Virginia State Route 234

Infobox road
state=VA
type=
route=234
length_mi=34.12
length_ref=PDFlink| [http://www.virginiadot.org/info/resources/AADT_076_PrinceWilliam_2005.pdf 2005 Virginia Department of Transportation Jurisdiction Report - Daily Traffic Volume Estimates - Prince William County] |1.09 MiB ]
length_round=2
established=1933
direction_a=South
direction_b=North
starting_terminus=
junction= near Manassas
ending_terminus=
previous_type=
previous_route=233
next_type=
next_route=235

State Route 234 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It runs from U.S. Route 1 near Dumfries via Independent Hill, a bypass of Manassas, and Catharpin to U.S. Route 15 near Woolsey.

SR 234 has a brief overlap with Interstate 66 for three miles between SR 234 south (Prince William Parkway) and SR 234 north/State Route 234 Business in Manassas.

History

Most of SR 234 southeast of Manassas, for 15.85 miles (25.51 km) from State Route 28 in Manassas towards State Route 31 (U.S. Route 1) at Dumfries, was added to the state highway system in 1928 as State Route 709. [CTB minutes|08-1928-02, page 24] The final 2.50 miles (4.02 km) were added in 1929, making SR 709 a continuous Manassas-Dumfries route. [CTB minutes|08-1929-01, page 18]

In the other direction, from Manassas northwest towards Gilberts Corner, 6.42 miles (10.33 km) were added in 1930 and 1931. [CTB minutes|12-1930-02, page 22] In 1932, the rest of the road to Gilberts Corner, now State Route 705 and U.S. Route 15 north of Catharpin, was added to the state highway system. [CTB minutes|07-1932-03, page 24] [CTB minutes|08-1932-03, page 9]

SR 709 became State Route 234 in the 1933 renumbering, as did State Route 721 (Brunswick, Maryland to south of Purcellville, now State Route 287 and part of State Route 690). The gap from U.S. Route 50 at Aldie (west of Gilberts Corner) northwest to Philomont on State Route 734 and then north towards Purcellville on SR 690 was never filled.

In the 1940 renumbering, the northern piece of SR 234 (through Purcellville) became part of State Route 17. SR 234 was rerouted to continue northwest on SR 734 from Philomont to Bluemont (also never transferred to the primary system), where it absorbed the short State Route 245 to State Route 7. At the same time, a short piece of SR 234 south of Gilberts Corner also became U.S. Route 15. [CTB minutes|10-1940-01, pages 9 and 15] Also around that time, SR 234 was rerouted to head west rather than northwest from Catharpin, using a longer piece of new US 15 (from Woolsey north to Gilberts Corner). [CTB minutes|09-1941-01, page 16] The piece at Bluemont was transferred to the secondary system in 1943, [CTB minutes|05-1943-01, page 23] truncating SR 234 back to Gilberts Corner and beyond to its current end at US 15.

In 2005, the Commonwealth of Virginia designated Route 234 between U.S. Route 1 and Interstate 66 as the Ronald Wilson Reagan Memorial Highway. [ [http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?051+sum+HB1656 House Bill 1656] ]

Recent construction

The 2005 widening of SR 234 to four lanes in the areas of Independent Hill and Canova have resulted in some minor realignments. A former stretch of SR 234 through Canova has been renamed Canova Drive, and SR 234 was moved about 1 block north. At Independent Hill, Bristow Road has been extended onto former SR 234, and SR 234 itself was realigned about 300 meters north.

During the late 1990's the SR 234 Bypass was constructed to route through traffic from I-66 to the southeast around downtown Manassas. The existing portion of SR 234 was renamed SR 234 Business.

A completed portion of the bypass was used prior to it being open to traffic as a scene in the 1998 disaster film, "Deep Impact" [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120647/trivia IMDB.com - Trivia for Deep Impact] , retrieved 20 September 2007] . About 2,100 extras and 1,870 vehicles were used to stage the traffic jam scene for that film [ [http://www.filmscouts.com/SCRIPTs/matinee.cfm?Film=dee-imp&File=productn Film Scouts - Deep Impact: About the production] , retrieved 20 September 2007] .

Future construction will extend Route 234 from its current southern terminus at U.S. Route 1 through the communities of Southbridge and Harbor Station down to the Potomac River. A separated grade interchange will facilitate traffic through the intersection between Route 234 and U.S. 1. Fact|date=October 2007

References

External links

* [http://www.vahighways.com/route-log/va221-240.htm#va234 Virginia Highways Project: VA 234]
* [http://novaroads.mjhale.com/state/234/index.html VA Route 234, from The Roads of Northern Virginia]