U.S. Route 29 in Virginia

U.S. Route 29
Route information
Maintained by VDOT
Length: 248 mi[1] (399 km)
Existed: 1931 – present
Major junctions
South end: US 29 near Reidsville, NC
 

US 58 in Danville
US 460 near Lynchburg
I-64 near Charlottesville
US 250 in Charlottesville
US 33 near Ruckersville
US 522 near Culpeper
US 17 near Warrenton
US 15 in Gainesville
US 50 in Fairfax

I-66 in Arlington
North end: US 29 in Washington, DC
Highway system

United States Numbered Highways
List β€’ Bannered β€’ Divided β€’ Replaced

Virginia Routes
Primary β€’ Secondary β€’ History β€’ Turnpikes

← SR 28 SR 30 β†’
← I-664 SR 895 β†’

U.S. Route 29 (US 29) is a major north–south route in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It covers 248 miles (399 km) from the North Carolina border at the city of Danville to the Key Bridge in Washington, D.C.. US 29 roughly bisects Virginia into eastern and western halves, and along with Interstate 81 in western Virginia, and 85/95 farther east, provides one of the major north–south routes through the Commonwealth.

For much of its length, US 29 in Virginia is known as the Seminole Trail. Through Northern Virginia, it is known as Lee Highway. On April 7, 1993 the Virginia General Assembly officially designated the entire length of US 29 from the North Carolina border to the Potomac River as the "29th Infantry Division Memorial Highway" in honor of that Army unit, which, along with the 1st Infantry Division, formed the spearhead of the American infantry that landed on the morning of 6 June 1944 on Omaha Beach in Normandy as part of the invasion of France to liberate that country during World War II. These divisions next fought their way across France, and into Germany. In addition, the name of this highway serves to honor many members of the Virginia Army National Guard who serve as part of this National Guard Division today. Signs indicating this designation have been placed periodically on both sides of US 29.

For most of its route through Virginia, US 29 has been constructed to be at least four lanes along its route, with the two short exceptions being where the highway passes through Manassas National Battlefield Park, where it is two lanes wide for approximately three miles, and through Fairfax and Arlington counties, where it is sometimes wider.

US 29 in Virginia has probably the most highway by-pass routes in the entire state, having eleven of these around various cities and towns. These bypasses are around Danville, Chatham, Gretna, Hurt-Altavista, Lynchburg-Madison Heights-Amherst, Lovingston, Charlottesville, Madison, Culpeper, Remington, and Warrenton. In addition, Interstate 66 serves for the most part as a by-pass of Manassas and also Fairfax and Arlington.

Contents

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Route description

US 29 enters Virginia in Danville from North Carolina, immediately splitting into business and by-pass routes. US 29 joins the Danville Expressway and US 58 around the east side of Danville, entering Pittsylvania County, and re-merging with the business route north of town in Blairs. Along the southeastern quadrant of the Danville Expressway between the North Carolina border and US 360, the route is designated as part of unsigned State Route 785 for 7.39 mi (11.89 km).[2] Created ca. 2000, SR 785 is numbered in contradiction to the conventional system of numbering in the state, where primary routes are numbered less than 600 and secondary routes at or above this number. It is numbered as such because it is part of the planned Interstate 785, which will run south along US 29 to Interstate 85 in Greensboro, North Carolina, and is only one of two routes of this type. The other is Route 895 in Richmond for similar reasons.

US 29 then continues north where it splits into business and by-pass routes for Chatham, Gretna, and Hurt before entering Campbell County.

The next major city is Lynchburg. US 29 joins the US 460 by-pass of Lynchburg, splitting from it just before entering Amherst County. US 29 again by-passes Madison Heights and Amherst as an expressway, and enters Nelson County and passes the town of Lovingston and enters into Albemarle County. The route then continues north to Charlottesville, intersecting Interstate 64 and by-passing downtown Charlottesville. US 29 rejoins its business route just north of downtown and continues north through Greene and Madison Counties, and then turns north-east toward Culpeper. US 15 joins US 29 around Culpeper, and heads to Warrenton, entering Northern Virginia.

US 29 / 15 is joined by US 17 south of Warrenton in Fauquier County, and continues around the town. US 29/15 continue mostly eastward to Gainesville where US 15 splits and US 29 intersects Interstate 66 for the first time. US 29 continues into Fairfax County, and through the densely-populated Washington, DC suburbs, and into Arlington, having intersected I-66 five more times before crossing into the District.

History

The Gainesville Interchange project is taking place at interchange between Lee Highway (US 29) and the Custis Memorial Highway (I-66). The project is to include interchanges at many other heavily traveled roads in the area due to the rapid growth in development in Gainesville and Haymarket. Reasoning for this is because of the lack or road development to accommodate the new heavy traffic in the area. The plan includes an interchange design to ease traffic flow on Lee Highway on to I-66. Lee Highway is also planned to be widened. There will also be an interchange at the junction with Linton Hall Road (SR 619). What was once a two-lane country road is now a four lane suburban highway. The project started in early 2007 and is expected to be completed in 2013. As of June 2010 the interchange between I-66 and US 29 is complete. Land has been acquired by VDOT at the intersection of US 29 and Linton Hall Road/SR 619.

