41-640: U.S. Route 29 ( US 29 ) is a major north–south route in the commonwealth of Virginia . It covers 248.0 miles (399.1 km) from the North Carolina border at the city of Danville to the Key Bridge in Washington DC . US 29 roughly bisects Virginia into eastern and western halves and, along with Interstate 81 (I-81) and US 11 in western Virginia and I-85 / I-95 as well as US 1 farther east, provides one of
82-544: A "free and independent state, to be known by the name of the Commonwealth of Kentucky". On June 1, 1792, Kentucky County officially became a state. Like Virginia , the official title of the elected local prosecutor in each of Kentucky 's political subdivisions is the Commonwealth's Attorney, as opposed to State's Attorney in other states or the more standard District Attorney. Kentucky is the only state outside of
123-580: A long-range development plan for a diamond interchange at the intersection of US 29 and Hydraulic Road/ SR 743 at an estimated cost of $ 63 million to $ 80 million (equivalent to $ 75.3 million to $ 95.6 million in 2023). All exits are unnumbered. Commonwealth (U.S. state) Commonwealth is a term used by four of the 50 states of the United States in their full official state names: Kentucky , Massachusetts , Pennsylvania , and Virginia . " Commonwealth "
164-492: A major area drivers departure off of I-66 to travel towards other major cities along the Lee Highway, such as Charlottesville. The reasoning for this inclusion of other interchanges is because of the lack of road development to accommodate the new heavy traffic in the area. The plan included a single-point urban interchange design and bridges over train tracks to ease traffic flow on the Lee Highway onto I-66. The Lee Highway
205-420: A part of colonial Virginia . As such, they share a strong influence of English common law in some of their laws and institutions. However, the "commonwealth" appellation has no legal or political significance, and it does not make "commonwealth" states any different from other U.S. states. The term commonwealth does not describe or provide for any specific political status or legal relationship when used by
246-459: A state. Those that do use it are equal to those that do not. A traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good , it is used symbolically to emphasize that these states have a "government based on the common consent of the people" as opposed to the British crown . It refers to the common "wealth", or welfare, of the public and is derived from a loose translation of
287-477: Is Lynchburg . US 29 joins the US ;460 bypass and US 501 east of Lynchburg, splitting from them just before entering Amherst County . US 29 again bypasses Madison Heights and Amherst as an expressway, enters Nelson County , passes the town of Lovingston , and enters into Albemarle County . For the next few miles of US 29's route north of Lovingston, it enters mountainous terrain in
328-552: Is a cloverleaf ramp that dips into North Carolina from Virginia and then crosses the state lines back into Virginia. Along the southeastern quadrant of the Danville Expressway between the North Carolina US ;360 , the route is designated as part of unsigned State Route 785 (SR 785) for 7.39 miles (11.89 km). Created c. 2000 , SR 785 is numbered in contradiction to
369-692: Is a traditional English term used to describe a political community as having been founded for the common good , and shares some similarities with the Latin phrase " res publica " ('the public thing') from which ultimately is derived the word republic . The four states are all in the Eastern United States , and prior to the formation of the United States in 1776 were British colonial possessions , although Kentucky did not exist as an independent polity under British rule, instead being
410-498: Is joined by US 17 south of Warrenton in Fauquier County and continues around the town, with US 17 splitting off. US 29/US 15 continues mostly eastward to Gainesville where US 15 splits and US 29 intersects I-66 for the first time. US 29 continues into Fairfax County , where it passes along the boundary of the city of Falls Church , where the road has two different names. The portion of
451-467: Is known as Virginia Commonwealth University ; there is also a Virginia State University , located in Ettrick . Unsigned highway An unsigned highway is a highway that has been assigned a route number , but does not bear road markings that would conventionally be used to identify the route with that number. Highways are left unsigned for a variety of reasons, and examples are found throughout
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#1732798324899492-773: Is the Commonwealth's Attorney , as opposed to State's Attorney in other states or the more standard District Attorney . In Virginia, the term state is sometimes used in an official manner, usually in a compound structure rather than as a standalone noun. This is evident in the names of the Virginia State Corporation Commission , the Virginia State Police , and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University . The state university in Richmond
533-647: The Northern Mariana Islands . When used in connection with areas under U.S. sovereignty that are not states, the term broadly describes an area that is self-governing under a constitution of its own adoption and whose right of self-government will not be unilaterally withdrawn by the United States Congress . On September 28, 1786, the residents of Kentucky County began petitioning the Virginia legislature for permission to become
574-773: The 1930s and 1940s list the Seminole Trail on highways in Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, and ultimately Florida. In an October 4, 2006, meeting of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, the University of Virginia athletic department and basketball coach Dave Leitao suggested that Seminole Trail in Charlottesville should be renamed Cavalier Way. The board did not act on this suggestion. The Gainesville Interchange project took place at
