Virginia State Route 53
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| State Route 53 |
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| Length: | 18.28 mi[1][2] (29.42 km) | ||||||||||||
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| Formed: | 1947 | ||||||||||||
| West end: |  SR 20 southeast of Charlottesville |
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| East end: |  US 15 at Palmyra |
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State Route 53 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It runs from State Route 20 southeast of Charlottesville east to U.S. Route 15 at Palmyra.
A small piece of SR 53, from the west end at SR 20 towards Monticello, was added to the state highway system in 1930 (along with SR 20 north to Charlottesville)[3] as State Route 714; it became State Route 239 in the 1933 renumbering. In 1941, State Route 20 was extended north from Scottsville to Charlottesville via Blenheim and Overton,[4], absorbing SR 239. SR 20 was shifted west to its current alignment in 1947; at the same time, current SR 53 was upgraded from State Route 642, and a short piece of old SR 20 became SR 53.[5]
[edit] Tourist traffic and the curves
State Route 53 is used extensively during the tourist season because it is the road which runs past Monticello and takes you to the road to Ash Lawn. There is also an infamous set of curves just before arriving at Monticello. The curves are sharp and to one side is a 10 foot wall of carved out earth and to the other side a drop-off. Fortunately, guardrails have been erected to keep people from going off. However, accidents are inevitable because of the high volume of people unfamiliar with the road and truck traffic and also occur frequently due to winter weather. Typically accidents result in the closing of both lanes, holding up tourists and commuters.
Recently, a walking trail from a shuttle drop-off point (from the Thomas Jefferson visitors center) has allowed tourists to hike to Monticello, offering the able bodied traveler with an alternative to the twisting road.
[edit] References
- ^ 2005 Virginia Department of Transportation Jurisdiction Report - Daily Traffic Volume Estimates - Albemarle CountyPDF (514 KiB)
- ^ 2005 Virginia Department of Transportation Jurisdiction Report - Daily Traffic Volume Estimates - Fluvanna CountyPDF (129 KiB)
- ^ Minutes of the Meeting of the State Highway Commission of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, June 12, 1930PDF, page 18
- ^ Minutes of the Meeting of the State Highway Commission of Virginia, Held in Richmond, August 28, 1941PDF, page 17
- ^ Minutes of the Meeting of the State Highway Commission Held in Richmond, June 25, 1947PDF, pages 23-24
| < SR 713 | District 7 State Routes 1928-1933 |
SR 715 > |
