Virginia State Route 16
Encyclopedia
State Route 16 is a primary state highway
in the southwest
part of the U.S. state of Virginia
. It runs from the North Carolina
border at North Carolina Highway 16 north to the West Virginia
border at West Virginia Route 16, passing through the towns of Troutdale
, Marion
, and Tazewell.
state line near the community of Grassy Creek, where North Carolina Highway 16 ends. (Mayberry Road/State Route 856, the old alignment of SR 16, crosses a bit to the east, and quickly joins SR 16.) SR 16 heads in a general east-northeasterly direction alongside minor creeks until it reaches Wilson Creek
. It crosses that creek and heads east (downstream) alongside it to the junction with U.S. Route 58 at Mouth of Wilson
.
SR 16 and US 58 overlap northwest from Mouth of Wilson next to a minor creek and then next to Wilson Creek, this time heading upstream. At Volney, US 58 turns west, along with Wilson Creek, and SR 16 continues uphill, northward and northwestward past Grant and Troutdale
, to its crossing of the Tennessee Valley Divide
at Dickey Gap between Hurricane Mountain
and Straight Mountain in the Iron Mountains
.
. After a flat area near Sugar Grove, SR 16 again heads uphill, north and northwest across Brushy Mountain and the Appalachian Trail
. It then runs northwest, following Staley Creek downhill past Attoway and Furnace Hill and through several gaps into Marion. Between Sugar Grove
and Trout Dale(Grayson County) SR 16 share a routing concurrency with US Bicycle Route 76.
SR 16 enters the town of Marion on Commerce Street, meeting Interstate 81 and then State Route 217 (the Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute driveways). At Main Street (U.S. Route 11), SR 16 turns northeast, overlapping US 11 out of downtown to Park Boulevard. There it turns northwest to the city limits.
The road again heads uphill, passing the west shore of Hungry Mother Lake and the entrance to Hungry Mother State Park
(State Route 348). SR 16 crosses Walker Mountain an a curving route, coming down into the Rich Valley
and crossing the North Fork Holston River at Chatham Hill and State Route 42 soon after at Black Hill. Again SR 16 heads uphill, climbing Brushy Mountain to the county line.
. This time, a single hairpin turn
takes it into the wide Thompson Valley, where it passes the community of Thompson Valley. A gap between Knob Mountain and Rich Mountain leads to U.S. Route 19/460 Business at Frog Level, just east of the north end of State Route 91.
SR 16 turns northeast along US 19/460 Business into Tazewell, meeting the State Route 16 Alternate (Fairground Road) shortcut along the way. The overlapped routes pass through downtown Tazewell on Main Street and Fincastle Turnpike; SR 16 then splits to the northwest on Tazewell Avenue. It crosses the U.S. Route 19/U.S. Route 460 bypass of Tazewell on its way to the west end of State Route 61 at North Tazewell
, still inside the town of Tazewell. SR 16 turns west where it meets SR 61, paralleling the Clinch River
to the north end of SR 16 Alternate at River Jack. There it turns north and leaves Tazewell.
SR 16 begins to rise again, passing Adria
on its way to the community of Stony Ridge at the top of the Stony Ridge, crossing the Tennessee Valley Divide
again there. The road then descends the ridge te the northwest, crossing into West Virginia
and becoming West Virginia Route 16 near the community of Bishop
.
north to State Route 650 (Comers Creek Road) north of Troutdale, which was part of State Route 12 (the predecessor to U.S. Route 58) by 1923. Part of this, from Mouth of Wilson to Volney, still carries US 58.
At the other end, the State Highway Commission recommended that the General Assembly add the road from Tazewell north to North Tazewell
to the state highway system in late 1921, as part of a relocation of State Route 11 (now U.S. Route 19/U.S. Route 460) to serve North Tazewell rather than Tazewell. The relocation was not made, but the spur and its continuation north to West Virginia
was added, and was numbered State Route 117 in the 1923 renumbering. (The current route of US 19/US 460 does bypass Tazewell on much the same alignment as the SHC recommended.)