615-515: The Latin term res publica . Premodern English used the alternative term "commonwealth" in such sense in place of the now singularly standard term "republic." Criminal charges in these four states are brought in the name of the Commonwealth. Besides the four aforementioned states, other states have also on occasion used the term "commonwealth" to refer to themselves: Two U.S. territories are also designated as commonwealths : Puerto Rico and
656-721: The MPO Policy Board in July 2011. All activities on the US ;29 Charlottesville Bypass project were suspended in March 2014 following notification from the FHWA that a new supplemental EIS would be required before the environmental process could be completed. The new supplemental EIS was required due to the history of litigation and controversy associated with the project. The Charlottesville City Council voted on May 6, 2018, to add
697-622: The Name of the commonwealth of Virginia, and bear test by the Governor with the Seal of the Commonwealth annexed." The Secretary of the Commonwealth still issues commissions in this manner. Among other references, the constitution furthermore dictated that criminal indictments were to conclude "against the peace and dignity of the Commonwealth". Additionally, the official title of the elected local prosecutor in each of Virginia's political subdivisions
738-721: The North Carolina state line to Warrenton was named the Seminole Trail by an act of the Virginia General Assembly on February 16, 1928. Although it was apparently not part of the National Auto Trails initiative early in the 20th century, the Seminole Trail is believed to have originated as part of an effort to promote the road as a through route to Florida , home of the Native American Seminole tribe. Many road maps of
779-576: The area. In 1998, a lawsuit was filed challenging the project, alleging that the environmental impact review of the project violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In 2001, the federal court ruled in favor of VDOT on the suit but required the agency to complete a supplemental environmental impact statement (EIS) addressing the road's impacts on the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir and
820-542: The construction, roundabouts were constructed on Odd Fellows Road at its intersection with Mayflower Drive, west of the interchange, and Top Ridge Road, east of the interchange. A western US 29 bypass around Charlottesville was originally proposed in 1979. Engineering and environmental work on the project began in late 1984, and the location was approved by the Commonwealth Transportation Board in 1990. Acquisition of right-of-way for
861-632: The conventional system of numbering in the state, where primary routes are numbered less than 600 and secondary routes at or above this number. It is numbered as such because it is part of the planned I-785 , which will run south along US 29 to I-85 in Greensboro, North Carolina , and is only one of two routes of this type. The other is SR 895 in Richmond for similar reasons. US 29 then continues north where it has business routes for Chatham , Gretna , and Hurt while bypassing them before entering Campbell County . The next major city
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#1732798324899902-429: The different classes of routes they maintain (freeways, expressways, rural roads, etc.). In such cases, one or more class of numbers may be reserved for minor routes and these may or may not be signed. Often roads that serve as a connector to a major highway are signed to show the connection to the major road, rather than the road's actual designation. Some highways are not signed to avoid multiple designations, such as when
943-409: The entire route runs concurrent with other highways. There are several instances where a route has officially been given a name by government agencies, and is signed with that name, but the route is also assigned a number by the highway maintenance agencies as to fit in their maintenance and inventory systems. Another common reason to not sign a highway is where the highway is government maintained, but
984-696: The far western Piedmont close to the Blue Ridge Mountains . Several miles later, the route then continues north to Charlottesville , intersecting I-64 and bypassing downtown Charlottesville. US 29 rejoins its congested business route just north of downtown, continuing north as a six-lane road through a commercial area north of the city. Past Charlottesville, it converts back to four lanes and continues through Greene and Madison counties and then turns northeast toward Culpeper . US 15 joins US 29 around Culpeper and heads to Warrenton , entering Northern Virginia . US 29/US 15
1025-494: The interchange between the Lee Highway (US 29) and I-66 at the junction with Linton Hall Road ( SR 619 ) starting in July 2011, with board planning on it dating back to 2006. The project was worth $ 230 million (equivalent to $ 307 million in 2023) and included interchanges at many other heavily traveled roads in the area due to the rapid growth in development in Gainesville and Haymarket , along with it being
1066-491: The intersection of US 29 and Rio Road/ SR 631 , with construction starting in mid-2015 and ending in December 2016. A diamond interchange was built, with two lanes from each direction of US 29, deemed the "local lanes", exiting from main traffic and meeting Rio Road at a traffic signal. The project cost $ 69.7 million (equivalent to $ 86.8 million in 2023). The Lynchburg Interchange project took place at
1107-592: The intersection of US 29/US 460/US 501 and Odd Fellows Road, with construction starting in January 2016 and ending in August 2018. A diamond interchange was constructed at a cost of about $ 30 million (equivalent to $ 35.9 million in 2023). The interchange was built to reduce congestion on Candlers Mountain Drive/US ;501 and to make access to Mayflower Drive/ SR 128 easier. As part of
1148-599: The major north–south routes through the commonwealth. Since 1928, when the Virginia General Assembly passed Senate Bill 64, much of US 29 in Virginia is known as the Seminole Trail . Through Northern Virginia , it is known as the Lee Highway , except in Falls Church , where it acts as the east–west divider for city streets and is called North or South Washington Street, and Arlington , where it
