Virginia State Route 236

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For the former State Route 236, see State Route 236 (Virginia 1933).

State Route 236

Little River Turnpike

Length:

15.54 mi^[1]^[2] (25.01 km)

Formed:

mid-1930s

West end:

US 29/US 50 in Fairfax

Major
junctions:

SR 244 in Annandale

East end:

SR 400 in Alexandria

Virginia Routes
< SR 235		SR 237 >
Primary - Secondary - History

State Route 236, also known as Little River Turnpike, is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It runs from the split of U.S. Route 29 and U.S. Route 50 in western Fairfax, where it is known as Main Street (and a piece of North Street), to State Route 400 (Washington Street) in Alexandria, where it is known as Duke Street.

In Alexandria's West End, Duke Street is the dividing line between north and south in the addressing system. In Old Town Alexandria, the dividing line is King Street (State Route 7). The large, main campus of Northern Virginia Community College is on Route 236 just outside the Beltway.

Route 236 has interchanges with Interstate 395 and Interstate 495.

Route 236 is generally a four-lane road. A third lane has been proposed by the Virginia Department of Transportation west of the Capital Beltway, but this has not yet been approved. Following extensive construction in Old Town Fairfax in the City of Fairfax, Route 236 veers onto North Street in both directions--formerly it only did so westbound (North Street was formerly one way westbound in Old Town and Main Street one way eastbound in the area).

[edit] History

The Little River Turnpike existed before the American Revolutionary War and was a privately owned and operated toll road during the 1700s and 1800s running from Alexandria to Aldie in Loudoun County, Virginia. Several sections of the road originated as Indian trails, and a majority of the road traversed rural areas. Many Civil War battles and skirmishes were fought at locations along or near the road. Currently, most of the historical turnpike is paved road owned and maintained by the government of Virginia. However, just over half of its route is part of U.S. Route 50 and is called the John S. Mosby Highway (in Loudoun County) and Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway (in Fairfax County). Only the SR 236 section continues to carry the Little River Turnpike name. Nearly all the length of the road now runs through urban and suburban communities.

Duke Street in Old Town Alexandria was part of the original grid plan of the city.

SR 236 appeared in its present location between 1934 and 1937 as a replacement for US 50, which formerly ran the entire length of the historic Little River Turnpike to Alexandria before turning northward toward Washington, D.C. concurrent with U.S. Route 1. Prior to that, State Route 236 ran along present US 50 east of Fairfax; the two routes were swapped at that time.