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83-458: For a portion of its history, the road served as an early western highway bypass of the downtown area of the City of Richmond through portions of Chesterfield and Henrico counties. Known during that period as the area's " Belt Boulevard ", the name is still applied to some streets along the former bypass routing. SR 161 now located entirely in the City of Richmond and Henrico County. SR 161 begins at

166-490: A partial cloverleaf interchange from I-95 exit 69 to an intersection with Walmsley Boulevard and Commerce Road. The state highway curves right onto Commerce Road then turning left at Bells Road near Phillip Morris USA . The state route curves through the Phillip Morris area then crosses over CSX 's Bellwood Subdivision to an intersection with Jefferson Davis Highway ( US 1 / US 301 ). SR 161 keeps straight across

249-430: A citywide desegregation busing program. This ended in the 1990s. Many of the 47,000 residents who lived in the annexed area had been opposed to the action. They fought unsuccessfully for more than 7 years in the courts to have the agreement reversed. Some called the annexed 23 square miles (60 km ) area "Occupied Chesterfield." Many black residents of Richmond also opposed the annexation, claiming that it violated

332-573: A four-lane divided highway (Lakeside Avenue) through a local business area to its intersection with Dumbarton Road. The highway heads north through another residential zone and some restaurants toward the intersection with the eastern terminus of SR 356 (Hilliard Road). The north leg of the intersection is the unnumbered Lakeside Avenue to the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden . SR 161 turns right onto Hilliard Road and heads east to its northern terminus with US 1 (Brook Road). In

415-612: A group of mine owners, including Nicholas Mills , Beverley Randolph and Abraham S. Wooldridge, resolved to build a tramway . (The Wooldridge brothers hailed from East Lothian and West Lothian in Scotland , and named their mining company Mid-Lothian, the source of the modern community name). In 1831, the Chesterfield Railroad opened as the first railroad in Virginia; it carried coal from mines near Falling Creek to

498-638: A key defensive point for Confederate forces to block the Union 's vastly superior Navy from taking Richmond by way of the James River. During the Siege of Petersburg (1864–65), a long defensive works through the county was part of the Confederacy's Richmond-Petersburg line of land defenses. Railroad lines passing through Petersburg finally proved the key to the fall of Richmond in 1865, effectively ending

581-490: A mile further north. In the late 1940s, an overpass for U.S. 60 and a partial cloverleaf interchange was built at this location. About 1/2 mile north of U.S. 60, the road crossed the original Belt Line railroad tracks, a routing which was itself bypassed by a newer alignment of the belt line by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad at the time Broad Street Station was opened around 1917. After crossing

664-405: A population that was 59% white and 41% black. Soon after the ward system was established, the city elected its first black mayor. Many political leaders have long believed that Virginia's annexation laws have created a barrier to regional cooperation among localities. The issues resulting from the 1970 Richmond-Chesterfield case were considered prime examples of obstacles to regional cooperation as

747-432: A statue to honor Christopher Columbus and crossed Monument Avenue , where a statue of Confederate Major General Stonewall Jackson had been erected. After crossing U.S. Route 33 and U.S. Route 250 at Broad Street, about a mile further north it reached Westwood Circle . The road followed Hermitage Road north, passing another monument for (and the tomb of) Confederate General Ambrose Powell Hill at Laburnum Avenue.

830-518: A toll highway which paralleled U.S. 1 and U.S. Route 301 between the northern edge of Richmond and the southern limits of Petersburg. Its portion through Chesterfield County was the longest section of its mileage. Conceived prior to the creation of the Interstate Highway System , the roadway was made toll-free in 1992. The former Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike forms a vital portion of Interstate 95 in central Virginia, including

913-696: A ton, and boats several times larger from Eppington . The Appomattox River on the Southern border was the lower end of the Upper Appomattox Canal Navigation System connecting to Farmville, Virginia . The James River and Kanawha Canal on the northern border of Chesterfield connected past the Blue Ridge Mountains . Port Walthall connected ships that carried more than 200 tonnes to the East with Ports on

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996-702: Is chartered through a state law that allows cities and counties to create industrial or economic development authorities with wide-ranging powers not available to local governments in order to facilitate economic development opportunities within the community. CEDA has the power to buy, sell and develop land for business parks or other economic development purposes. It can also build facilities for sale or lease to private companies; issue taxable and tax-exempt Industrial Revenue Bonds to provide financing for facilities and machinery and provide incentives to attract new companies to Chesterfield County or to induce existing companies to expand. Top 25 Private Employers According to

