Virginia State Route 101

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For former State Routes numbered 101, see State Route 101 (Virginia 1923-1928), State Route 101 (Virginia 1928-1933), and State Route 101 (Virginia 1933).

State Route 101

Hershberger Road

Length:

3.17 mi^[1] (5.10 km)

Formed:

1969

West end:

SR 117 in Roanoke

East end:

US 11 in Roanoke

Virginia Routes
< SR 100		SR 102 >
Primary - Secondary - History - Turnpikes

State Route 101 is a primary state highway in Roanoke, Virginia, United States, running along most of Hershberger Road. SR 101 runs from State Route 117 east to U.S. Route 11; State Route 625 continues east to State Route 115.

[edit] Description

Hershberger Road begins at an intersection with State Route 117, or Peters Creek Road NW. For the first 1.3 miles, Hershberger Road is a two lane road through a residential area. The road immediately widens to six lanes at the intersection with State Route 116, known here as Cove Road NW.

The next 0.7 mile to Interstate 581 is heavily developed. Home Depot has a location just beyond Cove Road. Roanoke's William Fleming High School is a block away from Hershberger Road. Roanoke's CBS affiliate, WDBJ constructed its new studios, designed to broadcast in HDTV on Hershberger Road. Retail stores, offices, and large hotels are located along this stretch.

No businesses are currently located along the segment from I-581 to near Crossroads Mall. Several were demolished when the road was widened to six lanes in the early 1980s as an adaption of a 1960s proposal to convert the road to an expressway. Interchanges provide access to both Valley View Mall and Roanoke Regional Airport. Access to the airport from eastbound lanes is via a left exit with a flyover ramp crossing the westbound lanes. The ramp is just east of the approach to runway 15/33; the streetlight poles directly under the approach are much shorter than the other poles along the road. Although there are two opportunities to exit onto Valley View Boulevard from eastbound Hershberger Road, access can be problematic. Drivers must cross incoming traffic from I-581 northbound, which can cause weaving when traffic from I-581 disregards a sign to yield to drivers on Hershberger Road. Access to both Valley View Mall and the airport from westbound lanes is provided by a right exit ramp.

The final segment of Virginia 101 provides access to Crossroads Mall, which was Roanoke's first major enclosed shopping center. Even after the opening of Tanglewood Mall in 1973, Crossroads remained a vibrant mall until Valley View opened in 1985. With the exception of an office of the Virginia DMV, the interior of the mall is largely dead, though much of the space is occupied by retail outlets that only maintain, or emphasize, exterior entrances. A strip mall, Towne Center, was built behind Crossroads in the late 1980s with Sams Club as the most prominent tenant. Lowe's, Kroger, and K&W Cafeteria have outparcel locations near Crossroads and Towne Square.

The SR 101 designation ends at the intersection with U.S. Route 11, known here as Williamson Road NE. Hershberger Road continues past the intersection for another 1.1 miles again as a two lane road through a largely residential area, with the notable exception of the Friendship Manor retirement community. This segment has the secondary designation of SR 625. The road ends at an intersection with State Route 115, or Plantation Road, in Roanoke County.