U.S. Route 11 in Virginia
Encyclopedia
U.S. Route 11
in Virginia
runs north–south through the western part of the state, parallel to Interstate 81.
). SR 3 became State Route 33 in 1923, and US 11 was applied to its present alignment in 1926. SR 10 and SR 33 vere dropped in 1933.
to Knoxville
, where the divided routes merge to form mainline US 11 again. The west leg of the intersection features southbound US 11W and northbound US 421. The U.S. Highways split at the Tennessee state line; US 11W heads southwest toward Kingsport, Tennessee
while US 421 soon joins US 58
west toward Gate City, Virginia
. The south leg of the intersection includes southbound US 11E, southbound US 19, southbound US 421, and southbound SR 381
. At the Tennessee state line at State Street in downtown Bristol, SR 381 has its southern terminus, US 421 turns east toward Mountain City, Tennessee
, and US 11E and US 19 continue south to Johnson City, Tennessee
. The north leg of the intersection is SR 381, which is a state-numbered, street-level continuation of I-381
, a spur south from I-81.
US 11 and US 19 head east as a two-lane divided boulevard through a residential area. The street becomes undivided shortly before the U.S. Highways reach the northern end of SR 113
(Moore Street), which heads south toward Virginia Intermont College
and downtown Bristol. US 11 and US 19 continue northeast on Lee Highway, which here and in much of Virginia is a three-lane road with center turn lane. The highway meets I-81 and US 58 at a diamond interchange
with a rakish angle. US 11 and US 19 pass under Norfolk Southern Railway
's Pulaski District and cross Beaver Creek before leaving the city of Bristol. The two highways continue northeast through Washington County, where they pass Virginia Highlands Airport
before entering the town of Abingdon. At the west end of town, US 11 and US 19 intersect SR 140
(Jonesboro Road), a connector between the U.S. Highways and I-81 that also serves Virginia Highlands Community College
. The U.S. highways continue east as Main Street, which passes under the Norfolk Southern rail line before US 19 turns north onto Porterfield Highway. US 11 becomes four lanes and then two at its intersection with US 58 Alternate (Russell Street), which leads to the William King Museum, in downtown Abingdon. The alternate route runs along Main Street for a short distance before turning south with SR 75 (Cummings Street) to rejoin US 58 at I-81. US 11 passes the Barter Theatre
. At the east end of town, US 11 crosses over the rail line and meets I-81 at a partial cloverleaf interchange. US 11 has a short concurrency with US 58 east of the interchange before US 58 splits to the east as Jeb Stuart Highway.
US 11 meets the southern end of SR 80 (Glenbrook Avenue) south of the communities of Meadowview
and Emory
; the latter village is the home of Emory and Henry College
. The U.S. Highway intersects SR 91
(Maple Street) south of Glade Spring
before the highway closely parallels I-81. US 11 has an interchange with I-81 where the highway crosses to the north side of the Interstate shortly before entering Smyth County.
U.S. Route 11
U.S. Route 11 is a north–south United States highway extending 1,645 miles across the eastern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 90 in the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge in eastern New Orleans, Louisiana. The northern terminus is at the United...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
runs north–south through the western part of the state, parallel to Interstate 81.
History
What is now US 11 was added to the state highway system in 1918 as portions of State Route 10 (Bristol to Roanoke) and State Route 3 (Roanoke to West VirginiaWest Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
). SR 3 became State Route 33 in 1923, and US 11 was applied to its present alignment in 1926. SR 10 and SR 33 vere dropped in 1933.
Route description
Virginia's portion of US 11 begins at the four-way intersection of east–west Euclid Avenue and north–south Commonwealth Avenue in Bristol. At this intersection, a pair of divided U.S. Highways, US 11W and US 11E, merge to form mainline US 11. US 11W and US 11E parallel each other through East TennesseeEast Tennessee
East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...
to Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, where the divided routes merge to form mainline US 11 again. The west leg of the intersection features southbound US 11W and northbound US 421. The U.S. Highways split at the Tennessee state line; US 11W heads southwest toward Kingsport, Tennessee
Kingsport, Tennessee
Kingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...
while US 421 soon joins US 58
U.S. Route 58
U.S. Route 58 is an east–west U.S. Highway that runs for from U.S. Route 25E just northwest of Harrogate, Tennessee to U.S. Route 60 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Until 1996, when the Cumberland Gap Tunnel opened, US 58 ran only inside the commonwealth of Virginia...
west toward Gate City, Virginia
Gate City, Virginia
Gate City is a town in Scott County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,034 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Scott County....
. The south leg of the intersection includes southbound US 11E, southbound US 19, southbound US 421, and southbound SR 381
Virginia State Route 381
State Route 381 is a primary state highway in the city of Bristol, Virginia, United States. It runs from the south end of Interstate 381 at Keys Street to downtown Bristol, and to the Tennessee state line at State Street.-Major intersections:...
. At the Tennessee state line at State Street in downtown Bristol, SR 381 has its southern terminus, US 421 turns east toward Mountain City, Tennessee
Mountain City, Tennessee
Mountain City is a town in Johnson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,383 at the 2000 census. It is the northeasternmost county seat in Tennessee; Mountain City is the county seat of Johnson County.-History:...