By 1927, SR 117 had become part of State Route 105, which continued south from Tazewell to Glade Spring
along current State Route 91. This part of SR 16 north of Tazewell, along with the road south to Glade Spring, was renumbered State Route 112 in the 1928 renumbering and State Route 81 in the 1933 renumbering, not being split at Tazewell until 1940.
In 1928, the next piece of SR 16, running north and south from State Route 10 (now U.S. Route 11 in Marion, 6.8 miles (10.9 km) in each direction, was added to the state highway system as State Route 113. Further extensions were added south to SR 12 (now State Route 650) in 1930 and 1931 and north for 1.90 miles (3.06 km) and 3.00 miles (4.83 km) in 1931 and 1932 respectively (taking it to Chatham Hill). In 1932, a 4.78-mile (7.69 km) piece on the other side of Brushy Mountain was added, from SR 11 near Tazewell south to SR 602 (Pleasant Hill Church Road) at Criggers.
Both pieces of SR 113 - through Marion and south from Tazewell - became State Route 88 in the 1933 renumbering. In 1933 and 1934, the Marion section was extended north to State Route 42. The final piece in Smyth County was added in 1936; the gap in Tazewell County was filled in 1937 and 1938.
The whole piece of present SR 16 from State Route 12 (now U.S. Route 58) at Mouth of Wilson
southwest to North Carolina Highway 681 (now North Carolina Highway 16) was added in 1931 as State Route 139. It was renumbered State Route 92 in the 1933 renumbering.
In the 1940 renumbering, the present route of State Route 16 was assigned over all of SR 92 and SR 88 and the part of SR 81 north of Tazewell. (The rest of SR 81 was simultaneously renumbered State Route 91, and U.S. Route 58 was removed from the Volney-Troutdale
piece of SR 16.) At the same time, North Carolina Highway 681 and West Virginia Route 12 were renumbered as North Carolina Highway 16 and West Virginia Route 16, forming a three-state route.
in and near the town of Tazewell, Virginia
, United States
. It is an alternate route
of State Route 16, with both ends in Tazewell; the route is shorter than staying on SR 16 through Tazewell.
SR 16 Alternate begins at SR 16 where it overlaps U.S. Route 19/460 Business in southwestern Tazewell. It generally heads northwest, leaving the town before interchanging
with the U.S. Route 19/U.S. Route 460 bypass. SR 16 Alternate re-enters Tazewell, crossing the Clinch River
before ending at SR 16 in the River Jack area of Tazewell.
SR 16 Alternate was added to the primary state highway system in 1953; it had been secondary State Route 631.
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 southwest
Southwest Virginia
Southwest Virginia, often abbreviated as SWVA, is a mountainous region of Virginia in the westernmost part of the commonwealth. Southwest Virginia has been defined alternatively as all Virginia counties on the Appalachian Plateau, all Virginia counties west of the Eastern Continental Divide, or...
part of 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...
. It runs 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...
border at North Carolina Highway 16 north to the West Virginia
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...
border at West Virginia Route 16, passing through the towns of Troutdale
Troutdale, Virginia
Troutdale is a town in Grayson County, Virginia, United States. The population was 194 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Troutdale is located at ....
, Marion
Marion, Virginia
Marion is a town in Smyth County, Virginia, United States. The population was 5,968 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Smyth County. The town is named for American Revolutionary War officer Francis Marion.-Tourism:...
, and Tazewell.
Grayson County
SR 16 begins at the North CarolinaNorth 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 the community of Grassy Creek, where North Carolina Highway 16 ends. (Mayberry Road/State Route 856, the old alignment of SR 16, crosses a bit to the east, and quickly joins SR 16.) SR 16 heads in a general east-northeasterly direction alongside minor creeks until it reaches Wilson Creek
Wilson Creek (North Carolina)
The Wilson Creek area is located in the Grandfather district of the scenic Pisgah National Forest, northwestern section of Caldwell County, North Carolina. Wilson Creek itself is a water system that originates in Calloway Peak and stretches for 23 miles before dumping into John's River. It was...
