103-687: U.S. Route 15 ( US 15 ) is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from Walterboro, South Carolina , to Painted Post, New York . In Virginia , the U.S. Highway runs 230.37 miles (370.74 km) from the North Carolina state line near Clarksville north to the Maryland state line at the Potomac River near Lucketts . US 15 is a major north–south highway through
206-417: A dogbone interchange (due to its aerial resemblance to a real or toy dog bone ), and sometimes also called a double roundabout interchange , occurs when the roundabouts do not form a complete circle but instead have a " raindrop " or " teardrop " shape. These two raindrop roundabouts are fused together, forming a single "squashed" roundabout. This configuration reduces conflicts between vehicles entering
309-467: A dumbbell interchange (due to its aerial resemblance to a dumbbell ), and sometimes called a double roundabout interchange . Because roundabouts can generally handle traffic with fewer approach lanes than other intersection types, interchange construction costs can be reduced by eliminating the need for a wider bridge. This configuration allows other roads to form approach legs to the roundabouts and also allows easy U-turns . This type of interchange
412-493: A tight urban diamond interchange ( TUDI ), is sometimes used in areas where there is insufficient right-of-way for a standard diamond interchange. The pair of intersections where the ramps meet the minor road are closely spaced. This spacing forces the turn lanes for each direction to run beside each other, causing the minor road to be wider than it would be if it were a standard diamond. Caltrans classifies this type as Type L-1. A single-point urban interchange ( SPUI )
515-425: A banner such as alternate or bypass —are also managed by AASHTO. These are sometimes designated with lettered suffixes, like A for alternate or B for business. The official route log, last published by AASHTO in 1989, has been named United States Numbered Highways since its initial publication in 1926. Within the route log, "U.S. Route" is used in the table of contents, while "United States Highway" appears as
618-499: A diamond interchange with I-66 and runs through a suburban area between Catharpin to the east and the Bull Run Mountains to the west. At Woolsey , US 15 meets the northern end of SR 234 (Sudley Road) and reduces to two lanes. North of Bull Run , where the road enters Loudoun County , the highway passes through a pair of roundabouts at Gilberts Corner . US 15 meets US 50 (John Mosby Highway) at
721-414: A diamond interchange with SR 643 (Meetze Road/Lee Street) before reaching a directional interchange where US 17 diverges from the other U.S. Highways toward Winchester and US 15 and US 29 receive their business routes. US 15 and US 29 head northeast as Lee Highway , which passes through New Baltimore and intersects SR 215 (Vint Hill Road) just west of Buckland , where
824-521: A distinctively-shaped white shield with large black numerals in the center. Often, the shield is displayed against a black square or rectangular background. Each state manufactures their own signage, and as such subtle variations exist all across the United States. Individual states may use cut-out or rectangular designs, some have black outlines, and California prints the letters "US" above the numerals. One- and two-digit shields generally feature
927-544: A four-lane divided highway around the east side of Culpeper, where the highways cross over the Washington District rail line and meet US 522 and SR 3 (Germanna Highway) at a diamond interchange. US 15 and US 29 pass under the rail line and meet the northern end of US 15 Bus. and US 29 Bus. at a partial cloverleaf interchange. The highways parallel the Washington District through Brandy Station and by Culpeper Regional Airport to
1030-623: A main route. Odd numbers generally increase from east to west; U.S. Route 1 (US 1) follows the Atlantic Coast and US 101 follows the Pacific Coast. (US 101 is one of the many exceptions to the standard numbering grid; its first "digit" is "10", and it is a main route on its own and not a spur of US 1.) Even numbers tend to increase from north to south; US 2 closely follows the Canadian border, and US 98 hugs
1133-403: A part of popular culture. US 101 continues east and then south to end at Olympia, Washington . The western terminus of US 2 is now at Everett, Washington . Diamond interchange A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction , used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road. The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing
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#17327800879251236-713: A part of the U.S. Numbered System." U.S. Route 3 (US 3) meets this obligation; in New Hampshire , it does not follow tolled portions of the Everett Turnpike . However, US Routes in the system do use parts of five toll roads: U.S. Routes in the contiguous United States follow a grid pattern, in which odd-numbered routes run generally north to south and even-numbered routes run generally east to west, though three-digit spur routes can be either-or. Usually, one- and two-digit routes are major routes, and three-digit routes are numbered as shorter spur routes from
1339-602: A rough grid. Major routes from the earlier map were assigned numbers ending in 0, 1 or 5 (5 was soon relegated to less-major status), and short connections received three-digit numbers based on the main highway from which they spurred. The five-man committee met September 25, and submitted the final report to the Joint Board secretary on October 26. The board sent the report to the Secretary of Agriculture on October 30, and he approved it November 18, 1925. The new system
