U.S. Route 501 in Virginia
Encyclopedia
U.S. Route 501 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a coastal city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is situated on the center of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in northeastern South Carolina. It is considered to be a major tourist destination in the...

 to Buena Vista, Virginia
Buena Vista, Virginia
Buena Vista is an independent city located within the confines of Rockbridge County, Virginia. The population was 6,650 in 2010. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Buena Vista with Rockbridge county for statistical purposes.-Geography:Buena Vista is located at...

. 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...

, the U.S. Highway runs 111.42 miles (179.3 km) from the North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

 state line near Cluster Springs
Cluster Springs, Virginia
Cluster Springs is a census-designated place in Halifax County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 811.-References:*...

 north to its northern terminus at US 60
U.S. Route 60 in Virginia
U.S. Route 60 in Virginia runs west to east through the central part of the state, generally close to and paralleling the Interstate 64 corridor, except for the crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and in the South Hampton Roads area....

 in Buena Vista. US 501 is the primary highway between 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...

 and both South Boston
South Boston, Virginia
South Boston is a town in Halifax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 8,142 at the 2010 census.- History :On December 8, 1796, the General Assembly authorized eight commissioners to establish at Boyd's Ferry on the south side of the Dan River the town of South Boston, named for...

 in Southside Virginia and Durham
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...

 in North Carolina's Research Triangle. North of Lynchburg, the highway parallels the James River
James River
The James River may refer to:Rivers in the United States and their namesakes* James River * James River , North Dakota, South Dakota* James River * James River * James River...

 through the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...

 to the southern end of the Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...

.

North Carolina to Lynchburg

US 501 enters Halifax County, Virginia south of Cluster Springs. The U.S. Highway is a two-lane road at the North Carolina state line but immediately expands to a four-lane divided highway named Huell Matthews Highway. US 501 parallels the Mayo River
Mayo River (Dan River)
The Mayo River is a tributary of the Dan River, which in turn is a tributary of the Roanoke River. All three rivers flow through the U.S. states of Virginia and North Carolina. It is named for Major William Mayo .-Course:...

 north to the hamlet of Mayo, where the highway meets the western end of SR 96 (Virgilina Road) and crosses the Hyco River
Hyco River
The Hyco River is a tributary of the Dan River, which is a tributary of the Roanoke River. All three rivers flow through the U.S. states of North Carolina and Virginia. In Person County, North Carolina the Hyco River is impounded by a dam, forming Hyco Lake...

. The U.S. Highway passes through Cluster Springs to the community of Riverdale
Riverdale, Halifax County, Virginia
Riverdale is a census-designated place in Halifax County, Virginia. The population as of the 2010 Census was 956. It is located just south of South Boston, at the junction of U.S. Highways 58, 360 and 501....

 just south of South Boston. US 501 becomes an undivided highway and intersects 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...

 and US 360
U.S. Route 360
U.S. Route 360 is a spur of US 60 in the U.S. state of Virginia. The U.S. Highway runs from US 58 Business, Virginia State Route 293, and SR 360 in Danville east to SR 644 in Reedville. US 360 connects Danville, South Boston, and Keysville in Southside Virginia with the state capital of...

, which together head west as Philpott Road and east as Bill Tuck Highway. US 501 crosses the Dan River
Dan River
The Dan River flows in the U.S. states of North Carolina and Virginia. It originates in Patrick County, Virginia, and crosses the state border into Stokes County, North Carolina. It then flows into Rockingham County. From there it goes back into Virginia. It reenters North Carolina near the...

 into the town of South Boston. Just north of the river, the highway has a grade crossing of 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 Danville
Danville, Virginia
Danville is an independent city in Virginia, United States, bounded by Pittsylvania County, Virginia and Caswell County, North Carolina. It was the last capital of the Confederate States of America. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Danville with Pittsylvania county for...

Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...

 rail line and splits into a one-way pair
One-way pair
A one-way pair, one-way couple, or just couplet is a pair of parallel, usually one-way streets that carry opposite directions of a signed route or major traffic flow, or sometimes opposite directions of a bus or streetcar route....

: Broad Street northbound and Main Street southbound. Both directions intersect SR 304 (Seymour Drive). When Main Street veers northeast as two-way SR 129
Virginia State Route 129
Virginia State Route 129 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 501 in South Boston north to US 501 at Centerville...