. It crosses that creek and heads east (downstream) alongside it to the junction with U.S. Route 58 at Mouth of Wilson
Mouth of Wilson, Virginia
Mouth of Wilson is an unincorporated community, in Grayson County in the U.S. state of Virginia, just north of the North Carolina state line. The community lies in the Appalachian Mountains on the western banks of the New River, where the Big Wilson Creek empties its waters. The main road through...
.
SR 16 and US 58 overlap northwest from Mouth of Wilson next to a minor creek and then next to Wilson Creek, this time heading upstream. At Volney, US 58 turns west, along with Wilson Creek, and SR 16 continues uphill, northward and northwestward past Grant and Troutdale
Troutdale, Virginia
Troutdale is a town in Grayson County, Virginia, United States. The population was 194 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Troutdale is located at ....
, to its crossing of the Tennessee Valley Divide
Tennessee Valley Divide
The Tennessee Valley Divide is the eastern and southern boundary of the drainage basin of the Tennessee River and its tributaries.The Tennessee Valley Divide begins near the northeasternmost source of the Tennessee River, in the vicinity of Bluefield, West Virginia. From there, the divide...
at Dickey Gap between Hurricane Mountain
Hurricane Mountain
Hurricane Mountain is a mountain near Keene in the north of the High Peaks region of the Adirondacks in New York, USA. It has some of the most impressive views of any of the lesser peaks; this is due to its prominence, and the fact that its summit was cleared by Verplanck Colvin in the course of...
and Straight Mountain in the Iron Mountains
Iron Mountains
The Iron Mountains are a minor range of the Appalachian Mountains. These mountains are located around the common meeting point of Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina...
.
Smyth County
Soon after crossing the divide, State Route 650, once the alignment of U.S. Route 58, splits off to the west, while SR 16 heads northeast and downhill to Sugar GroveSugar Grove, Virginia
Sugar Grove is a census-designated place in Smyth County, Virginia, United States. The population was 741 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sugar Grove is located at ....
. After a flat area near Sugar Grove, SR 16 again heads uphill, north and northwest across Brushy Mountain and the Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
. It then runs northwest, following Staley Creek downhill past Attoway and Furnace Hill and through several gaps into Marion. Between Sugar Grove
Sugar Grove, Virginia
Sugar Grove is a census-designated place in Smyth County, Virginia, United States. The population was 741 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sugar Grove is located at ....
and Trout Dale(Grayson County) SR 16 share a routing concurrency with US Bicycle Route 76.
SR 16 enters the town of Marion on Commerce Street, meeting Interstate 81 and then State Route 217 (the Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute driveways). At Main Street (U.S. Route 11), SR 16 turns northeast, overlapping US 11 out of downtown to Park Boulevard. There it turns northwest to the city limits.
The road again heads uphill, passing the west shore of Hungry Mother Lake and the entrance to Hungry Mother State Park
Hungry Mother State Park
Hungry Mother State Park in southwestern Virginia is noted for its woodlands and lake. Easily accessible from Interstate 81, this park has folklore and history, swimming, camping, cabin rentals, boat rentals, hiking and the park system’s first conference center, Hemlock Haven.Much of the land for...
(State Route 348). SR 16 crosses Walker Mountain an a curving route, coming down into the Rich Valley
Rich Valley (Virginia)
Rich Valley is a rural area in Smyth County, Virginia, United States. In recent years Rich Valley made news by being the home of "Big Tom" Buchanan from Survivor: Africa.-Rich Valley Presbyterian Church:...
and crossing the North Fork Holston River at Chatham Hill and State Route 42 soon after at Black Hill. Again SR 16 heads uphill, climbing Brushy Mountain to the county line.