1189-676: The mitigation to minimize those impacts. That document was completed and accepted by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in 2003. In 1996, the Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) inserted language into its Transportation Improvement Program that prevented additional funds from being allocated to construction of the Western Bypass. That language was removed by
1230-634: The morning of June 6, 1944, on Omaha Beach in Normandy as part of the liberation of France during World War II . In addition, the name of this highway serves to honor many members of the Virginia Army National Guard who serve as part of this National Guard Division today. Signs indicating this designation have been placed periodically on both sides of US 29. For most of its route through Virginia, US 29 has been constructed to be at least four lanes along its route, with
1271-673: The most part as a bypass of Manassas and also Fairfax and Arlington. US 29 enters Virginia in Danville from North Carolina . While US 29 Business (US 29 Bus.) continues into Danville, US 29 joins the Danville Expressway and US 58 around the east side of Danville, entering Pittsylvania County and remerging with the business route north of town in Blairs . The interchange where US 29 joins US 58 has ramps that enter North Carolina and ramps that enter Virginia, complete with welcome signs from each state. There
U.S. Route 29 in Virginia - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-447: The original Thirteen Colonies that uses commonwealth in its name. Massachusetts is officially named The Commonwealth of Massachusetts by its constitution . The name State of Massachusetts Bay was used in all acts and resolves up to 1780 and in the first draft of the constitution. The current name can be traced to the second draft of the state constitution, which was written by John Adams and ratified in 1780. In Massachusetts,
1353-552: The project began in 1991 and continued until 2001. No additional right-of-way has been purchased since then. VDOT owns 36 properties that are currently leased and occupied. The bypass was projected to be 6.2 miles (10.0 km) long, from the US 250 bypass to current US 29 north of the South Fork Rivanna River . It would have been two lanes in each direction with no other exits, to decrease possible interruption of commercial and residential growth in
1394-639: The state. In 1776, Pennsylvania 's first state constitution referred to it as both Commonwealth and State , a pattern of usage that was perpetuated in the constitutions of 1790, 1838, 1874, and 1968. One of Pennsylvania's two intermediate appellate courts is called the Commonwealth Court . The name Commonwealth of Virginia dates back to its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain . Virginia's first constitution (adopted on June 29, 1776) directed that "Commissions and Grants shall run, In
1435-503: The street running northbound is located in the city of Falls Church is called Washington Boulevard and has different street addresses than the other side running southbound in Fairfax County, where it is named the Lee Highway. The road continues into Arlington , having intersected I-66 five more times before crossing into Washington DC. US 29 originated in 1931 as a replacement of US 170 from Danville to Lynchburg. It
1476-676: The term State is occasionally used in an official manner, usually in a compound structure rather than as a standalone noun. This is evident in the names of the Massachusetts State Police , the Massachusetts State House , and the Bridgewater State Hospital . The Seal of Pennsylvania does not use the term, but legal processes are in the name of the Commonwealth, and it is a traditional official designation used in referring to
1517-636: The two short exceptions being where the highway passes through Manassas National Battlefield Park , where it is two lanes wide for approximately three miles (4.8 km), and through Fairfax and Arlington counties, where it is sometimes wider. It can also be six and eight lanes in much of northern Albemarle County . US 29 in Virginia has 11 bypasses around various cities and towns. These bypasses are around Danville, Chatham , Gretna , Hurt – Altavista , Lynchburg – Madison Heights – Amherst , Lovingston , Charlottesville , Madison , Culpeper , Remington , and Warrenton . In addition, I-66 serves for
1558-703: The world. Depending on the policy of the agency that maintains the highway, and the reason for not signing the route, the route may instead be signed a different designation from its actual number, with small inventory markers for internal use, or with nothing at all. There are a variety of cases where roads are officially designated, but have no markings to show that designation. Many highway maintenance agencies assign some form of number to all highways, bridges, and other features they maintain for tracking and inventory purposes. However, policies vary regarding how and when to publicly post these assigned numbers. Several highway maintenance agencies have multiple numbering systems for
1599-485: Was also widened around the interchange to combat this issue. What was once a two-lane country road is now a four-lane suburban highway. Land was acquired by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) at the intersection of US 29 and Linton Hall Road/SR 619. The entire project was completed and opened to the general public on July 9, 2015. The Charlottesville Interchange project took place at
1640-570: Was renamed Langston Boulevard in July 2021 in honor of John Mercer Langston . On April 7, 1993, the Virginia General Assembly officially designated the entire length of US 29 from the North Carolina border to the Potomac River as the "29th Infantry Division Memorial Highway" in honor of the 29th Infantry Division , which, along with the 1st Infantry Division , formed the spearhead of the U.S. infantry that landed on
1681-519: Was then added to SR 18 between Lynchburg and Charlottesville and to SR 28 between Charlottesville and Culpeper. The route originally ended at US 15 in Culpeper. In 1934, US 29 was extended to run concurrently with US 15 to Warrenton, and with US 211 to Washington DC (US 211 now ends at US 29 Bus. in Warrenton). The portion of what is now US 29 from