, southbound US 501 continues on two-way Wilborn Avenue to the northern end of the one-way pair.

US 501 continues through South Boston on Wilborn Avenue, a five-lane road with center turn lane. The U.S. Highway becomes four-lane divided Halifax Road at Hamilton Boulevard. US 501 receives the northern end of SR 129 (Old Halifax Road) shortly before leaving the town of South Boston. The U.S. Highway enters the town of Halifax
Halifax, Virginia
Halifax is a town in Halifax County, Virginia, United States, along the Banister River. The population was 1,389 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Halifax County.-Geography:Halifax is located at ....

 and becomes Main Street, a three-lane road with center turn lane, at its grade crossing of Norfolk Southern's Durham District. US 501 continues to the county courthouse, where the highway intersects the very short SR 349 (Edmunds Boulevard) and SR 360
Virginia State Route 360
State Route 360 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is the old alignment of U.S. Route 360 between Danville and a point near Scottsburg, running via Halifax....

 (Mountain Road), which runs concurrently
Concurrency (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...

 with the U.S. Highway through the northern part of the town. The two highways diverge: SR 360 heads northeast as Bethel Road and US 501 heads northwest as two-lane L.P. Bailey Memorial Highway. which crosses Banister Lake, an impoundment of the Banister River
Banister River
The Banister River is a tributary of the Dan River, about 65 mi long, in southern Virginia in the United States. Via the Dan, it is part of the watershed of the Roanoke River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean. It rises on Brier Mountain in western Pittsylvania County and flows generally...

, as it leaves the town of Halifax.

US 501 passes through Volens and Acorn
Acorn, Virginia
Acorn is an unincorporated community in Westmoreland County, in the U. S. state of Virginia.-References:*...

 on its way to the hamlet of North Halifax, where the highway begins to run concurrently with SR 40
Virginia State Route 40
State Route 40 is a primary state highway in the southern part of the U.S. state of Virginia. It runs from State Route 8 at Woolwine east to State Route 10 at Spring Grove, about half the width of Virginia. It is the longest state-numbered route in Virginia.-Route description:SR 40 begins at SR 8...

 (Stage Coach Road). The highways cross the Roanoke River
Roanoke River
The Roanoke River is a river in southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States, 410 mi long. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains southeast across the Piedmont...

 into the town of Brookneal
Brookneal, Virginia
Brookneal is an incorporated town in Campbell County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,259 as of the 2000 census. It is part of the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

 in Campbell County
Campbell County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 51,078 people, 20,639 households, and 14,694 families residing in the county. The population density was 101 people per square mile . There were 22,088 housing units at an average density of 44 per square mile...

 and pass under Norfolk Southern's Altavista District rail line. The highways continue as Lusardi Drive to Lynchburg Avenue in the center of town; SR 40 turns southeast while US 501 turns north west onto the street just north of the highways' grade crossing of the Durham District rail line. US 501 leaves the town as Brookneal Highway, which parallels the rail line through the communities of Naruna and Gladys on its way to Rustburg
Rustburg, Virginia
Rustburg is a census-designated place in Campbell County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,431 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Campbell County.Rustburg is part of the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area....

, the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 of Campbell County. The U.S. Highway intersects SR 24
Virginia State Route 24
Virginia State Route 24 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 221 and SR 116 in Roanoke east to US 60 in Mt. Rush. SR 24 connects Roanoke with several small communities in southern Bedford County and central Campbell County...

 (Colonial Highway) at the southern edge of the village. The highways have a short concurrency before SR 24 continues east as Village Highway and US 501 heads northwest as Campbell Highway. North of Rustburg, US 501 expands to a four-lane divided highway into the independent city
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...

 of Lynchburg, where the highway meets US 29
U.S. Route 29 in Virginia
U.S. Route 29 is a major north–south route in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It covers from the North Carolina border at the city of Danville to the Key Bridge in Washington, D.C....

 and US 460
U.S. Route 460 in Virginia
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...

 (Richmond Highway) at a partial cloverleaf interchange. US 501 Business and US 460 Business head straight on Campbell Avenue while US 501 joins the freeway heading southwest.