Tazewell County
Another twisty descent takes SR 16 down Brushy Mountain into the Freestone Valley, but almost immediately it must rise again to cross Clinch MountainClinch Mountain
Clinch Mountain is a mountain ridge in the U.S. states of Tennessee and Virginia, lying in the ridge-and-valley section of the Appalachian Mountains...
. This time, a single hairpin turn
Hairpin turn
A hairpin turn , named for its resemblance to a hairpin/bobby pin, is a bend in a road with a very acute inner angle, making it necessary for an oncoming vehicle to turn almost 180° to continue on the road. Such turns in ramps and trails may be called switchbacks in American English, by analogy...
takes it into the wide Thompson Valley, where it passes the community of Thompson Valley. A gap between Knob Mountain and Rich Mountain leads to U.S. Route 19/460 Business at Frog Level, just east of the north end of State Route 91.
SR 16 turns northeast along US 19/460 Business into Tazewell, meeting the State Route 16 Alternate (Fairground Road) shortcut along the way. The overlapped routes pass through downtown Tazewell on Main Street and Fincastle Turnpike; SR 16 then splits to the northwest on Tazewell Avenue. It crosses the U.S. Route 19/U.S. Route 460 bypass of Tazewell on its way to the west end of State Route 61 at North Tazewell
North Tazewell, Virginia
North Tazewell is an neighborhood of Tazewell, Virginia, United States. North Tazewell has its own post office with ZIP code 24630....
, still inside the town of Tazewell. SR 16 turns west where it meets SR 61, paralleling the Clinch River
Clinch River
The Clinch River rises in Southwest Virginia near Tazewell, Virginia and flows southwest through the Great Appalachian Valley, gathering various tributaries including the Powell River before joining the Tennessee River in East Tennessee.-Course:...
to the north end of SR 16 Alternate at River Jack. There it turns north and leaves Tazewell.
SR 16 begins to rise again, passing Adria
Adria, Virginia
Adria is an unincorporated community in Tazewell County, Virginia, United States. Adria is located on Virginia Route 16 north-northwest of Tazewell....
on its way to the community of Stony Ridge at the top of the Stony Ridge, crossing the Tennessee Valley Divide
Tennessee Valley Divide
The Tennessee Valley Divide is the eastern and southern boundary of the drainage basin of the Tennessee River and its tributaries.The Tennessee Valley Divide begins near the northeasternmost source of the Tennessee River, in the vicinity of Bluefield, West Virginia. From there, the divide...
again there. The road then descends the ridge te the northwest, crossing into West Virginia
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...
and becoming West Virginia Route 16 near the community of Bishop
Bishop, West Virginia
Bishop is an unincorporated community located in McDowell County, West Virginia, USA. Bishop lies on the Virginia state line at the intersection of West Virginia Route 16 and West Virginia Route 161....
.
History
One of the first two pieces of current SR 16 to be added to the state highway system was the road from Mouth of WilsonMouth of Wilson, Virginia
Mouth of Wilson is an unincorporated community, in Grayson County in the U.S. state of Virginia, just north of the North Carolina state line. The community lies in the Appalachian Mountains on the western banks of the New River, where the Big Wilson Creek empties its waters. The main road through...
north to State Route 650 (Comers Creek Road) north of Troutdale, which was part of State Route 12 (the predecessor to U.S. Route 58) by 1923. Part of this, from Mouth of Wilson to Volney, still carries US 58.
At the other end, the State Highway Commission recommended that the General Assembly add the road from Tazewell north to North Tazewell
North Tazewell, Virginia
North Tazewell is an neighborhood of Tazewell, Virginia, United States. North Tazewell has its own post office with ZIP code 24630....
to the state highway system in late 1921, as part of a relocation of State Route 11 (now U.S. Route 19/U.S. Route 460) to serve North Tazewell rather than Tazewell. The relocation was not made, but the spur and its continuation north to West Virginia
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...
was added, and was numbered State Route 117 in the 1923 renumbering. (The current route of US 19/US 460 does bypass Tazewell on much the same alignment as the SHC recommended.)