1442-727: Is a nonvoting seat for the United States Department of Transportation . Generally, most north-to-south highways are odd-numbered, with the lowest numbers in the east and the highest in the west, while east-to-west highways are typically even-numbered, with the lowest numbers in the north, and the highest in the south, though the grid guidelines are not rigidly followed, and many exceptions exist. Major north–south routes generally have numbers ending in "1", while major east–west routes usually have numbers ending in "0". Three-digit numbered highways are generally spur routes of parent highways; for example, U.S. Route 264 (US 264)
1545-637: Is a north–south route, unlike its parent US 22 , which is east–west. As originally assigned, the first digit of the spurs increased from north to south and east to west along the parent; for example, US 60 had spurs, running from east to west, designated as US 160 in Missouri , US 260 in Oklahoma , US 360 in Texas , and US 460 and US 560 in New Mexico . As with
1648-436: Is a spur off US 64 . Some divided routes , such as US 19E and US 19W , exist to provide two alignments for one route. Special routes, which can be labeled as alternate, bypass or business, depending on the intended use, provide a parallel routing to the mainline U.S. Highway. Before the U.S. Routes were designated, auto trails designated by auto trail associations were the main means of marking roads through
1751-402: Is built with a large over- or clear underpass providing space for a single traffic signal controlled intersection with the ramps and the cross street . Caltrans classifies this type as Type L-13. A contraflow left interchange ( CFL ) is a modified TUDI, once installed at Lyons Road underneath Florida State Road 869 , switching the left turn lanes on the cross street each other and bringing
1854-778: Is common in the United Kingdom and Ireland , and is becoming increasingly common in the United States . Examples of dumbbell interchanges in the United States are located on Interstate 35 in Medford , Minnesota, on Interstate 87 in Malta , New York, on Interstate 17 at Happy Valley Road north of Phoenix , Arizona, and on Interstate 80 at California State Route 89 (exit 185) in Truckee , California. An example in Canada
1957-697: Is found on the Pat Bay Highway in North Saanich , British Columbia, near Victoria International Airport . One or both roundabouts in the dumbbell interchange may also contain side lanes to increase the capacity. A good example of such a "turbo" dumbbell interchange, which was formerly a half cloverleaf, can be seen in Jülich , Germany at 50°54′51″N 6°19′24″E / 50.914055°N 6.323368°E / 50.914055; 6.323368 . There are interchanges similar to dumbbells in which
2060-772: Is in the process of eliminating all intrastate U.S. Highways less than 300 miles (480 km) in length "as rapidly as the State Highway Department and the Standing Committee on Highways of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials can reach agreement with reference thereto". New additions to the system must serve more than one state and "substantially meet the current AASHTO design standards ". A version of this policy has been in place since 1937. The original major transcontinental routes in 1925, along with
2163-429: Is not needed. But where traffic volumes are higher, the two intersections within the interchange often feature additional traffic control measures such as traffic lights and extra lanes dedicated to turning traffic. The at-grade variant of the diamond interchange is the split intersection . The ramp intersections may also be configured as a pair of roundabouts to create a type of diamond interchange often called
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#17327800879252266-676: The Fluvanna County communities of Weber City and Fork Union . The U.S. Highway becomes concurrent with SR 6 (River Road) adjacent to Fork Union Military Academy . The two highways diverge at Dixie , from which US 15 passes through Carysbrook . The highway meets the eastern end of SR 53 (Thomas Jefferson Parkway) just south of the U.S. Highway's crossing of the Rivanna River into Palmyra . US 15 passes through Wildwood and Hunters before intersecting US 250 (Three Notch Road) at Zion Crossroads at
2369-688: The Gulf Freeway carried US 75 , the Pasadena Freeway carried US 66 , and the Pulaski Skyway carries US 1 and US 9 . The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 appropriated funding for the Interstate Highway System, to construct a vast network of freeways across the country. By 1957, AASHO had decided to assign a new grid to the new routes, to be numbered in the opposite directions as
2472-596: The High Bridge Trail , a rail trail on what was formerly a Norfolk Southern Railway line. The U.S. Highways diverge at a trumpet interchange west of Farmville. US 15 exits onto Sheppards Road and has a brief concurrency with US 460 Bus. north to the northern end of US 15 Bus. (Third Street). US 15 crosses the Appomattox River into Buckingham County , where the road's name changes to James Madison Highway. The highway passes to
2575-618: The New England states got together to establish the six-state New England Interstate Routes . Behind the scenes, the federal aid program had begun with the passage of the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 , providing 50% monetary support from the federal government for improvement of major roads. The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 limited the routes to 7% of each state's roads, while 3 in every 7 roads had to be "interstate in character". Identification of these main roads
