Virginia State Route 43

State Route 43
Route information
Maintained by VDOT
Length: 61.20 mi[1][2][3] (98.49 km)
Existed: 1933 – present
Altavista – Blue Ridge Parkway
Length: 39.79 mi[1][2] (64.04 km)
South end:
US 29 Bus. in Altavista
Major
junctions:

US 29 in Altavista
SR 24 in Gillespie


US 221 / US 460 Bus. / SR 122 Bus. in Bedford
North end: Blue Ridge Parkway at Peaks of Otter
Blue Ridge Parkway – Eagle Rock
Length: 21.41 mi[3] (34.46 km)
South end: Blue Ridge Parkway near Buchanan
Major
junctions:
US 11 in Buchanan
North end: US 220 in Eagle Rock
Location
Counties: Campbell, Bedford, City of Bedford, Botetourt
Highway system

Virginia Routes
Primary • Secondary • History • Turnpikes

SR 42 SR 45

Virginia State Route 43 (SR 43) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway consists of two disjoint segments that have a total length of 61.20 miles (98.49 km). The southern portion of the state highway runs 39.79 miles (64.04 km) from U.S. Route 29 Business (US 29 Business) in Altavista north to the Blue Ridge Parkway at Peaks of Otter. The northern segment has a length of 21.41 miles (34.46 km) between the Blue Ridge Parkway near Buchanan and US 220 in Eagle Rock. The two sections of SR 43 are connected by 4.9 miles (7.9 km) of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The southern portion of the state highway connects Altavista with Bedford and Peaks of Otter. The northern section of SR 43 follows the James River through a narrow valley between Buchanan and Eagle Rock.

Contents

Route description

SR 43 has two disjoint sections. SR 43 begins at an intersection with US 29 Business (Main Street) in the town of Altavista. The terminus is just north of the Roanoke River, which forms the boundary between Campbell and Pittsylvania counties. The junction is also adjacent to the crossing of Norfolk Southern Railway's Altavista and Danville district rail lines. SR 43 heads northwest as Bedford Avenue to the town limit at the highway's diamond interchange with US 29 (Wards Road). The state highway continues north as Bedford Highway toward Lynch Station, where the highway curves to the southwest to parallel the north bank of the Roanoke River. At Leesville, a short distance north of the impoundment of the river to form Leesville Lake, SR 43 begins to follow Goose Creek and enters Bedford County.[1][4] The state highway, now named Leesville Road, veers northwest and intersects SR 626 (Smith Mountain Lake Parkway) and SR 628 (Mentow Drive) in the hamlet of Mentow. SR 628 is also known as Bishop Creek Road, which provides a shorter, parallel route to SR 43 between Lynch Station and Mentow.[2][4]

In the hamlet of Gillespie, SR 43 intersects SR 24 (Wyatts Way); the two highways head west concurrently as Glenwood Drive. West of Gillespie, SR 24 continues west as Shingle Block Road and SR 43 heads north along Virginia Byway toward Bedford, where the highway becomes South Street. Just after entering the independent city, the state highway crosses over US 460 with no access. Just south of downtown, SR 43 splits into a pair of two-way street: northbound follows Talbott Street and Otey Street to Main Street while southbound follows South Street, which is one-way southbound for one block immediately south of Main Street. SR 43 turns west onto Main Street and has a very short concurrency with US 460 Business. Two blocks to the west, SR 43 turns north onto Bridge Street, where the highway runs together with US 221 and SR 122 Business across Norfolk Southern's Blue Ridge District. North of the railroad bridge, SR 43 turns west onto Peak Street; US 221 and SR 122 Business heads northeast on Longwood Avenue.[2][4]

SR 43 exits the city of Bedford on Peaks Road, which crosses the Otter River on its way to Blue Ridge Mountain. The state highway enters Jefferson National Forest and ascends the mountain among the Peaks of Otter. The southern section of SR 43 reaches its northern terminus at the Blue Ridge Parkway adjacent to the Peaks of Otter Visitor Center.[2][4] The Blue Ridge Parkway heads northwest to Bearwallow Gap, where the northern section of SR 43 begins at an interchange. The state highway, which is named Parkway Drive, enters Botetourt County and descends Cove Mountain to the town of Buchanan. SR 43 turns onto Main Street and has a short concurrency with US 11 to cross the James River. On the north side of the river, the state highway turns west onto First Street and leaves the town as Narrow Passage Road, which re-enters the national forest. SR 43 passes under Interstate 81 with no access and parallels the river to the community of Eagle Rock, where the highway is known as Second Street and passes through a water gap between Rathole Mountain and Crawford Mountain. The state highway follows the river north a short distance to its northern terminus at US 220 (Botetourt Road).[3][5]

