Virginia State Route 3

State Route 3
Route information
Maintained by VDOT
Length: 150.55 mi[1] (242 km)
Existed: 1933 – present
Major junctions
West end:
US 15 Bus./US 522 in Culpeper
  I-95/US 17 in Fredericksburg

US 360/SR 3 BUS in Warsaw
East end:
US 17 Bus./SR 14 in Gloucester
Highway system

Virginia Routes
Primary • Secondary • History • Turnpikes

SR 2 SR 4

State Route 3 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia that extends from the town of Culpeper south and eastwardly to Gloucester in Virginia's Middle Peninsula region. For many years, a portion was named "Historyland Highway".

Contents

Route description

Gloucester County

Route 3 begins as the John Clayton Memorial Highway in Gloucester, sharing the highway with State Route 14.

Mathews County

After entering Mathews County, Virginia, Route 3 takes a left onto Windsor Road and then a Right on Dutton Road. After that, it takes a left and crosses the Piankatank River.

Middlesex County

After crossing the Piankatank River, goes through Hartfield and Greys Point, and then crosses the Rappahannock River on the Robert O. Norris Bridge.

Lancaster County

Route 3 is called Mary Ball Road in Lancaster County, named after George Washington's mother Mary Ball Washington, who was born there.

Richmond County

In Richmond County, Route 3 splits into a business route and a bypass in Warsaw. The business route is concurrent with US 360 going through the town. After leaving the town, it narrows into two lanes.

Westmoreland County

Route 3 is a Scenic Byway between Montross and Oak Grove. It passes by Westmoreland State Park and the George Washington Birthplace National Monument.

King George County

The King George County segment of State Route 3 is known as King's Highway throughout the county. It traverses the county boundaries in a fairly east–west direction, starting at the King George County-Westmoreland County boundary line. It extends westward, crossing U.S. Route 301 and widening back to four lanes as it continues towards Stafford County and the city of Fredericksburg.

Kings Highway is also the main access road to Interstate 95 through Fredericksburg for King George County.

A large portion of the King George County Administration is situated on Kings Highway. The county courthouse, county seat, Sheriff's office, the offices of the Board of Supervisors and School Board are located at State Route 3 through King George County.

Stafford County

Route 3 enters the county after passing over Muddy Creek. In Stafford County, Route 3 is called Kings Highway. It passes by Ferry Farm, the boyhood home of George Washington.

City of Fredericksburg

Route 3 splits into a business route and a bypass while going through Fredericksburg. The bypass is called the Blue and Gray Parkway. The business route follows William Street. Both routes enter the city by passing over the Rappahannock River, although on different bridges. They rejoin as William Street just before the U.S. 1 interchange. The street name changes to Plank Road somewhere between Route 1 and Interstate 95.

Spotsylvania County

Route 3 is known as Plank Road in Spotsylvania County. It's a divided highway of at least four lanes for the duration of this segment. The Spotsylvania Mall and large Central Park regional shopping center next to it, are located at the junction with Interstate 95.

Orange County

SR 3 slightly goes through Orange County. When entering westbound the highway intersects VA 20 at Wilderness.

Culpeper County

Route 3 is known as Germanna Highway in Culpeper County, after an early colonial community of German ironworkers.

Town of Culpeper

Route 3 enters the town of Culpeper after crossing over the U.S. Route 15/U.S. Route 29 bypass of the city. It ends at U.S. Route 15 Business at an intersection with Orange Road.

History

State Route 7 was defined as part of the original 1918 state highway system from Winchester southeast via Front Royal, and Culpeper to Fredericksburg, and then along the Northern Neck via Warsaw to Reedville.[2] This is now approximated by U.S. Route 522, State Route 3, and U.S. Route 360.

In late 1921, the State Highway Commission looked at possible routes between Winchester and Front Royal, specifically via Middletown to Cedarville and via Boyce, White Post, Stone Bridge, and Rockland to Cedarville, and decided on the direct route via Double Toll Gate.[3]

SR 7 at first ran from Montross via Templeman to Warsaw and then east via Heathsville to Reedville.[4] By late 1922, a branch northwest from Callao via Hague to Templeman was added and assigned the State Route 7-X designation.[5][6]

In the 1923 renumbering, SR 7 became State Route 37 (and SR 7-X became State Route 371). By the end of that year, SR 37's east end was moved from Reedville to Westland,[7] and the old road between Warsaw and Reedville became part of SR 371.