2678-537: The Pacific coast . Many local disputes arose related to the committee's choices between designation of two roughly equal parallel routes, which were often competing auto trails. At their January meeting, AASHO approved the first two of many split routes (specifically US 40 between Manhattan, Kansas and Limon, Colorado and US 50 between Baldwin City, Kansas and Garden City, Kansas ). In effect, each of
2781-728: The Piedmont of Virginia, connecting Clarksville and Farmville in Southside with Culpeper , Warrenton , and Leesburg in Northern Virginia . US 15 enters Mecklenburg County at the North Carolina state line several miles south of Clarksville . The U.S. Highway continues south toward Oxford and the Research Triangle . US 15 heads north as two-lane undivided National Highway, which parallels
2884-486: The Robinson River and its tributary Crooked Run; at the latter stream, the U.S. Highway enters Culpeper County . The highway passes to the west of Cedar Mountain and meets the southern end of SR 299 (Madison Road) before reaching a diamond interchange with US 29 (James Monroe Highway), where US 15 Bus. continues north into the town of Culpeper . US 15 and US 29 run concurrently as
2987-593: The Virginia Southern Railroad north across the Grassy Creek branch of Kerr Lake . The U.S. Highway expands to a four-lane divided highway in an industrial area adjacent to Marks Municipal Airport. US 15 passes through a partial cloverleaf interchange with the US ;58 bypass, then becomes an undivided highway on entering the town of Clarksville as College Street and crossing over
3090-415: The auto trails which they roughly replaced, were as follows: US 10, US 60, and US 90 only ran about two thirds of the way across the country, while US 11 and US 60 ran significantly diagonally. US 60's violation of two of the conventions would prove to be one of the major sticking points; US 60 eventually was designated as US 66 in 1926, and later it became
3193-598: The contiguous United States . As the designation and numbering of these highways were coordinated among the states, they are sometimes called Federal Highways , but the roadways were built and have always been maintained by state or local governments since their initial designation in 1926. The route numbers and locations are coordinated by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The only federal involvement in AASHTO
U.S. Route 15 in Virginia - Misplaced Pages Continue
3296-409: The 1940s and 1950s to adopt the same number as the U.S. Route they connected to – mostly in the western provinces. Examples include British Columbia 's highways 93 , 95 , 97 , and 99 ; Manitoba 's highways 59 , 75 , and 83 ; or Ontario King's Highway 71 . The reverse happened with U.S. Route 57 , originally a Texas state highway numbered to match Mexican Federal Highway 57 . In the 1950s,
3399-596: The Fluvanna–; Louisa county line. The U.S. Highway expands to a four-lane divided highway at US 250 that continues north through its diverging diamond interchange (DDI) with Interstate 64 (I-64). US 15 continues north along the edge of Green Springs National Historic Landmark District to its intersection with SR 22 (Louisa Road) at Boswells Tavern . The U.S. Highway meets US 33 (Spotswood Trail) just south of Gordonsville . The two highways run together north onto Orange County and
3502-484: The Gulf Coast. The longest routes connecting major cities are generally numbered to end in a 1 or a 0; however, extensions and truncations have made this distinction largely meaningless. These guidelines are very rough, and exceptions to all of the basic numbering rules exist. The numbering system also extended beyond the borders of the United States in an unofficial manner. Many Canadian highways were renumbered in
3605-601: The Northeast, New York held out for fewer routes designated as US highways. The Pennsylvania representative, who had not attended the local meetings, convinced AASHO to add a dense network of routes, which had the effect of giving six routes termini along the state line. (Only US 220 still ends near the state line, and now it ends at an intersection with future I-86 .) Because US 20 seemed indirect, passing through Yellowstone National Park , Idaho and Oregon requested that US 30 be swapped with US 20 to
3708-506: The Old Carolina Road , which connected North Carolina (at what was then North Carolina Highway 75 , or NC 75) with Frederick, Maryland , through Virginia. It was added to the state highway system in 1918 as State Route 2 ( SR 2 ) and renumbered State Route 32 ( SR 32 ) in the 1923 state highway renumbering . In 1926, US 15 was designated along the whole of SR 32. The SR 32 designation
3811-604: The Phillip Saint Julian Wilson Bridge and a causeway. The bridge, which contains lights underneath used for nighttime fishing, includes a brief passage through Halifax County due to the thalwegs of the Roanoke and Dan rivers, which were used to set the county boundaries, converging just south of Clarksville. At the east end of the causeway, access to US 58 is provided at a four-way intersection. Ramps to US 58 west and US 58 east form
3914-463: The Texas U-turn lanes. A split diamond interchange has its ramps "split" between two crossroads, typically with an exit ramp/entrance ramp pair serving each of the crossroads. The crossroads themselves may be one-way or two-way, and are most often connected by frontage roads, usually one-way. Where HOV lanes are present for carpooling , the ramps of a diamond interchange may be folded to