1079-701: Is now the United States, was established slightly west on the creek near its confluence with the James River . In the Indian Massacre of 1622 , Native Americans destroyed Henrico City and the ironworks to try to drive away the English. These were not rebuilt. The colony did not gain a college until 1693, when the College of William and Mary was awarded a royal charter in the capital. In 1634,

1162-481: Is once again a four-lane divided highway. Upon departure of Byrd Park near Boat Lake is an interchange only to the eastbound lanes of Toll SR 195 (Downtown Expressway) to downtown Richmond. To access I-195 (Beltline Expressway) northbound, motorist would have to use Idlewood Avenue's west leg after crossing over the Downtown Expressway. SR 161 approaches a one-way pair SR 147 east of Carytown where

1245-617: The Atlantic Ocean . A canal was built in the Manchester section of Chesterfield to enable transporting coal around the James River falls. Portions are extant and may be seen near the south end of Richmond's Mayo Bridge . The Manchester Turnpike in Chesterfield County, completed in 1807, was the first graveled roadway of any length in Virginia. The toll road ran between the coal mining area of Midlothian near

1328-744: The Farmville and Powhatan Railroad , later renamed the Tidewater and Western Railroad , extended to Farmville in Prince Edward County . Although long gone, portions of the old rail bed may be seen along Beach Road near the entrance to Pocahontas State Park . A water stop station in the Park remains and Beach Station remains as a national historic landmark. During the American Civil War (1861–1865), Drewry's Bluff became

1411-649: The Great Depression , the Virginia State Police moved their offices from downtown Richmond to a seven-room farmhouse located on 65 acres (260,000 m ) of land 3½ miles west on route 60. This structure served as administrative headquarters and barracks. The State Police have since built a new administrative headquarters and an academy here. Prior to the American Revolutionary War , a thriving port town named Warwick

1494-596: The King of England directed the formation of eight shires (or counties ) in the colony of Virginia. One of these was Henrico County , which incorporated a large area on both sides of the James River. On May 25, 1749, the Virginia House of Burgesses separated Chesterfield from Henrico County and created the new county. The first county seat was established at Chesterfield Court House . It has continued as county seat except for 1870–1876, during Reconstruction , when

1577-513: The National Voting Rights Act of 1965 . They said the city had deliberately diminished their voting power by adding the white voters of the annexed area, which diluted the black vote within the city. In 1970 the pre-annexation population of the city was 202,359, of which 104,207 or 52% were black citizens. The annexation added 47,262 people, of whom 45,705 were non-black and 1,557 were black. The total post-annexation population

1660-676: The North End Subdivision , which connects to CSX's A Line, at AY Interlocking. The Richmond Terminal Subdivision runs along track that was originally part of the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad . Acca Yard , a major CSX freight yard, is located on the Subdivision. Acca Yard was named after either nearby Acca farm or the Shriner Acca temple, established in 1886. Both of these places were named after

1743-754: The Southern Railway in 1894. It is now part of Norfolk Southern Railway . The Richmond and Petersburg Railroad became part of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad . In 1900, a mostly parallel line was built by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad , with a branch line to Hopewell . Through the restructuring of the railroad industry beginning in 1960, the CSX Transportation system eventually absorbed parts of both these lines. Manchester (directly across

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1826-405: The U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 437 square miles (1,130 km ), of which 423 square miles (1,100 km ) is land and 14 square miles (36 km ) (3.1%) is water. Chesterfield County is largely bordered by two rivers which define miles of its boundaries. The major adjoining cities each originated at the head of navigation of these rivers, called the fall line . There,

1909-551: The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) built interstate, primary and secondary highways throughout the 20th century, they quickly filled with traffic as the population and use of autos increased. Customary funding sources were insufficient to raise the monies needed for highway construction. Opened in 1958 and funded through toll revenue bonds , the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike was

1992-415: The canals , turnpikes , bridges and railroads in Virginia, including the area which is now West Virginia . The Board partially engineered and funded new turnpikes, which were operated by private companies to collect tolls . The Manchester and Petersburg Turnpike, which preceded much of the current Jefferson Davis Highway (U.S. Routes 1–301), was one of these. To improve access to markets, in 1825,

