Virginia State Route 143
Encyclopedia
Virginia State Route 143 (SR 143) is a primary state highway
in the U.S. state of Virginia
. The state highway runs 35.39 miles (57 km) from Camp Peary
near Williamsburg
east to U.S. Route 258
(US 258) at Fort Monroe
in Hampton
. SR 143 is a major local thoroughfare on the Virginia Peninsula
portion of the Hampton Roads
metropolitan area. The state highway is named Merrimac Trail through the independent city
of Williamsburg and adjacent portions of York County
and James City County
. SR 143 follows Jefferson Avenue through the city of Newport News
from the Williamsburg area past Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport
to near Downtown Newport News. The state highway, which mostly runs northwest–southeast, heads northeast from Newport News, serving as one highway connecting the downtown areas of Newport News and Hampton. SR 143 parallels both US 60
and Interstate 64
(I-64) extensively, and sometimes very closely, throughout its course. The state highway also runs concurrently
with US 60 in Hampton and with US 17
in Newport News.
, which provides access to Colonial Williamsburg
and, via Colonial Parkway
, Jamestown
and Yorktown
. The state highway crosses Queen Creek into the city of Williamsburg and meets the northern end of SR 5
(Capitol Landing Road). East of the SR 5 intersection, SR 143 reduces to two lanes, crosses Colonial Parkway with no access, and re-enters York County by crossing an unnamed creek.
SR 143 becomes a five-lane road with center turn lane at its intersection with SR 162 (2nd Street). The state highway heads southeast and enters James City County at its intersection with SR 641 (Penniman Road). SR 143 begins to closely parallel the north side of CSX
's Peninsula Subdivision, which is itself paralleled by US 60 (Pocahontas Trail) to the south; the center turn lane becomes a turn lane exclusively for the eastbound direction of the highway. The two highways have mirror-image partial cloverleaf interchanges with SR 199
(Humelsine Parkway) as they re-enter York County. SR 143 passes between Williamsburg Country Club to the north and Busch Gardens Williamsburg to the south; the state highway does not have access to the theme park. Just east of the park, the westbound direction of the state highway receives an exit ramp from I-64.
SR 143 continues east into James City County as a four-lane undivided highway that closely parallels I-64 to the north and the railroad to the south while passing through a forested area. The state highway receives a ramp from eastbound I-64 shortly before crossing Mill Run into the city of Newport News, where the highway's name changes to Jefferson Avenue. Just east of the stream, there are ramps from eastbound SR 143 to eastbound I-64 and from westbound SR 143 to westbound I-64 as the state highway crosses to the north side of the Interstate. SR 143 intersects SR 238
(Yorktown Road), which provides access to and from I-64 in the direction of Hampton, near the Lee Hall
area of the city. The state highway passes through Newport News Park
and crosses the Lee Hall Reservoir before intersection SR 105
(Fort Eustis Boulevard) near Fort Eustis. The intersection is just east of SR 105's interchange with I-64; the ramps to and from westbound I-64 for access to SR 105 in the direction of Yorktown connect with SR 143 north and south of the interchange, respectively.
SR 143 veers away from I-64 and expands to a six-lane divided highway at Kings Ridge Drive. The state highway intersects SR 173
(Denbigh Boulevard) east of the namesake community
and north of Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, which is accessed by Bland Boulevard. Southeast of the airport, SR 143 crosses to the south side of I-64 at a cloverleaf interchange
adjacent to Patrick Henry Mall
. The state highway intersects SR 171
(Oyster Point Road) and passes though an industrial and commercial area that includes the Jefferson Lab (Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility) and the City Center at Oyster Point. South of the city center, SR 143 intersects J. Clyde Morris Boulevard, which heads northeast as part of US 17 toward Yorktown and west as SR 312
. SR 143 and US 17 run concurrently southeast through junctions with SR 306 (Harpersville Road) and SR 152
(Main Street) before diverging at Mercury Boulevard, a major east–west thoroughfare that carries US 258 and provides access to the James River Bridge
. This intersection is also the northern terminus of SR 32
.