Major intersections

County Location Mile
[1]
Destinations Notes
Culpeper Culpeper 0.00
US 15 Bus. / US 522 north (Germanna Highway) – Winchester
Western terminus; West end of concurrency with US 522
1.30 US 15 / US 29 (James Madison Highway) – Orange, Charlottesville, Leesburg, Washington Diamond interchange
1.62 US 522 south (Zachary Taylor Highway) – Mineral, Powhatan East end of concurrency with US 522
Orange Wilderness 19.24 SR 20 south (Constitution Highway) – Orange, Charlottesville
Spotsylvania No major intersections
City of Fredericksburg 31.91 I-95 / US 17 (Exit 130) – Richmond, Washington Cloverleaf interchange
33.15 US 1 (Jefferson Davis Highway) – Richmond, Alexandria Cloverleaf interchange
33.39
VA 3 Bus. (William Street)
Eastbound access to Downtown Fredericksburg
33.92
US 1 Bus. (Lafayette Boulevard)
Northbound access to Downtown Fredericksburg
34.92
US 17 Bus. / SR 2 (Dixon Street) – Bowling Green, Richmond
Partial cloverleaf interchange
Stafford Ferry Farm 35.61
VA 3 Bus. (Kings Highway)
Westbound access to Downtown Fredericksburg
King George Arnolds Corner 50.84 SR 206 west (Dahlgren Road) – Dahlgren
King George 53.42 SR 205 east (Ridge Road) – Edgehill
Office Hall 54.98 US 301 (James Madison Parkway) – Bowling Green, Baltimore
Westmoreland Oak Grove 65.00 SR 205 west (James Monroe Highway) – Colonial Beach
Potomac Mills 67.83 SR 204 east (Popes Creek Road) Access to George Washington Birthplace National Monument
Baynesville 72.71 SR 347 north (State Park Road) Access to Westmoreland State Park
Lerty 73.39 SR 214 east (Stratford Hall Road) – Stratford Hall
Templeman 81.29 SR 202 east (Cople Highway) – Callao
Richmond Lyells 87.33 SR 203 north (Oldhams Road) – Kinsale
Warsaw 89.78
VA 3 Bus. (Main Street)
Access to Downtown Warsaw
91.01
US 360 / VA 3 Bus. (Richmond Road) – Tappahannock, Reedville
Lancaster Litwalton 105.43 SR 354 south (River Road) – Corrotoman River
Lively 110.76 SR 201 (White Chapel Road) – Monaskon, Heathsville
Kilmarnock 120.57 SR 200 north (E. Church Street) – Burgess West end of concurrency with SR 200
120.66 SR 200 south (Irvington Road) – Pitmans Corner East end of concurrency with SR 200
White Stone 125.16 SR 200 north (Chesapeake Drive) – Irvington
Rappahannock River 126.71 Robert O. Norris Bridge
Middlesex Topping 132.55 SR 33 west (General Puller Highway) – West Point, Richmond West end of concurrency with SR 33
Hartfield 136.00 SR 33 east (General Puller Highway) – Deltaville, Stingray Point East end of concurrency with SR 33
Mathews Dixie 140.57 SR 198 east (Buckley Hall Road) – Moon West end of wrong-way concurrency with SR 198
Soles 142.12 SR 198 west (Buckley Hall Road) – Glenns East end of wrong-way concurrency with SR 198
Fort Nonsense 144.19 SR 14 east (John Clayton Meomrial Highway) – Mathews West end of wrong-way concurrency with SR 14
Gloucester Gloucester 150.55
US 17 Bus. / SR 14 west (Main Street) – Yorktown, Newport News, Fredericksburg, Shacklefords
Eastern terminus; East end of wrong-way concurrency with SR 14
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ^ a b 2010 Virginia Department of Transportation Traffic Data Culpeper County - Orange County - Spotsylvania County - City of Fredericksburg - Stafford County - King George County - Westmoreland County - Richmond County - Lancaster County - Middlesex County - Mathews County - Gloucester County
  2. ^ Staff (PDF). Minutes of the First Meeting of the State Highway Commission Created Under the Acts of 1922, Held July 5th, 1922, Richmond, Va. (Report). Commonwealth of Virginia. http://www.virginiadot.org/meetings/minutes_pdf/CTB-07-1922-01.pdf.  , Proposed "State Highway System" for Virginia, as Recommended by the State Roads Committee, January, 1918
  3. ^ Staff (PDF). Minutes of the Meeting of the State Highway Commission, Held at Richmond, Virginia, November 29th, and December 3rd, 1921, and an Inspection Trip, November 30th, December 1st, and 2nd, 1921, and meeting Washington, D. C. December 2nd, 1921 (Report). Commonwealth of Virginia. http://www.virginiadot.org/meetings/minutes_pdf/CTB-12-1921-01.pdf.  , pages 36 and 51
  4. ^ Staff (PDF). Minutes of the Meeting of the State Highway Commission, Held at Culpeper, Virginia on July 5th, and at Richmond, Virginia, July 8th, and an Inspection Trip, July 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th, and a Public Hearing at Manassas, Virginia, July 6th, 1921 (Report). Commonwealth of Virginia. http://www.virginiadot.org/meetings/minutes_pdf/CTB-07-1921-01.pdf.  , page 3
  5. ^ Staff (PDF). Minutes of the Fifth Meeting of the State Highway Commission Held November 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th, Richmond, Virginia (Report). Commonwealth of Virginia. http://www.virginiadot.org/meetings/minutes_pdf/CTB-11-1922-01.pdf.  , page 1
  6. ^ Staff (PDF). Minutes of the Sixth Meeting of the State Highway Commission Held November 27th & 28th, 1922 (Report). Commonwealth of Virginia. http://www.virginiadot.org/meetings/minutes_pdf/CTB-11-1922-02.pdf.  , page 6
  7. ^ Staff (PDF). Minutes of the Meeting of the State Highway Commission Held at Richmond, Virginia, December 11th and 12th, 1923 (Report). Commonwealth of Virginia. http://www.virginiadot.org/meetings/minutes_pdf/CTB-12-1923-01.pdf.  , page 14
SR 36 Two‑digit State Routes
1923-1933
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