2075-415: The 18th century. Around 1701, French Huguenot settlers to the area discovered coal. In a 1709 diary entry William Byrd II , the wealthy planter who had purchased 344 acres (1.4 km ) of land in the area, noted that "the coaler found the coal mine very good and sufficient to furnish several generations". Commercially mined beginning in the 1730s, the coal fueled the production of cannon at Westham (near

2158-487: The 20th century, including one in 1944. The city tried to annex more of the county in 1970, an action that created controversy. While the annexation lawsuit filed by Richmond in 1965 was being heard, with the city seeking 51 square miles (132 km ) of the county, the leaders of the two jurisdictions, Irvin G. Horner, Chairman of the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors, and Phil J. Bagley, Jr.,

2241-466: The Chesterfield residents were committed to individual auto use for most local, commuter, and through transportation of people. With the increases in population, traffic, and poor air quality, some residents have asked the county to fund commuter bus services. Further complicating the issue is the general lack of sidewalks along most roads, adding to residents' dependence on motor vehicles. Although

2324-570: The James River flows east to Richmond and then turns almost due south below the fall line for about 8 miles (13 km) before turning east, Henrico County encompasses much of Richmond's West End , North Side , and East End areas. Chesterfield County borders on the Appomattox River to the south. Much of the southern and eastern portions of the county are considered part of the Tri-Cities area, which includes Petersburg, located at

2407-458: The James River from the City of Richmond ) was the county seat of Chesterfield County from 1870 until 1876, when it was moved to the present location at Chesterfield Court House. The City of Manchester had meanwhile left Chesterfield in 1874 to become an independent city and merged with the City of Richmond by mutual agreement in 1910. It is now known as a part of South Richmond. Colonial Heights

2490-742: The Jefferson Davis area, crosses over CSX's Clopton Lead, then turns right onto Belt Boulevard near the Parnell Industrial Area. The state route briefly parallels CSX's North End Subdivision as it passes its former alignment with Terminal Avenue. The state route then pass a partial cloverleaf interchange with Hopkins Road before approaching the Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center at SR 10 (Broad Rock Boulevard). The state route turns right and

2573-544: The Mayor of Richmond, met privately and agreed to a compromise. In May 1969, the city and Chesterfield County approved what was called the Horner-Bagley Compromise, incorporated in a court decree of July 12, 1969. This effectively shut out a number of third parties attempting to block the annexation, and they believed they had been excluded from the process. A small commuter bus company held operating rights in

Virginia State Route 161 - Misplaced Pages Continue

2656-690: The Richmond area's high-speed open lanes, enabling vehicles to travel through at highway speeds with a Smart Tag or other compatible electronic toll collection transponder. The large, planned community of Brandermill , which includes a conference center, was named in 1977 the "best planned community in America" by Better Homes and Gardens magazine and the National Association of Homebuilders . The Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC), metro Richmond's bus transit organization, unveiled

2739-644: The Route 111 bus line in March 2020. The route runs 7.6 miles, from north of the Chippenham Parkway interchange to Brightpoint Community College in Chester. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is planning two superstreets in Chesterfield County to address left turns at high traffic volume intersections. Anticipated completion is in 2022. The Chesterfield County Planning Department oversees

2822-531: The War. A normal school founded by the state after the American Civil War primarily to help educate freed men eventually became Virginia State University , located in the Ettrick area near Petersburg and Colonial Heights . The U.S. Government rebuilt damaged railroads. After Reconstruction , Chesterfield County used Convict lease to build roads in 1878. The Richmond and Danville Railroad became part of

2905-462: The annexed area were unhappy about this change, as Richmond Public Schools was already involved in a contentious racial desegregation lawsuit in the Federal courts because of its failure to integrate. The transferred schools included Huguenot High School , Fred D. Thompson Middle School, Elkhardt Middle School, and eight elementary schools. In 1971, the federal court ordered these schools included in

2988-492: The children of settlers. Dale was accompanied by men known as the "Hammours". These veterans of the Low Country wars were heavily armed and better trained than settlers of Jamestown. Dale wrote about the site: "Eighty miles up our river from Jamestown, I have surveyed a convenient, strong, healthie and sweete site to plant a new towne (according as I had instructions upon my departure) there to build whence might be removed