SR 143 becomes a four-lane undivided highway at 40th Street, which is used to access SR 351
(39th Street). SR 351 passes over SR 143 just to the north of SR 143's partial interchange with I-664
(Hampton Roads Beltway), which includes ramps from eastbound SR 143 to southbound I-664 and from northbound I-664 to SR 143. The state highway becomes two lanes at 34th Street and maintains that profile southeast to 27th and 28th Streets, onto which the highway turns northeast as a one-way pair
, with eastbound following 27th Street and westbound using 28th Street. This one-way pair is just north of US 60's one-way pair on 25th and 26th Streets. The one-way pair ends at Salters Creek, where the highway comes together as a four-lane divided highway passes through a sliver of the city of Hampton. SR 143 enters Hampton for good at Pear Avenue, where the highway continues as Victoria Boulevard.
SR 143 follows Victoria Boulevard through the Wythe
and Kecoughtan
neighborhoods of Hampton. Within the latter neighborhood, the state highway intersects US 60; the state highway joins the U.S. Highway north on Kecoughtan Road then east on Settlers Landing Road. The two highways meet the southern end of SR 134
(Armistead Avenue) and head as a two-lane divided street through downtown Hampton, which contains St. John's Episcopal Church
and the Virginia Air and Space Center
. SR 143 and US 60 become four lanes again to cross the Hampton River
and pass along the northern edge of the campus of Hampton University
. The two highways diverge at their diamond interchange
with I-64 (Hampton Roads Beltway), which US 60 joins to cross Hampton Roads
via the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel
to Norfolk
. SR 143 continues southeast along two-lane County Street, turns southwest onto Libby Street for one block, then turns south on Mellen Street and intersects SR 169
(Mallory Street) within the Phoebus
neighborhood. The state highway crosses the Mill Creek estuary as Ingalls Road and reaches its eastern terminus at its junction with US 258's (Mercury Boulevard) northern terminus at the entrance to Fort Monroe.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in the U.S. state of 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 state highway runs 35.39 miles (57 km) from Camp Peary
Camp Peary
Camp Peary is a military reservation in York County near Williamsburg, Virginia. Officially it is referred to as the Armed Forces Experimental Training Activity under the auspices of the Department of Defense, but it is widely believed to be the location of a covert CIA training facility known...
near Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
east to U.S. Route 258
U.S. Route 258
U.S. Route 258 is a spur of US 58 in the U.S. states of North Carolina and Virginia. The U.S. Highway runs from US 17 Business and North Carolina Highway 24 Business in Jacksonville, North Carolina north to Virginia State Route 143 at Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia...
(US 258) at Fort Monroe
Fort Monroe
Fort Monroe was a military installation in Hampton, Virginia—at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula...
in Hampton
Hampton, Virginia
Hampton is an independent city that is not part of any county in Southeast Virginia. Its population is 137,436. As one of the seven major cities that compose the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, it is on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula. Located on the Hampton Roads Beltway, it hosts...
. SR 143 is a major local thoroughfare on the Virginia Peninsula
Virginia Peninsula
The Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, USA, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay.Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water of the same name...
portion of the Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
metropolitan area. The state highway is named Merrimac Trail through 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 Williamsburg and adjacent portions of York County
York County, Virginia
York County is a county located on the north side of the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Situated on the York River and many tributaries, the county seat is the unincorporated town of Yorktown...
and James City County
James City County, Virginia
James City County is a county located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Its population was 67,009 , and it is often associated with Williamsburg, an independent city, and Jamestown which is within the...
. SR 143 follows Jefferson Avenue through the city of Newport News
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
from the Williamsburg area past Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport
Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport
Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport is an airport located 9 mi northwest of downtown Newport News, Virginia, and serves the entire Hampton Roads metropolitan area along with Norfolk International Airport in Norfolk...
to near Downtown Newport News. The state highway, which mostly runs northwest–southeast, heads northeast from Newport News, serving as one highway connecting the downtown areas of Newport News and Hampton. SR 143 parallels both 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....
and Interstate 64
Interstate 64 in Virginia
In the U.S. state of Virginia, Interstate 64 runs east–west through the middle of the state from West Virginia to the Hampton Roads region, a total of . It is notable for crossing the mouth of the harbor of Hampton Roads on the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, the first bridge-tunnel to...
(I-64) extensively, and sometimes very closely, throughout its course. The state highway also 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 US 60 in Hampton and with US 17
U.S. Route 17 in Virginia
U.S. Route 17 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Punta Gorda, Florida to Winchester, Virginia. In Virginia, the U.S. Highway runs from the North Carolina state line in Chesapeake north to its northern terminus at US 11, US 50, and US 522 in Winchester. US 17 is a major highway...
in Newport News.
Route description
SR 143 begins at the entrance to Camp Peary in York County north of Williamsburg. The state highway heads south as Merrimac Trail, a four-lane divided highway that meets I-64 at a partial cloverleaf interchange. SR 143 heads south through a forested area and meets the northern end of SR 132Virginia State Route 132
Virginia State Route 132 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known for most of its length as Henry Street, the state highway runs from SR 199 in Williamsburg north to SR 143 in York County near Williamsburg. SR 132 is the main north–south highway through the...
, which provides access to Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg is the private foundation representing the historic district of the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. The district includes buildings dating from 1699 to 1780 which made colonial Virginia's capital. The capital straddled the boundary of the original shires of Virginia —...
and, via Colonial Parkway
Colonial Parkway
Colonial Parkway is a scenic 23-mile parkway linking the three popular attractions of Virginia's Historic Triangle of colonial-era communities, Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown...
, Jamestown
Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown was a settlement in the Colony of Virginia. Established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 14, 1607 , it was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States, following several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke...
and Yorktown
Yorktown, Virginia
Yorktown is a census-designated place in York County, Virginia, United States. The population was 220 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634....
. The state highway crosses Queen Creek into the city of Williamsburg and meets the northern end of SR 5
Virginia State Route 5
State Route 5 runs between the independent cities of Richmond and Williamsburg in the U.S. state of Virginia. Between Charles City County and James City County, it crosses the Chickahominy River via the Judith Stewart Dresser Bridge, a fixed-span bridge which replaced historic Barrett's Ferry and...
(Capitol Landing Road). East of the SR 5 intersection, SR 143 reduces to two lanes, crosses Colonial Parkway with no access, and re-enters York County by crossing an unnamed creek.
SR 143 becomes a five-lane road with center turn lane at its intersection with SR 162 (2nd Street). The state highway heads southeast and enters James City County at its intersection with SR 641 (Penniman Road). SR 143 begins to closely parallel the north side of CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
's Peninsula Subdivision, which is itself paralleled by US 60 (Pocahontas Trail) to the south; the center turn lane becomes a turn lane exclusively for the eastbound direction of the highway. The two highways have mirror-image partial cloverleaf interchanges with SR 199
Virginia State Route 199
Virginia State Route 199 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known for most of its length as Humelsine Parkway, the state highway runs from Interstate 64 and SR 646 in Lightfoot to SR 641 near Williamsburg. SR 199 forms a western loop of Williamsburg in York and James...
(Humelsine Parkway) as they re-enter York County. SR 143 passes between Williamsburg Country Club to the north and Busch Gardens Williamsburg to the south; the state highway does not have access to the theme park. Just east of the park, the westbound direction of the state highway receives an exit ramp from I-64.
SR 143 continues east into James City County as a four-lane undivided highway that closely parallels I-64 to the north and the railroad to the south while passing through a forested area. The state highway receives a ramp from eastbound I-64 shortly before crossing Mill Run into the city of Newport News, where the highway's name changes to Jefferson Avenue. Just east of the stream, there are ramps from eastbound SR 143 to eastbound I-64 and from westbound SR 143 to westbound I-64 as the state highway crosses to the north side of the Interstate. SR 143 intersects SR 238
Virginia State Route 238
State Route 238 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It runs east across the Virginia Peninsula from U.S. Route 60 in the Lee Hall area of Newport News past Yorktown to the United States Coast Guard Training Center Yorktown....