Lynchburg to Buena Vista

US 501 runs concurrently with US 29 and US 460 southwest along the northern slope of Candlers Mountain to a full Y interchange where US 501 heads northwest from the freeway. The U.S. Highway has an intersection with SR 128
Virginia State Route 128
Virginia State Route 128 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known for most of its length as Mayflower Drive, the state highway runs from SR 163 north to U.S. Route 460 Business and US 501 Business within the independent city of Lynchburg.-Route description:SR 128 begins at...

 (Mayflower Drive) and Candlers Mountain Road just east of the highway's crossing of Norfolk Southern's Danville District. SR 128 joins US 501 on Candlers Mountain Road between the intersection and the highway's cloverleaf interchange
Cloverleaf interchange
A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which left turns, reverse direction in left-driving regions, are handled by ramp roads...

 with US 29 Business (Lynchburg Expressway). US 501 exits onto the expressway while SR 128 continues west to its terminus. US 501 and US 29 Business head southwest along the freeway until the business route exits onto Wards Road to head toward Danville
Danville, Virginia
Danville is an independent city in Virginia, United States, bounded by Pittsylvania County, Virginia and Caswell County, North Carolina. It was the last capital of the Confederate States of America. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Danville with Pittsylvania county for...

. US 501 curves northwest and has a cloverleaf interchange with US 460 Business (Timberlake Road), crosses Norfolk Southern's Blue Ridge District, and has 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 Graves Mill Road. The freeway ends at US 221
U.S. Route 221 in Virginia
U.S. Route 221 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Perry, Florida to Lynchburg, Virginia. In Virginia, the U.S. Highway runs from the North Carolina state line near Independence north to its northern terminus at US 29 Business, US 460 Business, and US 501 Business in Lynchburg...

 (Lakeside Drive). US 501 heads north along Old Forest Road as a five-lane road with center turn lane before turning onto a two-lane segment of the Lynchburg Expressway. This segment has a partial cloverleaf interchange with Wiggington Road before ending at US 501 Business (Boonsboro Road).

US 501 heads northwest on two-lane Boonsboro Road, which becomes Lee Jackson Highway when it exits the city of Lynchburg into Bedford County
Bedford County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 60,371 people, 23,838 households, and 18,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 80 people per square mile . There were 26,841 housing units at an average density of 36 per square mile...

. The U.S. Highway curvaceously crosses Fleming Mountain and descends into the James River gorge at Coleman Falls. US 501 follows the south bank of the river through Big Island
Big Island, Virginia
Big Island is a census-designated place in far northern Bedford County, Virginia. The population as of the 2010 Census was 303. The small community is located by the James River north of Lynchburg; it is not on an island, but is named for an uninhabited island in the river upstream from it. It is...

, where the highway meets the northern end of SR 122
Virginia State Route 122
Virginia State Route 122 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from SR 40 in Rocky Mount north to U.S. Route 501 in Big Island. SR 122 passes through the Blue Ridge foothills of Franklin and Bedford, connecting Rocky Mount with the independent city of...

 (Big Island Highway) and has an interchange with the Blue Ridge Parkway
Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. It runs for 469 miles , mostly along the famous Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains...

. North of Big Island, the U.S. Highway crosses the river and immediately intersects SR 130
Virginia State Route 130
Virginia State Route 130 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 11 at Natural Bridge east to SR 669 and SR 670 east of US 29 near Madison Heights...

 (Elon Road) on the Amherst County
Amherst County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 31,894 people, 11,941 households, and 8,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 67 people per square mile . There were 12,958 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile...

 side. The two highways have a curvaceous crossing of the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains before descending to the town of Glasgow
Glasgow, Virginia
Glasgow is a town in Rockbridge County, Virginia, United States, at the confluence of the James and Maury Rivers. The population was 1,046 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Glasgow is located at ....

 at the mouth of the Maury River
Maury River
The Maury River is a tributary of the James River in west-central Virginia in the United States. Via the James River, it is part of the watershed of Chesapeake Bay.The Maury flows for its entire length in Rockbridge County...