3071-595: The city of Acca in the Holy Land. The farm was owned by Preston Belvin, a Richmond furniture manufacturer who also founded the Richmond Shriner order. The farm was located off of Westwood Ave and is now built over either by houses or Interstates 64 and 95 . Acca farm lended its name to Acca Station, situated at the intersection of Westwood Avenue and the RF&;P tracks. Thus, it is most likely that Acca yard

3154-469: The controversy surrounding annexations in Virginia, in 1987, the General Assembly placed a moratorium on future annexations of any county by any city. When this moratorium expires, Chesterfield County remains immune from annexation by Richmond because of the 1981 state grant of immunity. Unless new revenue sharing or other agreements are reached, the county is at risk to annexation suits by any of

3237-420: The county from both cities, the county did not fund transit bus service when the large systems in Richmond and Petersburg converted to governmentally subsidized operations in the 1970s. Privately owned suburban bus services, such as that operated by Virginia Overland Transportation could not operate profitably, even when funded with start-up money through state demonstration program grants. County leaders believed

3320-509: The county government was located at Manchester . The latter community has been subsumed by South Richmond. The legislature named the county for the former British Secretary of State , Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield . Lord Chesterfield was famous for his "good manners and writings". One of his most frequently used sayings implies avoiding rudeness; "An injury is much sooner forgotten than an insult." Many years later, Chesterfield Cigarettes were named after this county. In 1939 during

3403-442: The county, but the expanded city granted the franchise to a competitor. Richmond annexed 23 square miles (60 km ) of the county, including fire stations, parks, and other infrastructure, such as water and sewer lines. Under the agreement, the county school system also conveyed about a dozen public schools , support buildings, and future school sites to the City of Richmond to be operated by Richmond Public Schools . Residents of

Virginia State Route 161 - Misplaced Pages Continue

3486-496: The docks at the fall line on the James River. By the early 1850s, railroad lines connecting these areas included the Richmond and Danville Railroad (R&D) (which put the Chesterfield Railroad out of business) and the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad . They were both completed before the American Civil War , in which they provided important transportation for Southern supplies and men. The Clover Hill Railroad

3569-801: The eastbound lanes are known as Cary Street and the westbound: Main Street (east leg) and Ellwood Avenue (west leg). The crossing of Main Street is where SR 161 transitions from South to North Arthur Ashe Boulevard. The state highway continues north passing the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts ( SR 315 ), the eastern terminus of SR 6 (Kensington Avenue), and around the Stonewall Jackson monument on historic Monument Avenue before reaching US 33 / US 250 Broad Street . The state highway continues northeast crossing over CSX's Richmond Terminal Subdivision , passing Greyhound Lines Richmond station on

3652-473: The elder son and heir apparent of King James I . When finished in 1619, "Henricus Citie" contained three streets of well-framed houses, a church, storehouses, a hospital, and watchtowers. 1619 was a watershed year for the Virginia Colony . Henrico and three other large citties (sic) were formed, one of which included what is now Chesterfield County. That year Falling Creek Ironworks , the first in what

3735-676: The exit for State Route 150 (Chippenham Parkway) and includes major exits for U.S. Route 60 west of Richmond, and State Route 288 in the Midlothian area. The southern terminus of State Route 76 is near the Brandermill development. Today the Powhite Parkway features a new highspeed toll system that allows smart-tag and e-z pass holders to travel through at speeds of 45–50 mph. The Pocahontas Parkway, an 8.8-mile (14.2 km) toll road known as State Route 895 , connects

3818-600: The fall line. Richmond Terminal Subdivision The Richmond Terminal Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in Virginia . The line is located within Richmond, Virginia , for a total of 4.3 miles. At its north end it continues south from the RF&;P Subdivision and at its south end it continues south as the Bellwood Subdivision , which connects to CSX's S Line. It junctions with

3901-469: The headwaters of Falling Creek and the James River port of Manchester . The current Midlothian Turnpike ( U.S. Route 60 ) generally follows the earlier route. Created in 1816, the Virginia Board of Public Works was a governmental agency which oversaw and helped finance the development of Virginia's internal transportation improvements, including canals, during the 19th century. In that era, it

3984-541: The highway name changes from Belt Boulevard to Westover Hills Boulevard. The highway keeps straight north past a busy intersection with Forest Hill Avenue in the Westover Hills area before approaching the Toll Boulevard Bridge . The bridge crosses over Norfolk Southern Railway 's Richmond District, James River , and CSX's Rivanna Subdivision before reaching the toll plaza. SR 161 crosses through