By 1927, SR 117 had become part of State Route 105, which continued south from Tazewell to 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...
along current State Route 91. This part of SR 16 north of Tazewell, along with the road south to Glade Spring, was renumbered State Route 112 in the 1928 renumbering and State Route 81 in the 1933 renumbering, not being split at Tazewell until 1940.
In 1928, the next piece of SR 16, running north and south from State Route 10 (now U.S. Route 11 in Marion, 6.8 miles (10.9 km) in each direction, was added to the state highway system as State Route 113. Further extensions were added south to SR 12 (now State Route 650) in 1930 and 1931 and north for 1.90 miles (3.06 km) and 3.00 miles (4.83 km) in 1931 and 1932 respectively (taking it to Chatham Hill). In 1932, a 4.78-mile (7.69 km) piece on the other side of Brushy Mountain was added, from SR 11 near Tazewell south to SR 602 (Pleasant Hill Church Road) at Criggers.
Both pieces of SR 113 - through Marion and south from Tazewell - became State Route 88 in the 1933 renumbering. In 1933 and 1934, the Marion section was extended north to State Route 42. The final piece in Smyth County was added in 1936; the gap in Tazewell County was filled in 1937 and 1938.
The whole piece of present SR 16 from State Route 12 (now U.S. Route 58) at Mouth of Wilson
Mouth of Wilson, Virginia
Mouth of Wilson is an unincorporated community, in Grayson County in the U.S. state of Virginia, just north of the North Carolina state line. The community lies in the Appalachian Mountains on the western banks of the New River, where the Big Wilson Creek empties its waters. The main road through...
southwest to North Carolina Highway 681 (now North Carolina Highway 16) was added in 1931 as State Route 139. It was renumbered State Route 92 in the 1933 renumbering.
In the 1940 renumbering, the present route of State Route 16 was assigned over all of SR 92 and SR 88 and the part of SR 81 north of Tazewell. (The rest of SR 81 was simultaneously renumbered State Route 91, and U.S. Route 58 was removed from the Volney-Troutdale
Troutdale, Virginia
Troutdale is a town in Grayson County, Virginia, United States. The population was 194 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Troutdale is located at ....
piece of SR 16.) At the same time, North Carolina Highway 681 and West Virginia Route 12 were renumbered as North Carolina Highway 16 and West Virginia Route 16, forming a three-state route.
Major intersections
VA 16 Alternate
State Route 16 Alternate is a primary state highwayState 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 and near the town of Tazewell, Virginia
Tazewell, Virginia
Tazewell is a town in Tazewell County, Virginia, USA. The population was 4,206 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area, which has a population of 107,578. It is the county seat of Tazewell County....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is an alternate route
Alternate route
An official alternate route is a special route in the United States that provides an alternate alignment for a highway. They are loop roads and found in many road systems in the United States including the U.S. Route system and various state route systems...
of State Route 16, with both ends in Tazewell; the route is shorter than staying on SR 16 through Tazewell.
SR 16 Alternate begins at SR 16 where it overlaps U.S. Route 19/460 Business in southwestern Tazewell. It generally heads northwest, leaving the town before interchanging
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
with the U.S. Route 19/U.S. Route 460 bypass. SR 16 Alternate re-enters Tazewell, crossing the Clinch River
Clinch River
The Clinch River rises in Southwest Virginia near Tazewell, Virginia and flows southwest through the Great Appalachian Valley, gathering various tributaries including the Powell River before joining the Tennessee River in East Tennessee.-Course:...
before ending at SR 16 in the River Jack area of Tazewell.
SR 16 Alternate was added to the primary state highway system in 1953; it had been secondary State Route 631.