. The two routes follow the river upstream a short distance before SR 130 (Wert Faulkner Highway) crosses the river into the town. US 501, now named Glasgow Highway, parallels the river and Norfolk Southern's Roanoke District rail line north to the city of Buena Vista, which the highway enters as Magnolia Avenue. South of the downtown area, US 501 veers onto Sycamore Street while US 501 Business continues along Magnolia Avenue. At 22nd Street, the U.S. Highway veers onto Beech Avenue, which receives the northern end of US 501 Business (Park Avenue) west of Southern Virginia University
Southern Virginia University
Southern Virginia University is a liberal arts college located in Buena Vista, Virginia that promotes standards and values of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while not being owned nor operated by the Church...

. Two blocks to the north, US 501 reaches its northern terminus at US 60 (29th Street).

Major intersections

Lynchburg business route

U.S. Route 501 Business (US 501 Business) is a business route of US 501 in Lynchburg. The highway runs 9.41 miles (15.1 km) from US 29, US 460, and US 501 on the eastern edge of Lynchburg to US 501 on the western edge of Lynchburg. US 501 Business runs concurrently with US 460 Business on Campbell Avenue, a four-lane undivided highway, northwest from the highways' partial cloverleaf interchange with their mainline U.S. Highways and US 29. The business routes meet the northern end of SR 128 (Mayflower Drive) and cross over Norfolk Southern Railway's Blue Ridge District. Just north of the railroad, US 501 Business and US 460 Business veer onto Kemper Avenue, which crosses another rail line and has a cloverleaf interchange with US 29 Business (Lynchburg Expressway); this interchange serves as the northern terminus of US 221. The business routes and US 221 pass through a commercial area and by the Anne Spencer House
Anne Spencer House
The Anne Spencer House, in Lynchburg, Virginia, USA was, from 1903 to 1975, the home of Anne Spencer, a poet of the Harlem Renaissance. She was the first Virginian and first African-American to have her poetry included in the Norton Anthology of American Poetry...

, then turn west onto 12th Street and cross Norfolk Southern's Danville District rail line a few blocks south of the Lynchburg-Kemper Street Station, which is served by Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...

.

At Campbell Avenue, US 221 and US 460 Business continue southwest on 12th Street while US 501 Business turns northwest onto Campbell Avenue, which becomes Langhorne Road after the intersection with Park Avenue. The business route intersects SR 163
Virginia State Route 163
Virginia State Route 163 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 501 and US 29 Business in Lynchburg north to US 29 Business in Madison Heights. SR 163 is the original alignment of US 29 through Lynchburg, a highway has been twice bypassed:...

 (Memorial Avenue) at the historic home Centerview
Centerview (Lynchburg, Virginia)
Centerview is a historic home located at Lynchburg, Virginia. It is a two-story brick house completed in 1871 in the Greek Revival style. The dependency, which is similar in construction and detail to the main house but which may date to 1861, is a one-stay gabled brick building and originally...

. West of Holy Cross Regional Catholic School
Holy Cross Regional Catholic School (Lynchburg, Virginia)
Holy Cross Regional Catholic School is a private, Roman Catholic school in Lynchburg, Virginia for Pre-K through 12th grade. It is in association with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond.-Background:...

, US 501 Business leaves the densely-populated part of Lynchburg and curves north, passing under a former railroad bridge. West of the Rivermont Historic District
Rivermont Historic District
The Rivermont Historic District is a national historic district located in Lynchburg, Virginia. It is a district consisting of the 300-3400 blocks of Rivermont Avenue as well as Riverside Park and a few properties alongside streets that face onto Rivermont Avenue...

, the business route veers onto Rivermont Terrace, then turns west onto Rivermont Avenue, which becomes Boonsboro Road at its intersection with Link Road. US 501 Business continues on Boonsboro Road to its northern terminus at US 501, which heads south on the Lynchburg Expressway and north on the continuation of Boonsboro Road.

Buena Vista business route

U.S. Route 501 Business (US 501 Business) is a business route of US 501 in Buena Vista. The highway runs 0.99 miles (1.6 km) between junctions with US 501 within the city of Buena Vista. When US 501 veers from Magnolia Avenue onto Sycamore Avenue at 16th Street, US 501 Business continues north on Magnolia Avenue, which serves as the main business street of the city. Just south of the Southern Virginia University campus, the business route veers northwest on Park Avenue, which the highway follows to its northern terminus at US 501 (Beech Street) just south of US 501's northern terminus at US 60.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK