampton Roads in theHampton Roads Bridge Tunnel. (As a historical note, prior to 1957, when thebridge-tunnel was completed, the crossing was via a car ferry service. The bridge-tunnel was expanded to 4 lanes and tolls removed in the mid-1970s.)
Notable sites along US-60 in Hampton or close by, west to east, include:
After passing the tip ofWilloughby Spit and a bridge across the north shore of Willoughby Bay, back on land, US 60 exitsI-64. The Interstate continues southerly into Norfolk as part of theHampton Roads Beltway, and in conjunction withInterstate 264, generally offers the fastest way to reach the oceanfront area of Virginia Beach.
However, US 60 offers a more scenic, if perhaps slower, alternative, by sticking to the shoreline of the bay and ocean to reach the same destination. After leaving I-64, US 60 shifts onto Ocean View Avenue, a four lane boulevard following the southern shoreline of theChesapeake Bay, going through theOcean View area ofNorfolk.
At East Ocean View, then roadway swings away from the bay front and becomes Shore Drive, passing the entrance to theNaval Amphibious Base Little Creek atLittle Creek, Virginia as it heads east into the city ofVirginia Beach. After passing the Navy Base, Shore Drive again runs close to the bay front and crossesUS 13 near the southern terminus of theChesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. US 60 continues as a 4-lane divided highway as it crosses overLynnhaven Inlet on theLesner Bridge and towards theFirst Landing State Park andJoint Expeditionary Base East atCape Henry. At the end of the state park, the roadway briefly is called 83rd Street as it curves onto Atlantic Avenue, running parallel to the oceanfront from a few hundred feet to a block or so to the west passing through most of the most developed portion of the Oceanfront area of the resort city.
From Joint Expeditionary Base East to the terminus, the routing of US 60 is geographically north–south although it is signed as an east–west route. When Atlantic Avenue meets Pacific Avenue, US 60 continues straight onto Pacific Avenue, through the entire resort strip, passing 32nd Street, where it meets the eastern terminus ofUS 58, and 22nd and 21st Streets, which lead to and from the eastern terminus of both the formerVirginia Beach-Norfolk Expressway (nowI-264) respectively, continuing to meet the originalVirginia Beach Boulevard at 17th Street. It then continues along Pacific over the Rudee Inlet Bridge to the highway's eastern terminus at the intersection of Harbour Point and Rudee Point Road in Virginia Beach. The road itself continues southwest back into the city as General Booth Boulevard.
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The Manchester Turnpike was aturnpike road inChesterfield County, and was the first lengthy paved roadway in that state.[4] It stretched fromManchester (now part ofRichmond'sSouthside) west toFalling Creek nearMidlothian, and is now known as Midlothian Turnpike, mostly forming part of US 60. In 1802, Chesterfield County'scoal manufacturers and residents petitioned theVirginia General Assembly for permission to construct a turnpike between the port of Manchester and Falling Creek. The improved road was opened to travelers in 1804,[citation needed] and ran from Manchester along the oldBuckingham road to Falling Creek, now the bridge on Old Buckingham Road west of Unison Drive.[5]
County | Location | mi[1] | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alleghany | | 0.00 | 0.00 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | West Virginia state line | |||
| 1.83 | 2.95 | 1 | Jerry's Run Trail | ||||
| 7.16 | 11.52 | 7 | ![]() | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | |||
Callaghan | 10.01 | 16.11 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of I-64 concurrency; northern terminus of SR 159; US 60 east follows exit 10 | ||||
City ofCovington | 14.79 | 23.80 | ![]() ![]() | |||||
15.76 | 25.36 | ![]() ![]() | Western end of US 220 concurrency | |||||
16.14 | 25.97 | ![]() ![]() | Northern terminus of SR 18 | |||||
Alleghany | Mallow | 17.32 | 27.87 | ![]() ![]() | Western end of I-64 concurrency; US 60 west follows exit 16A | |||
seeI-64 | ||||||||
Rockbridge | | 50.93 | 81.96 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of I-64 concurrency; US 60 east follows exit 50 | |||
| ![]() ![]() | former US 60 west | ||||||
City ofLexington | 57.30 | 92.22 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | |||||
57.42 | 92.41 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Rockbridge | | 58.03 | 93.39 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | interchange | |||
| 60.18 | 96.85 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Exit 188 (I-81) | ||||
City ofBuena Vista | 63.86 | 102.77 | ![]() ![]() | Northern terminus of US 501 | ||||
Rockbridge | No major junctions | |||||||
Amherst | Humphreys Gap | 68.3 | 109.9 | ![]() | Interchange | |||
| ![]() | formerSR 158 north | ||||||
Amherst | 89.93 | 144.73 | ![]() ![]() | Roundabout | ||||
90.38 | 145.45 | ![]() | interchange | |||||
Nelson | No major junctions | |||||||
Appomattox | Bent Creek | 104.98 | 168.95 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Northern terminus of SR 26 | |||
Buckingham | Mt. Rush | 118.49 | 190.69 | ![]() ![]() | Eastern terminus of SR 24 | |||
Dentons Corner | 120.51 | 193.94 | ![]() ![]() | Eastern terminus of SR 56 | ||||
Sprouses Corner | 126.29 | 203.24 | ![]() | |||||
Cumberland | Hillcrest | 138.73 | 223.26 | ![]() ![]() | Western end of SR 45 concurrency | |||
| 142.23 | 228.90 | ![]() ![]() | Western terminus of SR 13 | ||||
| 143.58 | 231.07 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |||||
Powhatan | | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | formerSR 27 north | |||||
| 159.23 | 256.26 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Southern terminus of US 522 | ||||