(Yorktown Road), which provides access to and from I-64 in the direction of Hampton, near the Lee Hall
Lee Hall, Virginia
Lee Hall is a former unincorporated town long located in the former Warwick County. Since 1958, Lee Hall has been a suburban community in the extreme western portion of the independent city of Newport News in the Commonwealth of Virginia....
area of the city. The state highway passes through Newport News Park
Newport News Park
Newport News Park, located in Newport News, Virginia, is the largest park in the system of municipal parks maintained by the Newport News Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. At 8,065 acres , it is one of largest city-run parks in the United States...
and crosses the Lee Hall Reservoir before intersection SR 105
Virginia State Route 105
Virginia State Route 105 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Fort Eustis Boulevard, the state highway runs from Fort Eustis in Newport News east to U.S. Route 17 near Grafton in York County. SR 105 is a cross-peninsula highway that connects Fort Eustis, a U.S...
(Fort Eustis Boulevard) near Fort Eustis. The intersection is just east of SR 105's interchange with I-64; the ramps to and from westbound I-64 for access to SR 105 in the direction of Yorktown connect with SR 143 north and south of the interchange, respectively.
SR 143 veers away from I-64 and expands to a six-lane divided highway at Kings Ridge Drive. The state highway intersects SR 173
Virginia State Route 173
Virginia State Route 173 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from Moyer Road in Newport News east to SR 629 in Dandy...
(Denbigh Boulevard) east of the namesake community
Denbigh, Virginia
Denbigh was a small unincorporated community in Warwick County, Virginia, and was long the county seat. After a municipal consolidation in 1958, it became a neighborhood of the independent city of Newport News.-History:...
and north of Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, which is accessed by Bland Boulevard. Southeast of the airport, SR 143 crosses to the south side of I-64 at a 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...
adjacent to Patrick Henry Mall
Patrick Henry Mall
Patrick Henry Mall is a shopping mall in Newport News, Virginia. It is located on Interstate 64 Westbound and Jefferson Ave at exit 255A. Patrick Henry Mall, which is named after Patrick Henry, opened as the Peninsula area's third enclosed regional mall in 1987 after Coliseum Mall in Hampton 15...
. The state highway intersects SR 171
Virginia State Route 171
Virginia State Route 171 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from SR 143 in Newport News east to a dead end at the Back River in Poquoson. SR 171 connects Poquoson with Interstate 64 , U.S...
(Oyster Point Road) and passes though an industrial and commercial area that includes the Jefferson Lab (Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility) and the City Center at Oyster Point. South of the city center, SR 143 intersects J. Clyde Morris Boulevard, which heads northeast as part of US 17 toward Yorktown and west as SR 312
Virginia State Route 312
State Route 312 is a primary state highway in the city of Newport News, Virginia, United States. It is a short connection between U.S. Route 60 and the split of U.S. Route 17 and State Route 143 .-External links:*...
. SR 143 and US 17 run concurrently southeast through junctions with SR 306 (Harpersville Road) and SR 152
Virginia State Route 152
Virginia State Route 152 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 60 in Newport News east to US 258 and SR 134 in Hampton.-Route description:...
(Main Street) before diverging at Mercury Boulevard, a major east–west thoroughfare that carries US 258 and provides access to the James River Bridge
James River Bridge
The James River Bridge is a four-lane divided highway lift bridge across the James River in the U.S. state of Virginia. Owned and operated by the Virginia Department of Transportation, it carries U.S. Route 17, U.S. Route 258, and State Route 32 across the river near its mouth at Hampton Roads...
. This intersection is also the northern terminus of SR 32
Virginia State Route 32
Virginia State Route 32 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from the North Carolina state line in Suffolk north to U.S. Route 17, US 258, and SR 143 in Newport News. The southernmost part of SR 32 connects Suffolk with the Albemarle Region of North...
.
SR 143 becomes a four-lane undivided highway at 40th Street, which is used to access SR 351
Virginia State Route 351
State Route 351 is a primary state highway in Hampton and Newport News, Virginia, United States. It makes no turns, following 39th Street and Pembroke Avenue from Huntington Avenue northwest of downtown Newport News east to Second Street, one block past State Route 169, in the Buckroe Beach area...