, and US 11E and US 19 continue south to Johnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City is a city in Carter, Sullivan, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, with most of the city being in Washington County...
. The north leg of the intersection is SR 381, which is a state-numbered, street-level continuation of I-381
Interstate 381
Interstate 381 is a spur from Interstate 81 that provides access to Bristol, Virginia, United States. It runs for from the intersection of Commonwealth Avenue and Keys Street in Bristol north to Interstate 81 at exit 0...
, a spur south from I-81.
US 11 and US 19 head east as a two-lane divided boulevard through a residential area. The street becomes undivided shortly before the U.S. Highways reach the northern end of SR 113
Virginia State Route 113
Virginia State Route 113 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 11E, US 19, US 421, and SR 381 north to US 11 and US 19 within Bristol.-Route description:...
(Moore Street), which heads south toward Virginia Intermont College
Virginia Intermont College
Virginia Intermont College is a small private liberal arts college in Bristol, Virginia. It was founded in 1884 by a Baptist minister to create additional education opportunities for women. The school has been coeducational since 1972....
and downtown Bristol. US 11 and US 19 continue northeast on Lee Highway, which here and in much of Virginia is a three-lane road with center turn lane. The highway meets I-81 and US 58 at a diamond interchange
Diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a freeway crosses a minor road. The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge...
with a rakish angle. US 11 and US 19 pass under Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
's Pulaski District and cross Beaver Creek before leaving the city of Bristol. The two highways continue northeast through Washington County, where they pass Virginia Highlands Airport
Virginia Highlands Airport
Virginia Highlands Airport is a public-use airport located in Abingdon, Virginia. The airport has a single asphalt runway designated 6/24. It measures 4,471 feet in length with a width of 75 feet. It is owned by the Virginia Highlands Airport Authority. The manager is Mickey Hines....
before entering the town of Abingdon. At the west end of town, US 11 and US 19 intersect SR 140
Virginia State Route 140
State Route 140 is a primary state highway in Abingdon, Virginia, United States. It runs from U.S. Route 11/U.S. Route 19 south most of the way to Interstate 81/U.S. Route 58...
(Jonesboro Road), a connector between the U.S. Highways and I-81 that also serves Virginia Highlands Community College
Virginia Highlands Community College
Virginia Highlands Community College is located in Abingdon, Virginia. One of the 23 schools in the Virginia Community College System, the college was established November 30, 1967 to serve the residents of Washington County, western Smyth County, and the city of Bristol, Virginia. Over 4,000...
. The U.S. highways continue east as Main Street, which passes under the Norfolk Southern rail line before US 19 turns north onto Porterfield Highway. US 11 becomes four lanes and then two at its intersection with US 58 Alternate (Russell Street), which leads to the William King Museum, in downtown Abingdon. The alternate route runs along Main Street for a short distance before turning south with SR 75 (Cummings Street) to rejoin US 58 at I-81. US 11 passes the Barter Theatre
Barter Theatre
Barter Theatre, located in Abingdon, Virginia, opened on June 10, 1933. It is one of the longest running professional theatres in the nation. In 1933, when the country was in the middle of the Great Depression, most patrons were not able to pay the full ticket price...
. At the east end of town, US 11 crosses over the rail line and meets I-81 at a partial cloverleaf interchange. US 11 has a short concurrency with US 58 east of the interchange before US 58 splits to the east as Jeb Stuart Highway.
US 11 meets the southern end of SR 80 (Glenbrook Avenue) south of the communities of Meadowview
Meadowview, Virginia
Meadowview is a census-designated place in Washington County, Virginia, United States. The population was 967 at the 2010 census...
and Emory
Emory, Virginia
Emory is a census-designated place in Washington County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,251 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Kingsport–Bristol –Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA...
; the latter village is the home of Emory and Henry College
Emory and Henry College
Emory & Henry College, known as E&H, Emory, or the College, is a private liberal arts college located in Emory, Virginia, United States. The campus comprises of Washington County, Virginia, which is part of the mountain region of Southwest Virginia...
. The U.S. Highway intersects SR 91
Virginia State Route 91
Virginia State Route 91 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from the Tennessee state line near Damascus, where the highway continues as Tennessee State Route 91 , north to U.S. Route 19 Business and US 460 Business at Frog Level...
(Maple Street) south of Glade Spring
Glade Spring, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,374 people, 565 households, and 402 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,093.4 people per square mile . There were 626 housing units at an average density of 498.2 per square mile...
before the highway closely parallels I-81. US 11 has an interchange with I-81 where the highway crosses to the north side of the Interstate shortly before entering Smyth County.
Major intersections
See also
Spurs of US 11 in Virginia- U.S. Route 11E, ca. 1930 to present
- U.S. Route 11W, ca. 1930 to present
- U.S. Route 211, 1926 to present
- U.S. Route 311, 1926 to mid-1930s, now part of U.S. Route 220
- U.S. Route 411, 1926 to early 1930s, now part of U.S. Route 58
- U.S. Route 411, mid-1930s to late 1970s, now U.S. Route 11E
- U.S. Route 511, 1926 to ca. 1930, now U.S. Route 11E
- U.S. Route 11 Business (Virginia)