Major intersections

County Location Mile
[1][2]
[3]
Destinations Notes
Campbell Altavista 0.00
US 29 Bus. (Main Street)
Southern terminus
1.58 US 29 (Wards Road) – Lynchburg, Danville Interchange
Bedford Gillespie 16.94 SR 24 east (Wyatts Way) – Rustburg South end of concurrency with SR 24
19.52 SR 24 west (Shingle Block Road) – Vinton North end of concurrency with SR 24
City of Bedford 28.99
US 460 Bus. east (Main Street) – Lynchburg
South end of concurrency with US 460 Business
29.14
US 221 south / US 460 Bus. west / SR 122 Bus. south (Main Street) – Roanoke, Moneta
North end of concurrency with US 460 Business; south end of concurrency with US 221 and SR 122 Business
29.41
US 221 north / SR 122 Bus. north (Longwood Avenue) – Lynchburg, Big Island
Nouth end of concurrency with US 221 and SR 122 Business
Bedford Peaks of Otter 39.79 Blue Ridge Parkway – Shenandoah National Park Northern end of southern section of SR 43
Southern and northern sections of SR 43 are connected by 4.9 miles (7.9 km) of the Blue Ridge Parkway[6]
0.00 Blue Ridge Parkway – Great Smoky Mountains National Park Interchange; southern end of northern section of SR 43
Botetourt Buchanan 4.64 US 11 south (Main Street) – Roanoke South end of concurrency with US 11
4.82 US 11 north (Main Street) – Lexington North end of concurrency with US 11
Eagle Rock 21.41 US 220 (Botetourt Road) – Clifton Forge, Roanoke Northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Daily Traffic Volume Estimates Jurisdiction Report: Campbell County" (PDF). Virginia Department of Transportation. 2009. http://www.virginiadot.org/info/resources/2009/AADT_015_Campbell_2009.pdf. Retrieved 2011-07-15. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Daily Traffic Volume Estimates Jurisdiction Report: Bedford County" (PDF). Virginia Department of Transportation. 2009. http://www.virginiadot.org/info/resources/2009/AADT_009_Bedford_2009.pdf. Retrieved 2011-07-15. 
  3. ^ a b c d "Daily Traffic Volume Estimates Jurisdiction Report: Botetourt County" (PDF). Virginia Department of Transportation. 2009. http://www.virginiadot.org/info/resources/2009/AADT_011_Botetourt_2009.pdf. Retrieved 2011-07-15. 
  4. ^ a b c d Google, Inc. Google Maps – Virginia State Route 43: Southern section (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Bedford+Ave&daddr=VA-43+S%2FBedford+Hwy+to:VA-43+S%2FBlue+Ridge+Pkwy&hl=en&sll=37.143077,-79.348068&sspn=0.100848,0.153637&geocode=FbI4NgIdNhpG-w%3BFSiBNgId4YZE-w%3BFdFdOwIdiD9B-w&mra=ps&t=h&z=11. Retrieved 2011-07-15. 
  5. ^ Google, Inc. Google Maps – Virginia State Route 43: Northern section (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=VA-43+S%2FParkway+Dr&daddr=VA-43+N%2FNarrow+Passage+Rd&hl=en&sll=37.658548,-79.792199&sspn=0.025039,0.038409&geocode=FVf0OwIdGVpA-w%3BFWiuPgIdrmc--w&mra=ls&t=h&z=12. Retrieved 2011-07-15. 
  6. ^ Google, Inc. Google Maps – Blue Ridge Parkway between Virginia State Route 43 Intersections (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=VA-43+S%2FBlue+Ridge+Pkwy&daddr=VA-43+S%2FBlue+Ridge+Pkwy&hl=en&sll=37.463955,-79.639405&sspn=0.05021,0.076818&geocode=FenzOwIdoFlA-w%3BFdFdOwIdiD9B-w&mra=ls&t=h&z=14. Retrieved 2011-07-15. 

External links

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