4067-425: The hillier and rockier Piedmont region falls to the sandy and mostly flat eastern coastal plain Tidewater region, a change which creates barriers for ships going upstream on the rivers. Chesterfield County includes areas of both regions. Richmond and Manchester were formed at the fall line of the James River. Most of the northern portion of Chesterfield County is part of what is called Richmond's "South Side" . As

4150-610: The junction of Interstate 95 and State Route 150 in Chesterfield County with Interstate 295 near Richmond International Airport in Henrico County , forming part of a southeastern bypass of Richmond. The roadway features the high-level Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge over the shipping channel of the James River downstream from the deep-water Port of Richmond, to allow ample clearance for ocean-going vessels. Although Route 895 had been planned for many years, sufficient state and federal construction funds were not available at

4233-544: The left and The Diamond on the right. Near the Arthur Ashe Athletic Center is an intersection with Robin Hood Road to the east and Ellen Road to the west. To access I-95 south and I-64 east, motorist would use Robin Hood Road. SR 161 keeps straight crossing under I-95/I-64 to its interchange with the north and westbound lanes (I-95 exit 78). Upon reaching the intersection of Westwood Avenue with

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4316-570: The major Phillip Morris complex in South Richmond. Chesterfield County, Virginia Chesterfield County is a county located just south of Richmond in the Commonwealth of Virginia . The county's borders are primarily defined by the James River to the north and the Appomattox River to the south. Its county seat is Chesterfield Court House . Chesterfield County was formed in 1749 from parts of Henrico County . It

4399-453: The mid-1970s. The area near the larger is still known locally as McGuire Circle, even though the circle has been gone for over 30 years. In the 1980s, the railroad tracks and grade crossing south of Westover Hills were removed. Two railroad grade crossings remain on the newer Bells Road portion of SR-161, on a spur line (the former ACL main line into Manchester and Richmond) and the former Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL) S-line of CSX near

4482-516: The north bank) via the Boulevard Bridge , with tolls collected initially at a midpoint on the narrow two-lane bridge itself. The road made landfall just east of Maymont Park and climbing the bluff there, wound around a city reservoir through Byrd Park to connect with the south end of Richmond's major connector street known simply as Boulevard (or "The Boulevard"), a major north–south thoroughfare. It followed that roadway north past

4565-401: The northern portion of the county as " North Chesterfield ". During the early 17th century, shortly after the settlement of Jamestown in 1607, English settlers and explorers began settling other areas. One of the more progressive developments in the colony was Henricus , founded under the guidance of Sir Thomas Dale . It was to include a college to help educate Virginia Indians , as well as

4648-593: The northernmost portion of Interstate 85 near Petersburg. The Powhite Parkway Extension of the Powhite Parkway in Richmond, Virginia (a toll road operated by the Richmond Metropolitan Authority ) was built and opened in 1988. The extension in Chesterfield County is operated by and the tolls are collected by VDOT. (The entire route in Richmond and Chesterfield is signed as Virginia State Route 76). The county extension begins at

4731-536: The parameters and scope of several economic development projects submitted in the county, including the development and implementation of the county's Master Plan that guides growth and commerce. The Planning Department introduced an online system in April 2020 to allow the submission and review of development plans via email. The county launched the new Community Facilities and Infrastructure tool in June 2020, which allows

4814-435: The pre-World War II era, the original Robert E. Lee Memorial Bridge (replaced in the 1980s), crossing the James River at Richmond was a toll bridge . Traffic through Richmond on U.S. Route 1 and 301 was often highly congested with Florida-New York and other east coast travelers. In the city, the path of US 1/301 passed miles of tourist homes along Jefferson Davis Highway south of the river and Chamberlayne Avenue north of

4897-541: The present Huguenot Memorial Bridge ) during the American Revolutionary War . In 1831, the Chesterfield Railroad was constructed to transport coal by gravity and mule power to Manchester, Virginia on the south side of the James River across from Richmond, Virginia . From the 1740s through the 1800s rivers above the Fall Line were used for transportation to the West with James River bateau , which could carry about

4980-413: The principal site." Today known as Farrars Island, the site was on a neck of land with 5,000 acres (20 km ) and a shoreline of seven miles (11 km) on the James River. The English settlers soon built a palisade and moat-like ditch to protect entrance to the 174-yard (159 m) wide neck from the shore area. Dale named the new settlement Henricus in honor of Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales ,