4017-425: The U.S. Highway System remains in place to this day and new routes are occasionally added to the system. In general, U.S. Routes do not have a minimum design standard, unlike the later Interstate Highways , and are not usually built to freeway standards. Some stretches of U.S. Routes do meet those standards. Many are designated using the main streets of the cities and towns through which they run. New additions to
4120-752: The U.S. Highway grid. Though the Interstate numbers were to supplement—rather than replace—the U.S. Route numbers, in many cases (especially in the West ) the US highways were rerouted along the new Interstates. Major decommissioning of former routes began with California 's highway renumbering in 1964 . The 1985 removal of US 66 is often seen as the end of an era of US highways. A few major connections not served by Interstate Highways include US 6 from Hartford, Connecticut, to Providence, Rhode Island and US 93 from Phoenix, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada, though
4223-535: The US Highway system, three-digit numbers are assigned to spurs of one or two-digit routes. US 201 , for example, splits from US 1 at Brunswick, Maine , and runs north to Canada. Not all spurs travel in the same direction as their "parents"; some are connected to their parents only by other spurs, or not at all, instead only traveling near their parents, Also, a spur may travel in different cardinal directions than its parent, such as US 522 , which
U.S. Route 15 in Virginia - Misplaced Pages Continue
4326-477: The US highway, which did not end in zero, but was still seen as a satisfyingly round number. Route 66 came to have a prominent place in popular culture, being featured in song and films. With 32 states already marking their routes, the plan was approved by AASHO on November 11, 1926. This plan included a number of directionally split routes, several discontinuous routes (including US 6 , US 19 and US 50 ), and some termini at state lines. By
4429-579: The United States. These were private organizations, and the system of road marking at the time was haphazard and not uniform. In 1925, the Joint Board on Interstate Highways , recommended by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), worked to form a national numbering system to rationalize the roads. After several meetings, a final report was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in November 1925. After getting feedback from
4532-480: The approval of the states along the former US 60. But Missouri and Oklahoma did object—Missouri had already printed maps, and Oklahoma had prepared signs. A compromise was proposed, in which US 60 would split at Springfield, Missouri , into US 60E and US 60N, but both sides objected. The final solution resulted in the assignment of US 66 to the Chicago-Los Angeles portion of
4635-405: The auto trail associations were not able to formally address the meetings. However, as a compromise, they talked with the Joint Board members. The associations finally settled on a general agreement with the numbering plans, as named trails would still be included. The tentative system added up to 81,000 miles (130,000 km), 2.8% of the public road mileage at the time. The second full meeting
4738-454: The border of the suburbs of Waikiki and Warnbro in the City of Rockingham , Western Australia (at 32°19′29″S 115°46′01″E / 32.32486°S 115.76704°E / -32.32486; 115.76704 ). A tennis ball interchange resembles a dogbone interchange, with the difference being that right turning movements (in a country where traffic drives on the left ) cut through
4841-597: The community of Lucketts , which is home to the historic Lucketts School . North of Lucketts, the U.S. Highway veers to the west and runs along the eastern flank of Furnace Mountain . The road meets SR 672, which provides access to Lovettsville , before crossing the Potomac River on the Point of Rocks Bridge, a camelback truss bridge, into the Maryland village of Point of Rocks . US 15 generally follows
4944-417: The downtown area while US 15 joins the eastern side of the four-lane divided bypass. US 15 and SR 7 meet the western end of SR 267 (Dulles Greenway) at a trumpet interchange before the two highways diverge at a partial cloverleaf interchange with SR 7 Bus. (Harry Byrd Highway) that contains a flyover ramp for westbound SR 7. US 15 reduces to two lanes shortly before it meets
5047-471: The first documented person to drive an automobile from San Francisco to New York using only a connection of dirt roads, cow paths, and railroad beds. His journey, covered by the press, became a national sensation and called for a system of long-distance roads. In the early 1910s, auto trail organizations—most prominently the Lincoln Highway —began to spring up, marking and promoting routes for
5150-468: The freeway to save the third traffic signal phase. In a three-level diamond interchange , the cross street is built in a third level with free flowing traffic as a second arterial road . The intersection is split up into four intersections, handling just two conflicting directions each. Its two-level variant is the split diamond interchange. Its at-grade variant is the town center intersection (TCI). A single-leg continuous-flow intersection (CFI)
5253-532: The hamlets of Redd Shop and Worsham before reaching Kingsville , where the highway intersects SR 133 . SR 133 heads west to the community of Hampden Sydney and its namesake college . US 15 veers northeast and meets US 460 (Prince Edward Highway) at a diamond interchange. US 15 joins US 460 west on the four-lane freeway while US 15 Bus. heads toward the town of Farmville , home of Longwood University . US 15 and US 460 cross over Little Buffalo Creek, Buffalo Creek, and