Powhatan | 161.08 | 259.23 | ![]() ![]() | Northern terminus of SR 300 | ||||
Plain View | ![]() ![]() | Eastern terminus of SR 13 | ||||||
Chesterfield | Buckingham | 173.88 | 279.83 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | interchange | |||
Midlothian | 178.23 | 286.83 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | west terminus of SR 147 | ||||
| 181.14 | 291.52 | ![]() | interchange | ||||
| 183.39 | 295.14 | ![]() | interchange | ||||
City ofRichmond | 185.55 | 298.61 | ![]() | interchange | ||||
![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||||
Forest Hill Avenue | formerSR 417 west | |||||||
187.97 | 302.51 | ![]() ![]() | ||||||
188.53 | 303.41 | ![]() ![]() | Interchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance; formerSR 416 south | |||||
Manchester Bridge overJames River | ||||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||||
189.27 | 304.60 | ![]() ![]() | west end of SR 147 overlap | |||||
189.72 | 305.32 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | east end of SR 147 overlap; west end of US 360 overlap | |||||
190.10 | 305.94 | ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of US 360 concurrency | |||||
25th Street | west end of SR 5 overlap | |||||||
190.83 | 307.11 | ![]() ![]() | east end of SR 5 overlap | |||||
Henrico | Sandston | 196.25 | 315.83 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Western end of SR 156 concurrency | |||
Seven Pines | 197.75 | 318.25 | ![]() ![]() | Western end of SR 33 concurrency | ||||
| 199.13 | 320.47 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Exit 28 (I-295) | ||||
| 201.37 | 324.07 | ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of SR 156 concurrency | ||||
New Kent | Bottoms Bridge | 204.13 | 328.52 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of SR 33 concurrency | |||
| 208.16 | 335.00 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | formerSR 163 south | ||||
Providence Forge | 213.66 | 343.85 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | |||||
James City | | 227.29 | 365.79 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||
Norge | ![]() ![]() ![]() | formerSR 188 north | ||||||
Lightfoot | ![]() ![]() ![]() | |||||||
233.42 | 375.65 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | interchange | |||||
City ofWilliamsburg | Ironbound Road | formerSR 615 south | ||||||
Richmond Road | formerSR 162 east | |||||||
York | | 238.44 | 383.73 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||
City ofWilliamsburg | 239.10 | 384.79 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Western end of SR 5 concurrency | ||||
Second Street | formerSR 162 east | |||||||
239.66 | 385.70 | ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of SR 5 concurrency; formerSR 162 west | |||||
James City | | 241.60 | 388.82 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | interchange | |||
York | | 241.95 | 389.38 | ![]() | interchange; I-64 exit 243A | |||
City ofNewport News | 248.97 | 400.68 | ![]() ![]() | |||||
250.58 | 403.27 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | interchange | |||||
253.92 | 408.64 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||
256.15 | 412.23 | ![]() ![]() | Western terminus of SR 171 | |||||
259.43 | 417.51 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Western terminus of SR 312 | |||||
260.50 | 419.23 | ![]() ![]() | Western terminus of SR 306 | |||||
261.99 | 421.63 | ![]() ![]() | south terminus of SR 152 | |||||
263.07 | 423.37 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | interchange | |||||
![]() ![]() | direct access eastbound only; westbound traffic U-turns at 38th and 42nd Streets | |||||||
![]() | I-664 exit 5; traffic from US 60 west to I-664 U-turns at 35th Street | |||||||
23rd Street -Newport News Marine Terminal | US 60 east and US 60 west overlap in the same direction on Huntington Avenue | |||||||
![]() | I-664 exit 6 | |||||||
Jefferson Avenue | formerSR 167 | |||||||
City ofHampton | LaSalle Avenue | formerSR 167 | ||||||
271.78 | 437.39 | ![]() ![]() | Western end of SR 143 concurrency | |||||
272.17 | 438.02 | ![]() ![]() | Southern terminus of SR 134 | |||||
273.30 | 439.83 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of SR 143 concurrency; western end of I-64 concurrency; US 60 west follows exit 267 | |||||
273.63 | 440.36 | 268 | ![]() ![]() | Western terminus of SR 169 | ||||
Hampton Roads | Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel | |||||||
City ofNorfolk | 277.72 | 446.95 | 272 | West Ocean View Avenue –Willoughby Spit | ||||
279.46 | 449.75 | ![]() ![]() | Eastern end of I-64 concurrency; US 60 east follows exit 273 | |||||
West Ocean View Avenue | former US 60 west | |||||||
279.71 | 450.15 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | interchange eastbound; intersection (with short overlap) westbound | |||||
280.66 | 451.68 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Eastern terminus of US 460 | |||||
281.13 | 452.43 | ![]() ![]() | Northern terminus of SR 194 | |||||
285.09 | 458.81 | ![]() ![]() | Eastern terminus of SR 170 | |||||
City ofVirginia Beach | 286.28 | 460.72 | ![]() ![]() | Northern terminus of SR 166 | ||||
288.09 | 463.64 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Northern terminus of SR 225 | |||||
289.14 | 465.33 | ![]() ![]() | interchange | |||||
292.40 | 470.57 | ![]() ![]() | Northern terminus of SR 279 | |||||
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300.55 | 483.69 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Eastern terminus of US 58 | |||||
301.20 | 484.73 | ![]() ![]() | ||||||
301.54 | 485.28 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||
302.75 | 487.23 | Harbour Point/Rudee Point Road | Eastern terminus | |||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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