5063-573: The railroad, Belt Boulevard connected with Westover Hills Boulevard . It continued north through the newly developed Westover Hills community and the Forest Hill Avenue commercial corridor to reach the high bluffs along the south side of the James River. At this location, Belt Boulevard crossed the Southern Railway (along the south bank), the James River, and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway and James River and Kanawha Canal (along

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5146-533: The river. By 1934, a combination of roads known collectively as the "Belt Boulevard" formed a western bypass of Richmond's most congested areas along the US 1/301 corridor, crossing the James River on Richmond's privately owned Boulevard Bridge , a toll bridge built in 1925. The Belt Boulevard offered an alternative to downtown Richmond's traffic, with ends at US 1 south and north of the city limits in Chesterfield and Henrico counties, respectively, at that time. (Part of

5229-541: The road changed from a through traffic bypass to a suburban connector street. On January 1, 1970, the City of Richmond annexed most of the southern portion, which had been in Chesterfield County . Although it formerly followed Terminal Avenue, in the 1990s, the VA-161 routing was relocated and extended along newly rebuilt sections of Belt Boulevard and Bells Road, which the route now follows across Jefferson Davis Highway (US 1/301) to meet Interstate 95 (at exit 69). Both traffic circles had been replaced by traffic signals by

5312-477: The roadway entered Henrico County on Lakeside Avenue near the main entrance to the city's Joseph Bryan Park . It ran through the Lakeside area to Hillard Road and crossing the Richmond-Ashland Railway (an electric interurban) to end at an intersection with Brook Road in Henrico County north of Richmond. The northern portion of the Belt Boulevard route in Richmond from Boulevard and its intersections with Main and Cary Streets north to U.S. Route 1 in Henrico County

5395-408: The route south of the James River was annexed from Chesterfield County in 1944; the remainder in 1970, so the road in that area is now entirely in Richmond). The route began at U.S. Routes 1 and 301 at Terminal Avenue, a location known as "Stop 9" on the Richmond-Petersburg Interurban Electric Railway . A large neon sign and arrow at the intersection of Terminal Avenue and Jefferson Davis Highway on

5478-444: The smaller independent cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell, and Petersburg which adjoin it. Beginning especially in the second half of the 20th century, Chesterfield grew exponentially, most of all as a commuter town of Richmond. The Richmond-Petersburg Interurban Electric Railway , local streetcar service, and commuter rail service of the Southern Railway to Bon Air had all ended by 1957. Although some bus routes extended into

5561-485: The southeast leg being Brookland Parkway, the highway changes names to Hermitage Road . The highway then continues north to an intersection with SR 197 (Laburnum Avenue). Until 2004, there was a monument statue of AP Hill in the center of the intersection. The highway heads north through a residential zone to another interchange with I-95 (southbound only) to I-64 (I-95 exit 80) before crossing into Henrico County near Joseph Bryan Park . SR 161 enters Henrico County as

5644-541: The southwest corner urged northbound motorists to consider the bypass. The sign survived into the 1970s. It followed Terminal Avenue northwesterly in Chesterfield County to a short road section actually named Belt Boulevard, which it followed about a mile, meeting State Route 10 and sharing it around the north side of the former Speedway which was located at the current site of McGuire Hospital . Resuming its own roadway, Belt Boulevard turned almost due north. It met U.S. Route 360 at McGuire Circle and U.S. Route 60 about

5727-423: The state legislators considered changes. In 1979, the Virginia General Assembly adopted legislation that allowed any county meeting certain population and density standards to petition the local circuit court to declare the county permanently immune from annexation. In 1981, Chesterfield County and several other counties in the state sought and received such immunity from further annexation by Richmond. Recognizing

5810-478: The time of construction, but the state encouraged innovative funding. In 1995, the Virginia General Assembly passed the Public-Private Transportation Act, to allow private entities to propose solutions for designing, constructing, financing and operating transportation improvements. A public-private partnership developed a proposal acceptable to the state. Since construction, the partnership has collected tolls to recover costs. The toll collection facility features one of

5893-490: The toll plaza and curves around Maymont Park on the right, Dogwood Dell on the left and through the south side of William Byrd Park as Park Drive. SR 161 turns right onto a four-lane divided Blanton Avenue. It then passes an intersection with Douglasdale Road which has access to I-195 (Beltline Expressway) and toll SR 76 ( Powhite Parkway ). The highway reduces to two lanes before curving right to Grant Street and then curving left onto S. Arthur Ashe Boulevard where it