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#17327800879255356-517: The heading for each route. All reports of the Special Committee on Route Numbering since 1989 use "U.S. Route", and federal laws relating to highways use "United States Route" or "U.S. Route" more often than the "Highway" variants. The use of U.S. Route or U.S. Highway on a local level depends on the state, with some states such as Delaware using "route" and others such as Colorado using "highway". In 1903, Horatio Nelson Jackson became
5459-438: The highways enter Prince William County cross Broad Run . Just east of the county line, US 29 continues east as Lee Highway toward Washington while US 15 turns north onto two-lane James Madison Highway. US 15 continues north through Haymarket , where the highway expands to a four-lane divided highway immediately south of its intersection with SR 55 (John Marshall Highway). The U.S. Highway passes through
5562-502: The inside lanes instead of the outside. In urban areas this saves some space as well as requiring only one intersection instead of the two one-way intersections, which in rural or suburban areas can be turned into a single-point urban interchange . This in turn reduces waiting time for motorists at traffic lights on the smaller road, which may be a large local thoroughfare with heavy traffic. In Henrietta, New York , Jefferson Road ( NY-252 ) crosses West Henrietta Road ( NY-15 ) on
5665-478: The latter is planned to be upgraded to Interstate 11 . Three state capitals in the contiguous U.S. are served only by U.S. Routes: Dover, Delaware ; Jefferson City, Missouri ; and Pierre, South Dakota . In 1995, the National Highway System was defined to include both the Interstate Highway System and other roads designated as important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility. AASHTO
5768-403: The long left turn phases from the single-point urban interchange to the tight urban diamond interchange at 26°18′04″N 80°11′11″W / 26.301177°N 80.186479°W / 26.301177; -80.186479 . In a diverging diamond interchange ( DDI ) or ( DCD ), the two directions of traffic on the non-freeway road cross to the opposite side on both sides of the bridge at
5871-483: The more colorful names and historic value of the auto trail systems. The New York Times wrote, "The traveler may shed tears as he drives the Lincoln Highway or dream dreams as he speeds over the Jefferson Highway , but how can he get a 'kick' out of 46, 55 or 33 or 21?" (A popular song later promised, " Get your kicks on Route 66! ") The writer Ernest McGaffey was quoted as saying, "Logarithms will take
5974-658: The new US 31 freeway under construction in northern Indiana. There are some hybrid interchanges of dumbbell and dogbone having one raindrop and one full roundabout. This is made when the roundabout intersects more roads than the cross street and ramps. Some examples are at exit 38 of the N7 road in Groningen , Netherlands (at 53°12′53″N 6°36′09″E / 53.21462°N 6.602509°E / 53.21462; 6.602509 ); and Ennis Avenue ( National Route 1 ) at Safety Bay Road ( State Route 18 / Tourist Drive 202 ) on
6077-516: The new recreation of long-distance automobile travel. The Yellowstone Trail was another of the earliest examples. While many of these organizations worked with towns and states along the route to improve the roadways, others simply chose a route based on towns that were willing to pay dues, put up signs, and did little else. Wisconsin was the first state in the U.S. to number its highways , erecting signs in May 1918. Other states soon followed. In 1922,
6180-437: The north at a partial cloverleaf interchange; the divided highway continues as US 360 while US 15 exits onto two-lane undivided Farmville Highway, which meets the northern end of the business routes, which are named 4 Locust Highway. US 15 enters Prince Edward County as Farmville Road and crosses over Norfolk Southern Railway 's Blue Ridge District west of the hamlet of Briery . The U.S. Highway passes through
6283-423: The northern end of US 15 Bus. (North King Street) west of Ball's Bluff Battlefield and National Cemetery . Just north of the business route, the highway intersects SR 655 (Whites Ferry Road), which serves White's Ferry , the last remaining ferry crossing of the Potomac River that connects Leesburg with Poolesville, Maryland . US 15 passes by the historic homes Rockland and Temple Hall and through
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#17327800879256386-458: The numbering grid for the new Interstate Highway System was established as intentionally opposite from the US grid insofar as the direction the route numbers increase. Interstate Highway numbers increase from west-to-east and south-to-north, to keep identically numbered routes geographically apart in order to keep them from being confused with one another, and it omits 50 and 60 which would potentially conflict with US 50 and US 60 . In
6489-413: The off-ramp typically faces a stop sign at the minor road, while traffic turning onto the freeway is unrestricted. The diamond interchange uses less space than most types of freeway interchange, and avoids the interweaving traffic flows that occur in interchanges such as the cloverleaf . Thus, diamond interchanges are most effective in areas where traffic is light and a more expensive interchange type
6592-492: The optional routes into another route. In 1934, AASHO tried to eliminate many of the split routes by removing them from the log, and designating one of each pair as a three-digit or alternate route, or in one case US 37 . AASHO described its renumbering concept in the October 1934 issue of American Highways : "Wherever an alternate route is not suitable for its own unique two-digit designation, standard procedure assigns
