U.S. Route 460 in Virginia
Encyclopedia
U.S. Route 460 in Virginia runs east–west through the southern part of the state. It has two separate pieces in Virginia, joined by a relatively short section in West Virginia
. Most of US 460 is a four-lane divided highway
.
US 460 from Interstate 81 at Christiansburg
west to Pikeville, Kentucky
, including the piece in West Virginia, is Corridor Q of the Appalachian Development Highway System
. From West Virginia east to I-81, US 460 is also part of the proposed Interstate 73.
right-of-way along the north bank of the New River eastward from a point near the VA-WV state line near Glen Lyn
to Narrows
was acquired by VDOT
's predecessor agency from the Norfolk and Western Railway
to enable four-laning of the highway through the narrow space between the river and rocky bluffs. (The N&W main line follows the south bank through this area).
See Corridor Q for more information on U.S. 460 in Virginia
From Lynchburg
east to Suffolk
, the highway was built closely following the main line of the Norfolk and Western Railway
(now Norfolk Southern), in many places.
Legend has it that William Mahone
(1826–1895), builder of the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad
and his wife, Otelia Butler Mahone (1837–1911), traveled along the newly completed Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad naming stations. Otelia was reading Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
. From his historical Scottish novels, Otelia chose the place names of Wakefield
as well as Windsor
and Waverly
. She tapped the Scottish Clan "McIvor" for the name of Ivor
, a small town in neighboring Southampton County
.
As they continued west, they reached a station in Prince George County where they could not agree on a suitable name from the books. Instead, they became creative, and invented a new name in honor of their dispute. This is how the tiny community of Disputanta was named.
The N&P railroad was completed in 1858. William Mahone became a Major General
in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War
, and later, a Senator in the United States Congress
. After the War, he was also a major force in linking three trunk railroads across a southern tier of Virginia from Norfolk to Bristol to form the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad
, the principal predecessor of the Norfolk and Western.
William and Otelia Mahone made Petersburg their family home in their later years. In modern times, a large portion of U.S. Highway 460 between Petersburg
and Suffolk
is named General Mahone Boulevard in his honor.
Richmond and other points in central Virginia to the Currituck Sound and Outer Banks of North Carolina, avoiding the congestion
and tunnels of the more northerly I-64 corridor. The road passes through several small towns that built up at stops along the railroad line. Two of these,
Windsor
and Waverly
, have earned reputations for being speed traps. A well known local landmark, the Virginia Diner is in Wakefield
, the so called "Peanut Capital of the World" and near the site of the first commercial peanut crop grown in the New World.
which could range from $5.50 to $11 for cars and up to $22 for trucks. The speed limit on the road would be set at 75 miles per hour (33.5 m/s) as an incentive for drivers. In addition, a tolled, truck lane would be added to the current US 58
/US 460 bypass around Suffolk to connect with the new US 460.
VDOT conducted a failed attempt in 2006 to find a bidder able to build this 55 mile tollway and revamped its process with a new public bidding process in 2010. In the original process VDOT did not want to provide any taxpayer subsidy to the process, preferring to have it funded entirely with private moneys. In 2010 the original VDOT 460 Solicitation for Proposals (referred to as an "SFP") the Commonwealth stated that it would not provide any public moneys as a subsidy to the project. Later in the process VDOT amended that SFP to state that the Commonwealth would consider providing an up front public subsidy. Three bidders submitted proposals and VDOT has held two public presentations from the bidders with a public commentary process for any citizen to come forward and make statements.
According to VDOT 460 PPTA website, the three bidders currently under consideration are Cintra who requested a $782 million up front taxpayer subsidy, Multi Modal Solutions who requested a $500 million up front taxpayer subsidy, and 460 Partners who requested no up front public subsidy.
West 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...
. Most of US 460 is a four-lane divided highway
Divided Highway
Divided Highway is a compilation album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 2003. . All tracks are taken from the albums Cycles and Brotherhood .-Track listing:...
.
US 460 from Interstate 81 at Christiansburg
Christiansburg, Virginia
Christiansburg is a town in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States. The population was 21,041 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County...
west to Pikeville, Kentucky
Pikeville, Kentucky
Pikeville is a city in Pike County, Kentucky. The population was 6,903 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pike County.-History:On March 25, 1822, the county's government officials decided to build a new county seat named Liberty, one and one-half mile below the mouth of the Russell Fork...
, including the piece in West Virginia, is Corridor Q of the Appalachian Development Highway System
Appalachian Development Highway System
The Appalachian Development Highway System is part of the Appalachian Regional Commission in the United States. See: .-History:...
