Virginia State Route 91

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For the former State Route 91, see State Route 91 (Virginia 1933-1940).

State Route 91

Formed:

1940

South end:

SR 91 near Mountain City, TN

North end:

US 19/460 Bus. near Tazewell

Virginia Routes
< SR 90		SR 92 >
Primary - Secondary - History - Turnpikes

State Route 91 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia, continuing Tennessee's State Route 91 north to U.S. Route 19/460 Business near Tazewell. It is the only primary state highway in Virginia that is not fully paved; the part over Flattop Mountain and Clinch Mountain through the Jefferson National Forest is unpaved.^[1]

[edit] Description

Washington County

SR 91 crosses from Tennessee into Virginia in the valley formed by Laurel Creek. It heads northwesterly to Laureldale, where it merges with U.S. Route 58, and then continues with Laurel Creek to Damascus. There it splits from US 58 and heads northerly and northwesterly along small creeks and across a summit Wright Bridge across the South Fork Holston River. SR 91 heads north next to the river for a bit and then heads northwesterly to an intersection with State Route 708 and then northeasterly along Chestnut Ridge, past State Route 803 to Lodi. Then it heads north, passing State Route 762 and descending from the ridge, to Craig Bridge across the Middle Fork Holston River. It continues north alongside small creeks, crossing U.S. Route 11 and Interstate 81 at Old Glade Spring and bypassing downtown Glade Spring. State Route 91 Business, the old route through Glade Spring, rejoins SR 91 at Clarksville, and SR 91 continues alongside small creeks to the community of McCall Gap. There the land becomes more rugged, and SR 91 crosses Walker Mountain through McCall Gap. It descends northerly along small creeks to Plasterco, where it meets State Route 745, and turns northeast there to enter Smyth County.

Smyth County

SR 91 continues northeasterly into Saltville, where it meets State Route 107. It crosses a summit and the North Fork Holston River at Cedar Branch, at which point it begins to follow the river northeasterly through the valley it forms. It passes McCready on its way to Broadford, where it crosses Laurel Creek. Immediately after crossing that creek, SR 91 meets the west end of State Route 42 and turns northerly, following the creek through a gap in Brushy Mountain and into the Freestone Valley.

Tazewell County

SR 91 parallels Laurel Creek northeasterly through the Freestone Valley but soon turns away to the north, becoming unpaved at State Route 601. It crosses Flattop Mountain and Clinch Mountain with a valley (formed by Little Tumbling Creek) in between, and the pavement returns after it descends, at the State Route 604 intersection. SR 91 heads cross-country in a northerly direction past Maiden Spring to Rockhouse, crossing the Little River there, and then heads northeasterly to Liberty and then along Liberty Creek, over a summit, and through the Witten Valley to U.S. Route 19/460 Business at Frog Level.