6695-450: The other over a bridge . Approaching the interchange from either direction, an off-ramp diverges only slightly from the freeway and runs directly across the minor road, becoming an on-ramp that returns to the freeway in similar fashion. The two places where the ramps meet the road are treated as conventional intersections . In the United States , where this form of interchange is very common, particularly in rural areas, traffic on
6798-458: The other states. Many states agreed in general with the scope of the system, but believed the Midwest to have added too many routes to the system. The group adopted the shield, with few modifications from the original sketch, at that meeting, as well as the decision to number rather than name the routes. A preliminary numbering system, with eight major east–west and ten major north–south routes,
6901-412: The place of legends, and 'hokum' for history." When the U.S. numbered system was started in 1925, a few optional routings were established which were designated with a suffixed letter after the number indicating "north", "south", "east", or "west". While a few roads in the system are still numbered in this manner, AASHO believes that they should be eliminated wherever possible, by the absorption of one of
7004-410: The rail line toward Manassas . US 15 and US 29 become concurrent with US 17 , which heads southeast as Marsh Road toward Fredericksburg , at Opal on their way to Warrenton . South of the town, US 15 Bus. / US 17 Bus. / US 29 Bus. splits northwest and their respective U.S. Highways bypass the town on a freeway to the east. US 15, US 17, and US 29 have
7107-616: The rail line. The U.S. Highway turns east onto Virginia Avenue, which also carries US 58 Business (US 58 Bus.) and State Route 49 (SR 49). After passing through the Clarksville Historic District , US 15, US 58 Bus., and SR 49 leave the town of Clarksville by crossing the John H. Kerr Reservoir, an impoundment of the Roanoke River that is also known as Buggs Island Lake, on
7210-696: The railroad. After passing through Arvonia , the highway crosses the James River at New Canton on the John H. Cocke Memorial Bridge . The bridge passes over the Buckingham Branch Railroad on the south side of the river just south of its bridge across the river to join CSX Transportation 's Rivanna Subdivision , which parallels the north bank of the river through the hamlet of Bremo Bluff . US 15 continues north through
7313-689: The raindrop roundabouts from the ramps, reducing queueing and delays, compared with the dumbbell interchange. Direct U-turns are not possible, although the movement can be made by circulating around both raindrop roundabouts. An example of a dogbone interchange in the United States is located on Interstate 70 in Avon, Colorado , United States; more compact examples, which show less of the characteristic "dog bone" shape, are located along Keystone Parkway in Carmel, Indiana , United States. Several interchanges similar to those along Keystone Parkway are being built along
7416-470: The ramps do not meet the roundabouts at intersections; these more closely resemble bowtie intersections. One such interchange exists at the junction between the Ruta Interbalnearia and Route 35 North near La Floresta , Uruguay ( 34°44′58″S 55°40′39″W / 34.7495°S 55.6775°W / -34.7495; -55.6775 ). A variation of the dumbbell interchange, often called
7519-434: The reservoir and entering Charlotte County , where the road becomes Barnesville Highway. The U.S. Highway intersects SR 92 (Jeb Stuart Highway) at Barnes Junction and US 360 (Kings Highway) at Wylliesburg . The two U.S. Highways continue north along US 360's four-lane divided highway, which intersects SR 47 (Craftons Gate Highway) at Crafton Gate. South of Keysville , US 15 and US 360 meet
7622-471: The roundabouts like a regular diamond interchange instead of going around the roundabout. Such a design is found in Perth , Western Australia, between Roe Highway ( State Route 3 ) and Berkshire Road (at 31°58′10″S 116°00′04″E / 31.96945°S 116.00107°E / -31.96945; 116.00107 ). A tight diamond interchange ( TDI ), also known as a compressed diamond interchange or
7725-594: The route and the nominal direction of travel. Second, they are displayed at intersections with other major roads, so that intersecting traffic can follow their chosen course. Third, they can be displayed on large green guide signs that indicate upcoming interchanges on freeways and expressways. Since 1926, some divided routes were designated to serve related areas, and designate roughly-equivalent splits of routes. For instance, US 11 splits into US 11E (east) and US 11W (west) in Bristol, Virginia , and
7828-646: The routes rejoin in Knoxville, Tennessee . Occasionally only one of the two routes is suffixed; US 6N in Pennsylvania does not rejoin US ;6 at its west end. AASHTO has been trying to eliminate these since 1934; its current policy is to deny approval of new split routes and to eliminate existing ones "as rapidly as the State Highway Department and the Standing Committee on Highways can reach agreement with reference thereto". Special routes —those with
7931-500: The same large, bold numerals on a square-dimension shield, while 3-digit routes may either use the same shield with a narrower font, or a wider rectangular-dimension shield. Special routes may be indicated with a banner above the route number, or with a letter suffixed to the route number. Signs are generally displayed in several different locations. First, they are shown along the side of the route at regular intervals or after major intersections (called reassurance markers ), which shows
