Virginia State Route 311

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For former State Routes numbered 311, see State Route 311 (Virginia 1923-1928) and State Route 311 (Virginia 1928-1933). For the former U.S. Route, see U.S. Route 311 (Virginia).

State Route 311

Length:

54.39 mi^[1]^[2]^[3] (87.53 km)
(in Virginia)

Formed:

1933

South end:

US 11 in Salem, VA

Major
junctions:

SR 42 in New Castle, VA

WV 3 at Sweet Springs, WV

SR 159 at Crows, VA

North end:

I-64/US 60 near White Sulphur Springs, WV

Virginia Routes
< SR 310		SR 312 >
Primary - Secondary - History - Turnpikes

State Route 311 is a primary state highway through largely rural and mountainous areas of the U.S. state of Virginia. Two brief segments of the road, including the northern terminus, pass through West Virginia for a total of approximately 4.3 miles (6.9 km)^[4], and are maintained and signed as West Virginia Route 311.

[edit] Route

Route 311 begins at an intersection with US 11 in downtown Salem, Virginia. One block later, Route 311 intersects US 460 near the Roanoke County courthouse. Roanoke College follows closely thereafter. The college expanded its library, which is clearly visible with its dome, and built a new access road to make Route 311 an eastern gateway to the campus. Route 311 is known as Thompson Memorial Drive in Salem and was expanded to four lanes in the 1980s when an interchange (exit 140) was constructed with Interstate 81 to provide direct access to downtown Salem. In the Hanging Rock section of Roanoke County, just north of Salem, Route 311 intersects State Route 419 at its northern terminus. (Continuing north on Route 311 requires a left turn at this intersection; going straight leads into southbound Route 419.)

Route 311 quickly assumes a rural character thereafter. The road passes through a gap between Fort Lewis Mountain and Brushy Mountain to enter the Masons Cove section of Roanoke County. Route 311 next climbs Catawba Mountain and intersects the Appalachian Trail before descending into the Catawba Valley. Catawba is known as a rural enclave of the Roanoke Valley with its farms, bed and breakfasts, and the Homeplace Restaurant. The Catawba Hospital, a mental health facility operated by the Commonwealth of Virginia, is near Route 311 and traces its history back to a resort established in 1857 to take advantage of the believed healing properties of a sulfur and limestone spring. Route 311 intersects State Route 785, which connects to Blacksburg, and State Route 779, which connects to Daleville, in Catawba.

The road passes through another gap in North Mountain to enter Craig County, one of the least populous counties in Virginia. Route 311 intersects State Route 42 in the county seat of New Castle. Route 311 next begins its steep ascent over Potts Mountain, with an elevation over 3,200 feet before descending into another valley at Paint Bank.

After Paint Bank, Route 311 climbs Peters Mountain, the summit of which marks the border between Virginia and West Virginia. For the next 4.0 mi^{[citation needed]} (6.4 km), the road becomes West Virginia Route 311 and passes through a southeastern corner of Monroe County. Route 311 intersects West Virginia Route 3 at its western terminus in Sweet Springs which is home to a now closed hotel and sanitarium dating back to 1792 whose main building was designed by Thomas Jefferson according to an official West Virginia historical marker standing nearby. [1]

Route 311 returns to Virginia near Sweet Chalybeate in Alleghany County and intersects State Route 159 in Crows. After about twelve miles in Virginia, Route 311 reenters West Virginia for 0.4 mi^{[citation needed]} (0.6 km) before terminating at exit 181 of Interstate 64 near White Sulphur Springs in Greenbrier County.