. From West Virginia east to I-81, US 460 is also part of the proposed Interstate 73.
History
Most of present US 460 or its former alignments was part of the initial state highway system defined in 1918. Specifically, the following pieces existed:- Claypool HillClaypool Hill, VirginiaClaypool Hill is a census-designated place in Tazewell County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,719 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,578.-Geography:...
to West VirginiaWest VirginiaWest 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...
(U.S. Route 19 concurrencyConcurrency (road)A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
): State Route 11 - West Virginia to Christiansburg: State Route 23
- Christiansburg to Petersburg (including the U.S. Route 11 concurrencyConcurrency (road)A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
): State Route 10 - Suffolk to Norfolk (U.S. Route 58 concurrencyConcurrency (road)A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
): State Route 10
Kentucky to West Virginia
In late 1921, the Virginia State Highway Commission recommended that the General Assembly add the road from State Route 11 (now U.S. Route 19) at Claypool Hill northwest to Grundy to the state highway system as a spur of SR 11 to provide "an easterly outlet from Buchanan County". This spur was assigned the designation State Route 11X by 1923, and later that year it became State Route 111. It was renumbered State Route 126 in the 1928 renumbering and State Route 84 in the 1933 renumbering. A 6.38-mile (10.27 km) extension from Grundy northwest towards Kentucky was added in 1932, and the rest to the state line was added in 1936. In the 1940 renumbering, SR 84 was renumbered State Route 4 to match Kentucky Route 4.West Virginia to Norfolk
In the early 1970s, the former Virginian RailwayVirginian Railway
The Virginian Railway was a Class I railroad located in Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The VGN was created to transport high quality "smokeless" bituminous coal from southern West Virginia to port at Hampton Roads....
right-of-way along the north bank of the New River eastward from a point near the VA-WV state line near Glen Lyn
Glen Lyn, Virginia
Glen Lyn is a town in Giles County, Virginia, United States, at the confluence of the East and New Rivers. The population was 151 at the 2000 census...
to Narrows
Narrows, Virginia
Narrows, named for the narrowing of the New River that flows past it, is a town in Giles County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,111 at the 2000 census...
was acquired by VDOT
Virginia Department of Transportation
The Virginia Department of Transportation is the agency of state government responsible for transportation in the state of Virginia in the United States. Headquartered in Downtown Richmond, VDOT is responsible for building, maintaining, and operating the roads, bridges and tunnels in the...
's predecessor agency from the Norfolk and Western Railway
Norfolk and Western Railway
The Norfolk and Western Railway , a US class I railroad, was formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It had headquarters in Roanoke, Virginia for most of its 150 year existence....
to enable four-laning of the highway through the narrow space between the river and rocky bluffs. (The N&W main line follows the south bank through this area).
See Corridor Q for more information on U.S. 460 in Virginia
From Lynchburg
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
east to Suffolk
Suffolk, Virginia
Suffolk is the largest city by area in Virginia, United States, and is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 84,585. Its median household income was $57,546.-History:...
, the highway was built closely following the main line of the Norfolk and Western Railway
Norfolk and Western Railway
The Norfolk and Western Railway , a US class I railroad, was formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It had headquarters in Roanoke, Virginia for most of its 150 year existence....
(now Norfolk Southern), in many places.
Legend has it that William Mahone
William Mahone
William Mahone was a civil engineer, teacher, soldier, railroad executive, and a member of the Virginia General Assembly and U.S. Congress. Small of stature, he was nicknamed "Little Billy"....
(1826–1895), builder of the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad
Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad
The Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad was built between Norfolk and Petersburg, Virginia and was completed by 1858.It played a role on the American Civil War , and became part of the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad in 1870. The AM&O became the Norfolk and Western in 1881...
and his wife, Otelia Butler Mahone (1837–1911), traveled along the newly completed Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad naming stations. Otelia was reading Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
. From his historical Scottish novels, Otelia chose the place names of Wakefield
Wakefield, Virginia
Wakefield is an incorporated town in Sussex County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,038 at the 2000 census.Wakefield is famous for being the "Peanut Capital of the World" and the location of the famous , as well as the site of Airfield Conference and 4-H Educational Center...
as well as Windsor
Windsor, Virginia
Windsor is an incorporated town in Isle of Wight County in the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia in the United States. It is located near the crossroads of U.S. Route 460 and U.S. Route 258. The population was 916 at the 2000 census...
and Waverly
Waverly, Virginia
Waverly is an incorporated town in Sussex County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,309 at the 2000 census.-History:Popular legend has it that William Mahone , builder of the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad , and his cultured wife, Otelia Butler Mahone , traveled along the newly...