8034-596: The second roundabout. The U.S. Highway runs along the east flank of the Bull Run Mountains as it passes James Monroe 's estate of Oak Hill just south of the Little River and Oatlands Historic House & Gardens in the community of Oatlands at its crossing of Goose Creek . At Virts Corner east of Hogback Mountain , US 15 enters the town of Leesburg as South King Street. At SR 7 (Leesburg Bypass), US 15 Bus. continues straight into
8137-535: The southern and eastern legs of the intersection, which mainline US 58 avoids via a pair of flyover ramps just east of its bridge over the reservoir. US 15 and SR 49 turn north, cross over the Virginia Southern rail line, and parallel the eastern shore of the lake until the two highways split at the hamlet of Dortch Store. US 15 heads north, crossing the Bluestone Creek arm of
8240-495: The southern end of US 15 Bus. and US 360 Bus. (Old Kings Highway); the sets of highways meet again at a partial interchange where the U.S. Highways also cross over the Virginia Southern Railroad. US 15 and US 360 meet SR 40 (Lunenburg County Highway) at a diamond interchange just east of the town of Keysville. The U.S. Highways pass under the rail line and diverge immediately to
8343-439: The southwest to Oklahoma City , from where it ran west to Los Angeles . Kentucky strongly objected to this designated route, as it had been left off any of the major east–west routes, instead receiving the US 62 designation. In January 1926, the committee designated this, along with the part of US 52 east of Ashland, Kentucky , as US 60 . They assigned US 62 to the Chicago-Los Angeles route, contingent on
8446-538: The splits in US 11 , US 19 , US 25 , US 31 , US 45 , US 49 , US 73 , and US 99 . For the most part, the U.S. Routes were the primary means of inter-city vehicle travel; the main exceptions were toll roads such as the Pennsylvania Turnpike and parkway routes such as the Merritt Parkway . Many of the first high-speed roads were U.S. Highways:
8549-675: The state highway as a two-lane street under Norfolk Southern Railway's Washington District . SR 20 continues north on Caroline Street while the US 15 veers northeast onto four-lane Madison Road, which intersects SR 20 Bus. (Main Street) before leaving Orange as a two-lane road. US 15 crosses the Rapidan River into Madison County and meets the eastern end of SR 230 (Orange Road) at Madison Mills . The U.S. Highway passes through Five Forks , home of Woodberry Forest School . North of Locust Dale , US 15 crosses
8652-473: The state, with final construction completed by mid-April 2014. A similar interchange between US 15 and I-66 was completed in January 2017. Spurs of SR 32 between 1923 and 1928 United States Numbered Highway System The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways ) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in
8755-559: The states, they made several modifications; the U.S. Highway System was approved on November 11, 1926. Expansion of the U.S. Highway System continued until 1956, when the Interstate Highway System was laid out and began construction under the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower . After the national implementation of the Interstate Highway System, many U.S. Routes that had been bypassed or overlaid with Interstate Highways were decommissioned and removed from
8858-545: The system, however, must "substantially meet the current AASHTO design standards ". As of 1989, the United States Numbered Highways system had a total length of 157,724 miles (253,832 km). Except for toll bridges and tunnels , very few U.S. Routes are toll roads . AASHTO policy says that a toll road may only be included as a special route , and that "a toll-free routing between the same termini shall continue to be retained and marked as
8961-497: The system. In some places, the U.S. Routes remain alongside the Interstates and serve as a means for interstate travelers to access local services and as secondary feeder roads or as important major arteries in their own right. In other places, where there are no nearby Interstate Highways, the U.S. Routes often remain as the most well-developed roads for long-distance travel. While the system's growth has slowed in recent decades,
9064-550: The time the first route log was published in April 1927, major numbering changes had been made in Pennsylvania in order to align the routes to the existing auto trails. In addition, U.S. Route 15 had been extended across Virginia . Much of the early criticism of the U.S. Highway System focused on the choice of numbers to designate the highways, rather than names. Some thought a numbered highway system to be cold compared to
9167-618: The town limit. North of Gordonsville, US 15 expands to a four-lane divided highway that parallels the Washington Subdivision and the eastern flank of the Southwest Mountains and passes Gordonsville Municipal Airport. The U.S. Highway becomes an undivided highway and passes the historic home Mayhurst at the southern limit of the town of Orange, where the highway becomes Caroline Street. US 15 meets SR 20 (Berry Hill Road) and runs concurrently with
9270-476: The town of Remington , where the road crosses the Rappahannock River into Fauquier County . US 15 and US 29 pass to the north of the town, which is directly served by US 15 Bus. and US 29 Bus. (James Madison Street). Immediately north of the northern junction with the business routes, US 15 and US 29 meet the southern end of SR 28 (Catlett Road), which follows