Junction list

In addition to numerous intersections with other roads, US 29 has grade-separated interchanges with the following roads in the following locations.

County Location Destination Notes
US 29 continues into North Carolina
City of Danville
US 29 Bus. north / US 58 west β€“ Danville, Martinsville
US 58 joins northbound and leaves southbound
SR 86 to NC 86 – Yanceyville, Chapel Hill
Goodyear Boulevard

US 58 Bus. west / US 58 east / US 360, South Boston, Richmond
Pittsylvania Danville*
To SR 360 β€“ Danville
Blairs

SR 726 to US 29 Business south β€” Blairs, Danville
Northbound exit only

US 29 Bus. to SR 726 β€“ Blairs, Danville
Southbound exit only
Chatham
US 29 Bus. north β€“ Chatham
Ramp closed for bridge reconstruction; northbound exit only
SR 57 (Halifax Road) β€“ Chatham US 29 Business north detour
Chalk Level Road

US 29 Bus. south β€“ Chatham
Gretna
US 29 Bus. north β€“ Gretna
Northbound exit only
SR 40 β€“ Gretna, Rocky Mount

US 29 Bus. south β€“ Gretna
Southbound exit only
Hurt
US 29 Bus. north β€“ Hurt
SR 924 (Pocket Road) β€“ Hurt
Campbell Altavista SR 43 β€“ Altavista, Leesville
SR 714 β€“ Altavista
SR 711 (Clarion Road) β€“ Altavista

US 29 Bus. south β€“ Altavista
Lynchburg*
US 460 west / US 29 Bus. north β€“ Roanoke, Lynchburg
US 29 exits. US 29 joins US 460 northbound and leaves southbound
City of Lynchburg University Boulevard – Liberty University
US 501 north β€“ Lynchburg, Buena Vista US 501 joins northbound and leaves southbound

US 460 Bus. west / US 501 Bus. north / US 501 south β€“ Lynchburg, South Boston
US 501 leaves northbound and joins southbound
Campbell Lynchburg* US 460 east β€“ Appomattox US 29 exits. US 29 leaves US 460 northbound and joins southbound
Amherst Madison Heights SR 210 west β€” Downtown
SR 130 west β€“ Madison Heights
Amherst
US 29 Bus. β€“ Sweet Briar, Amherst
US 60 β€“ Lexington, Richmond

US 29 Bus. south β€“ Amherst
Albemarle Charlottesville* I-64, Richmond

US 29 Bus. north β€“ Charlottesville

US 250 west / US 250 Bus. east β€“ Staunton, Charlottesville
US 250 joins northbound and leaves southbound
SR 601 Southbound exit only
UVA Leonard Sandridge Road Northbound exit only
Barracks Road
City of Charlottesville
US 250 east / US 29 Bus. south (Emmet Street)
US 29 exits. US 29 leaves US 250 northbound and joins southbound
Culpeper Culpeper
US 29 Bus. north / SR 299 south β€“ Culpeper
15 US-Bus south / 15 north β€“ Orange, Virginia, Culpeper US 15 joins northbound and leaves southbound
US 522 / SR 3 β€“ Culpeper, Mineral, Fredericksburg

US 15 Bus. south / US 29 Bus. south β€“ Culpeper
Fauquier Warrenton SR 643 (Meetze Road) β€“ Warrenton

US 17 north to I-66 west/I-81/US 15-29 Business south to US 211 west - Warrenton, Luray, Front Royal, Winchester
US 17 leaves northbound and joins southbound
Prince William Gainesville I-66 (Custis Memorial Parkway) β€“ Strasburg, Washington Exit 43 on I-66
Manassas* SR 234 β€“ Manassas, Catharpin Manassas National Battlefield Park is on both sides of the intersection.
Fairfax Centreville I-66 (Custis Memorial Parkway) β€“ Manassas, Washington Exit 52 on I-66
SR 28 β€“ Manassas, Dulles Airport
Fairfax* SR 7100 / SR 608 (Fairfax County Parkway / West Ox Road) β€“ Reston, Springfield
Arlington County Arlington I-66 west β€“ Front Royal Exit 72 on I-66
Rosslyn I-66 (Custis Memorial Parkway) β€“ Front Royal, Washington Exit 73 on I-66
GW Parkway north β€” to I-495
US 29 continues into the District of Columbia

*Not located within the actual independent city, but in the area of the county with the same name

References

U.S. Route 29
Previous state:
North Carolina
Virginia Next state:
District of Columbia