. She tapped the Scottish Clan "McIvor" for the name of Ivor
Ivor, Virginia
Ivor is an incorporated town in Southampton County, Virginia, United States. The population was 320 at the 2000 census.- Overview :Popular legend has it that William Mahone , builder of the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad , and his cultured wife, Otelia Butler Mahone , who had been raised in...
, a small town in neighboring Southampton County
Southampton County, Virginia
As of the census of 2010, there were 18,570 people, 6,279 households, and 4,502 families residing in the county. The population density was 29 people per square mile . There were 7,058 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...
.
As they continued west, they reached a station in Prince George County where they could not agree on a suitable name from the books. Instead, they became creative, and invented a new name in honor of their dispute. This is how the tiny community of Disputanta was named.
The N&P railroad was completed in 1858. William Mahone became a Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, and later, a Senator in the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
. After the War, he was also a major force in linking three trunk railroads across a southern tier of Virginia from Norfolk to Bristol to form the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad
Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad
Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad was formed in 1870 in Virginia from 3 east-west railroads which traversed across the southern portion of the state. Organized and led by former Confederate general William Mahone , the 428-mile line linked Norfolk with Bristol, Virginia by way of Suffolk,...
, the principal predecessor of the Norfolk and Western.
William and Otelia Mahone made Petersburg their family home in their later years. In modern times, a large portion of U.S. Highway 460 between Petersburg
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
and Suffolk
Suffolk, Virginia
Suffolk is the largest city by area in Virginia, United States, and is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 84,585. Its median household income was $57,546.-History:...
is named General Mahone Boulevard in his honor.
Route
From Petersburg to Suffolk US 460 is a four lane non-divided highway. It is a popular alternative to I-64 when going fromRichmond and other points in central Virginia to the Currituck Sound and Outer Banks of North Carolina, avoiding the congestion
and tunnels of the more northerly I-64 corridor. The road passes through several small towns that built up at stops along the railroad line. Two of these,
Windsor
Windsor, Virginia
Windsor is an incorporated town in Isle of Wight County in the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia in the United States. It is located near the crossroads of U.S. Route 460 and U.S. Route 258. The population was 916 at the 2000 census...
and Waverly
Waverly, Virginia
Waverly is an incorporated town in Sussex County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,309 at the 2000 census.-History:Popular legend has it that William Mahone , builder of the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad , and his cultured wife, Otelia Butler Mahone , traveled along the newly...
, have earned reputations for being speed traps. A well known local landmark, the Virginia Diner is in Wakefield
Wakefield, Virginia
Wakefield is an incorporated town in Sussex County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,038 at the 2000 census.Wakefield is famous for being the "Peanut Capital of the World" and the location of the famous , as well as the site of Airfield Conference and 4-H Educational Center...
, the so called "Peanut Capital of the World" and near the site of the first commercial peanut crop grown in the New World.
Future
there are plans for construction of a new, interstate-quality US 460 between Petersburg and Suffolk. The 55 miles (88.5 km), four-lane, divided highway would be built south of the existing four-lane undivided US 460 by a public–private partnership. The $1.44 billion to $1.8 billion cost of the road would be offset by tollsToll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
which could range from $5.50 to $11 for cars and up to $22 for trucks. The speed limit on the road would be set at 75 miles per hour (33.5 m/s) as an incentive for drivers. In addition, a tolled, truck lane would be added to the current 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...
/US 460 bypass around Suffolk to connect with the new US 460.
VDOT conducted a failed attempt in 2006 to find a bidder able to build this 55 mile tollway and revamped its process with a new public bidding process in 2010. In the original process VDOT did not want to provide any taxpayer subsidy to the process, preferring to have it funded entirely with private moneys. In 2010 the original VDOT 460 Solicitation for Proposals (referred to as an "SFP") the Commonwealth stated that it would not provide any public moneys as a subsidy to the project. Later in the process VDOT amended that SFP to state that the Commonwealth would consider providing an up front public subsidy. Three bidders submitted proposals and VDOT has held two public presentations from the bidders with a public commentary process for any citizen to come forward and make statements.
According to VDOT 460 PPTA website, the three bidders currently under consideration are Cintra who requested a $782 million up front taxpayer subsidy, Multi Modal Solutions who requested a $500 million up front taxpayer subsidy, and 460 Partners who requested no up front public subsidy.