Virginia State Route 63

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For the former State Route 63, see State Route 63 (Virginia 1933-1946).

State Route 63

Length:

39.28 mi^[1]^[2]^[3] (63.22 km)

Formed:

1958

South end:

US 58 Alt. in St. Paul

North end:

SR 80/SR 83 in Haysi

Virginia Routes
< SR 62		I-64 >
Primary - Secondary - History - Turnpikes

State Route 63 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia, running from U.S. Route 58 Alternate in Saint Paul north to State Route 80/State Route 83 in Haysi.

SR 63 generally follows the Clinchfield Railroad, now a CSX Transportation line.

[edit] Description

Wise County

SR 63 begins at U.S. Route 58 Alternate west of downtown St. Paul. It heads east through downtown on Wise Street, meeting State Route 270, its old alignment south to US 58 Alternate. Past downtown, SR 63 continues east along the north bank of the Clinch River, until it reaches Lick Creek, where it turns north, crossing into Russell County at Morefield.

Russell County

SR 63 continues climbing along Lick Creek (and the Clinchfield Railroad) in a general northerly direction, passing Hamlin and Sun on its way to Dante. At Dante, the railroad continues north to cross Sandy Ridge through the Sandy Ridge Tunnel, while SR 63 turns east and northeast along the Right Fork of the Clinch River, crossing Sandy Ridge and the Tennessee Valley Divide using Flint Gap at Hazel.

Dickenson County

SR 63 descends to the northwest from Flint Gap, following McClure Creek and rejoining the railroad at Trammel. There it continues alongside the creek past Wakenva to Nora, where McClure Creek becomes the McClure River, continuing past Stratton and McClure to Fremont.

At Fremont, SR 63 meets State Route 83. SR 83 and a branch of the railroad head west through Bearpen Gap towards Clintwood, while SR 63 heads northerly vith SR 83, the McClure River, and the railroad. SR 63 and SR 83 overlap to Clinchco, where SR 63 leaves SR 83 and the two other features to travel along an old alignment of SR 83 to Haysi. This part of SR 63 generally runs on the Big Ridge west of the McClure River and is rather twisty. It passes Tarpon and over (rather than through) Puckett Gap before turning east and descending into the town of Haysi, which lies along the McClure River (where it feeds into the Russell Fork) and the Clinchfield Railroad. SR 63 ends at the combined State Route 80 and SR 83, at the point where SR 83 rejoins its old alignment.