(39th Street). SR 351 passes over SR 143 just to the north of SR 143's partial interchange with I-664
Interstate 664
Interstate 664 is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The Interstate runs from I-64 and I-264 in Chesapeake north to I-64 in Hampton. I-664 forms the west side of the Hampton Roads Beltway, a circumferential highway serving the Hampton Roads metropolitan area...
(Hampton Roads Beltway), which includes ramps from eastbound SR 143 to southbound I-664 and from northbound I-664 to SR 143. The state highway becomes two lanes at 34th Street and maintains that profile southeast to 27th and 28th Streets, onto which the highway turns northeast as 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....
, with eastbound following 27th Street and westbound using 28th Street. This one-way pair is just north of US 60's one-way pair on 25th and 26th Streets. The one-way pair ends at Salters Creek, where the highway comes together as a four-lane divided highway passes through a sliver of the city of Hampton. SR 143 enters Hampton for good at Pear Avenue, where the highway continues as Victoria Boulevard.
SR 143 follows Victoria Boulevard through the Wythe
Wythe (Hampton, Virginia)
Wythe is a neighborhood in Hampton, Virginia.The Wythe neighborhood is named after one of the original signers of the United States Declaration of Independence, George Wythe....
and Kecoughtan
Kecoughtan, Virginia
Kecoughtan in Virginia was originally named Kikotan , the name of the Algonquian Native Americans living there when the English colonists arrived in the Hampton Roads area in 1607....
neighborhoods of Hampton. Within the latter neighborhood, the state highway intersects US 60; the state highway joins the U.S. Highway north on Kecoughtan Road then east on Settlers Landing Road. The two highways meet the southern end of SR 134
Virginia State Route 134
Virginia State Route 134 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 60 and SR 143 in the independent city of Hampton north to US 17 in Tabb...
(Armistead Avenue) and head as a two-lane divided street through downtown Hampton, which contains St. John's Episcopal Church
St. John's Episcopal Church (Hampton, Virginia)
St. John's is an Episcopal church located in Hampton, Virginia within the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia.-Overview:St. John's Episcopal Church, established in 1610, is the oldest English-speaking parish in continuous existence in the United States of America. -History:English settlers...
and the Virginia Air and Space Center
Virginia Air and Space Center
The Virginia Air and Space Center is a museum and educational facility in Hampton, Virginia that also serves as the visitors center for NASA's Langley Research Center...
. SR 143 and US 60 become four lanes again to cross the Hampton River
Hampton River
The Hampton River is a tidal estuary which empties into Hampton Roads near its mouth. Hampton Roads in turn empties into the southern end of Chesapeake Bay in southeast Virginia in the United States...
and pass along the northern edge of the campus of Hampton University
Hampton University
Hampton University is a historically black university located in Hampton, Virginia, United States. It was founded by black and white leaders of the American Missionary Association after the American Civil War to provide education to freedmen.-History:...
. The two highways diverge at their 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 I-64 (Hampton Roads Beltway), which US 60 joins to cross Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
via the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel
Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel
The Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel is the -long Hampton Roads crossing for Interstate 64 and U.S. Route 60. It is a four-lane facility comprising bridges, trestles, man-made islands, and tunnels under the main shipping channels for Hampton Roads harbor in the southeastern portion of Virginia in the...
to Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
. SR 143 continues southeast along two-lane County Street, turns southwest onto Libby Street for one block, then turns south on Mellen Street and intersects SR 169
Virginia State Route 169
Virginia State Route 169 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs from Interstate 64 and U.S. Route 60 to US 258 within the independent city of Hampton...
(Mallory Street) within the Phoebus
Phoebus, Virginia
Phoebus was an incorporated town located in Elizabeth City County on the Virginia Peninsula in eastern Virginia. Upon incorporation in 1900, it was named in honor of local businessman Harrison Phoebus , who is credited with convincing the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway to extend its tracks to the...
neighborhood. The state highway crosses the Mill Creek estuary as Ingalls Road and reaches its eastern terminus at its junction with US 258's (Mercury Boulevard) northern terminus at the entrance to Fort Monroe.