5976-478: The tracking of information related to the county's capital improvement plan including data regarding school enrollment. The Chesterfield Economic Development Authority (CEDA), a seven-member board appointed by the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors, works in conjunction with the Department of Economic Development to create new jobs, expand the tax base and diversify the economy of Chesterfield County. CEDA

6059-433: The two highways run concurrently along four-lane divided Broad Rock Boulevard. The two highways diverge just northwest of McGuire Hospital 's entrance. The highway heads northwest towards the former McGuire Circle at US 360 (Hull Street Road) then keeping straight passing Historic Southside Plaza and Circle Shopping Centers. About a mile further northwest is a diamond interchange with US 60 (Midlothian Turnpike) where

6142-444: Was 249,621 and 42% black. The plaintiffs prevailed in federal court. The city created an electoral ward system to ensure blacks did not lose their voting power, changing what had been a system of electing all city council positions at large (by which the majority population would more easily prevail). Under the ward system, four wards had a predominantly white population, four wards had a predominantly black population, and one ward had

6225-542: Was built to haul coal, mined in Chesterfield at the Clover Hill Pits to ports at Osborne's Landing. This railroad was replaced by the Brighthope Railway , which was, in 1881, narrowed into a narrow gauge railroad and rerouted to the tiny village of Bermuda Hundred , a port on the James River near the mouth of the Appomattox River . The Brighthope Railway was sold in foreclosure and restructured as

6308-537: Was customary to invest public funds in private companies, which were the forerunners of the public service and utility companies of modern times. Claudius Crozet (1789–1864), a civil engineer and educator who helped found the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), was Principal Engineer and later Chief Engineer for the Board of Public Works. He supervised the planning and construction of many of

6391-431: Was formerly an incorporated town in Chesterfield County and became an independent city in 1948. Over half a century later, the two neighbors continued to share provision of some governmental services. Chesterfield County shares borders with three independent cities and was long exposed to annexation suits from any of them under Virginia law. The county lost territory to the City of Richmond through several annexations in

6474-473: Was largely replaced by the new Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike , a toll road which opened in 1958. However, a portion of the southern end of SR 161 retains the Belt Boulevard name, and it is in current use there. A major intersection was at U.S. Route 360, and after a mile of residential housing, another at U.S. Route 60 ( Midlothian Turnpike ). The area in between these two points along Belt Boulevard

6557-424: Was located at the northwestern confluence of Falling Creek and the James River. It was destroyed during that war, and not rebuilt. (Near the present-day DuPont facility at Ampthill , the site is not open to the public.) Another early port town was Port Walthall on the north shore of the Appomattox River , near the current Point-of-Rocks Park. Coal mining in the Midlothian area of Chesterfield County began in

6640-567: Was named after the farm, vis-a-vis the railroad station. Acca yard was established sometime in the 1890s or early 1900s. It housed machine shops for the Rf&;P which were built in the 1920s and replaced by a newer shop in the 1960s, which continues to operate today for CSX. Slow speeds through Acca yard have frequently caused 20-30 minute delays to Amtrak passenger trains. The completion of a bypass around Acca Yard (plus 8 miles (13 km) of new double track south of Petersburg) in March 2019 allowed

6723-546: Was named for Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield , a prominent English statesman who had been the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland . As of the 2020 census , the population was 364,548 making it the fourth-most populous county in Virginia (behind Fairfax , Prince William , and Loudoun , respectively). Chesterfield County is part of the Greater Richmond Region , and the county refers to much of

6806-403: Was originally numbered as Virginia State Route 432. In 1933, it was renumbered as Virginia State Route 161. The SR-161 route numbering was assigned south of State Route 147 during World War II . Although promoted as a bypass of heavy traffic near downtown Richmond, the Belt Boulevard route included two of the Richmond area's busier traffic circles . The Belt Boulevard as a bypass of Richmond

6889-419: Was to become valuable commercial property, anchored by the massive Southside Plaza Shopping Center in 1957. Businesses replacing homes included a Shoney's Big Boy restaurant, a Bill's Barbecue restaurant (a local chain), Ford and Dodge automobile dealerships, a Putt-Putt miniature golf course, and two bowling alleys. In a short time, the equivalent of a small town business district materialized, even as

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