U.S. Route 340

U.S. Route 340 (US 340) is a spur of US 40. It currently runs for 156 miles (251 km) from Greenville, Virginia at US 11 to Frederick, Maryland at US 40. Between those two states, US 340 also passes briefly through West Virginia. In Virginia and West Virginia, it is signed north–south. In Maryland it is signed east–west.

Route description

Virginia and West Virginia

US 340 begins at an intersection with US 11 and continues north, entering West Virginia between Charles Town and Harpers Ferry, and then briefly re-enters Virginia before crossing the Potomac River into Maryland. The stretch of US 340 between Charles Town and Harpers Ferry is designated the William L. Wilson Freeway, although it does not share the same characteristics as a traditional freeway and includes traffic lights and at-grade interchanges. It is named for William Lyne Wilson, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives as a representative from West Virginia from 1883 to 1895, and as United States Postmaster General between 1895 and 1897. The northern entrance to Shenandoah National Park via Skyline Drive is found just south of Front Royal. The short segment in Virginia on the Potomac is called Jefferson Pike. This name carries over into Maryland on MD 180, the road US 340 bypassed. In West Virginia it served as the main business route through Charles Town, but was later placed on a bypass. The main section in Virginia is called Lord Fairfax Highway and is one of the main routes through Berryville, Virginia.

Maryland

Continuing in Maryland, US 340 is called the Jefferson National Pike. North of Jefferson, US 340 merges with US 15, continuing north for about 5 miles (8.0 km) towards Frederick. After crossing I-70, US 340 ends at US 40 at a hybrid cloverleaf interchange, whereas US 15 continues northward as Jefferson Street.

References