9373-1031: The town of Gordonsville, where the highways parallel CSX Transportation's Piedmont Subdivision along Martinsburg Avenue. US 15 and US 33 veer onto Main Street and pass the Exchange Hotel at their underpass of the Washington Subdivision , the Charlottesville – Orange rail line owned by the Buckingham Branch Railroad . US 15 leaves Main Street at the Gordonsville Roundabout; US 33 and SR 231 head northwest as Main Street, SR 231 heads southwest along Gordon Avenue toward Cismont , and US 15 heads northeast along Gordon Avenue, which becomes James Madison Highway at
9476-548: The two routes received the same number, with a directional suffix indicating its relation to the other. These splits were initially shown in the log as—for instance—US 40 North and US 40 South, but were always posted as simply US 40N and US 40S. The most heated argument, however, was the issue of US 60. The Joint Board had assigned that number to the Chicago-Los Angeles route, which ran more north–south than west–east in Illinois, and then angled sharply to
9579-468: The two-digit routes, three-digit routes have been added, removed, extended and shortened; the "parent-child" relationship is not always present. AASHTO guidelines specifically prohibit Interstate Highways and U.S. Routes from sharing a number within the same state. As with other guidelines, exceptions exist across the U.S. Some two-digit numbers have never been applied to any U.S. Route, including 37, 39, 47, 86, and 88. Route numbers are displayed on
9682-477: The unqualified number to the older or shorter route, while the other route uses the same number marked by a standard strip above its shield carrying the word 'Alternate'." Most states adhere to this approach. However, some maintain legacy routes that violate the rules in various ways. Examples can be found in California , Mississippi , Nebraska , Oregon , and Tennessee . In 1952, AASHO permanently recognized
9785-426: The west of Willis Mountain before reaching US 60 (James Anderson Highway) at Sprouses Corner . US 15 meets the southern end of SR 20 (Constitution Route) then passes through the town of Dillwyn as Oak and Main streets. The U.S. Highway parallels the Buckingham Branch Railroad out of town and passes through the community of Alpha , where the highway passes by Buffards Mountain and veers away from
9888-720: Was also chosen, based on the shield found on the Great Seal of the United States . The auto trail associations rejected the elimination of the highway names. Six regional meetings were held to hammer out the details—May 15 for the West , May 27 for the Mississippi Valley , June 3 for the Great Lakes , June 8 for the South , June 15 for the North Atlantic , and June 15 for New England . Representatives of
9991-510: Was both praised and criticized by local newspapers, often depending on whether that city was connected to a major route. While the Lincoln Highway Association understood and supported the plan, partly because they were assured of getting the US 30 designation as much as possible, most other trail associations lamented their obsolescence. At their January 14–15, 1926 meeting, AASHO was flooded with complaints. In
10094-542: Was built in 2014 in San Marcos , Texas, at the intersection of Aquarena Springs Drive ( Loop 82 ), Interstate 35 's southbound frontage road and I-35's southbound-to-northbound Texas U-turn . A two-leg CFI, also in San Marcos, was built in 2015 at the intersection of Hopkins Street ( State Highway 80 ), I-35's frontage roads and I-35's Texas U-turns. In both intersections, the displaced left turn lanes merge with
10197-524: Was completed in 1923. The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), formed in 1914 to help establish roadway standards, began to plan a system of marked and numbered "interstate highways" at its 1924 meeting. AASHO recommended that the Secretary of Agriculture work with the states to designate these routes. Secretary Howard M. Gore appointed the Joint Board on Interstate Highways , as recommended by AASHO, on March 2, 1925. The Board
10300-418: Was composed of 21 state highway officials and three federal Bureau of Public Roads officials. At the first meeting, on April 20 and 21, the group chose the name "U.S. Highway" as the designation for the routes. They decided that the system would not be limited to the federal-aid network; if the best route did not receive federal funds, it would still be included. The tentative design for the U.S. Route shield
10403-518: Was deferred to a numbering committee "without instructions". After working with states to get their approval, the committee expanded the highway system to 75,800 miles (122,000 km), or 2.6% of total mileage, over 50% more than the plan approved August 4. The skeleton of the numbering plan was suggested on August 27 by Edwin Warley James of the BPR, who matched parity to direction, and laid out
10506-540: Was dropped in the 1933 state highway renumbering and was immediately reused on another route south of Petersburg . The number was again reused on its current alignment in the early 1940s to match NC 32 . From June 2013 to February 2014, the Virginia Department of Transportation converted the existing interchange between US 15 and I-64, in Zion Crossroads, to a DDI , the first in
10609-424: Was held August 3 and 4, 1925. At that meeting, discussion was held over the appropriate density of routes. William F. Williams of Massachusetts and Frederick S. Greene of New York favored a system of only major transcontinental highways, while many states recommended a large number of roads of only regional importance. Greene in particular intended New York's system to have four major through routes as an example to
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