Virginia State Route 5

Infobox road
state=VA
type=
route=5
length_mi=55.18
length_ref=PDFlink| [http://www.virginiadot.org/info/resources/AADT_127_Richmond_2005.pdf 2005 Virginia Department of Transportation Jurisdiction Report - Daily Traffic Volume Estimates - City of Richmond] |201 KiB ] PDFlink| [http://www.virginiadot.org/info/resources/AADT_043_Henrico_2005.pdf 2005 Virginia Department of Transportation Jurisdiction Report - Daily Traffic Volume Estimates - Henrico County] |213 KiB ] PDFlink| [http://www.virginiadot.org/info/resources/AADT_018_CharlesCity_2005.pdf 2005 Virginia Department of Transportation Jurisdiction Report - Daily Traffic Volume Estimates - Charles City County] |72.1 KiB ] PDFlink| [http://www.virginiadot.org/info/resources/AADT_047_JamesCity_2005.pdf 2005 Virginia Department of Transportation Jurisdiction Report - Daily Traffic Volume Estimates - James City County] |360 KiB ]
length_round=2
established=1933
direction_a=West
direction_b=East
starting_terminus=
junction=
ending_terminus=
previous_type=
previous_route=4
next_type=
next_route=6

State Route 5 runs between the independent cities of Richmond and Williamsburg in the U.S. state of Virginia. Between Charles City County and James City County, it crosses the Chickahominy River via the Judith Stewart Dresser Bridge, a drawbridge which replaced historic Barrett's Ferry.

Description of route

For much of its distance, SR 5 generally parallels the north bank of the James River. It passes through three of the original 8 shires created in the Colony of Virginia in 1634 by King Charles I of England. These are Henrico County, Charles City County, and James City County.

James River plantations

Some of the larger and older of the extant James River Plantations are along the route. All are non-government-owned, and houses and/or grounds are generally open daily to visitors with various admission fees applicable. From west to east, these are the Shirley Plantation, Edgewood Plantation,Berkeley Plantation, Westover Plantation, Evelynton Plantation, Belle Air Plantation, Piney Grove at Southall's Plantation, North Bend Plantation and Sherwood Forest Plantation.

Major intersections and points

listed west to east:

*U.S. Route 60 in Richmond, Virginia
*State Route 895 in Henrico County, Virginia
*Interstate 295 in Henrico County, Virginia
*State Route 156 in Charles City County, Virginia
*State Route 106 in Charles City County, Virginia
*State Route 155 at Charles City, Virginia
*Judith Stewart Dresser Bridge over the Chickahominy River
*State Route 199 in James City County, Virginia
*State Route 31 in James City County, Virginia
*U.S. Route 60 in Williamsburg, Virginia
*State Route 143 in Williamsburg, Virginia

History

The first piece of SR 5 was added to the state highway system in 1923, running west from Charles City for 18.5 miles (29.8 km) towards Richmond, [CTB minutes|03-1923-02, page 21] and was numbered State Route 41. [CTB minutes|06-1923-01, page 7] Three more miles (5 km) were added in 1924, [CTB minutes|04-1924-01, page 7] 6.39 miles (10.28 km) were added in 1925, [CTB minutes|02-1925-01, page 4] and the remaining 3.5 miles (5.6 km), taking it to the Richmond city limits, were added in 1927. [CTB minutes|03-1927-01, page 9]

An extension to the east, heading north from Charles City to State Route 39 (now U.S. Route 60) at Providence Forge, was added in 1926. [CTB minutes|05-1926-01, pages 19 and 21] However, this became State Route 413 in the 1928 renumbering, since a new alignment of SR 41, heading east from Charles City towards Williamsburg for eight miles (13 km), was added to the state highway system, as was a 4.5-mile (7.2 km) piece at the other end, heading west from State Route 510 (now State Route 31). [CTB minutes|08-1928-02, pages 28 and 31] A further 3.50 miles (5.63 km) from the west and 2.80 miles (4.51 km) from the east were added in 1930 and 1931, [CTB minutes|12-1930-02, pages 10 and 14] and, in 1932, the route was completed from Richmond to Williamsburg, with 3.00 miles (4.83 km) from the west and 1.70 miles (2.74 km) from the east. [CTB minutes|07-1932-03, pages 18 and 20]

The road from State Route 32 (now U.S. Route 15) at Zion Crossroads east to Oilville was added to the state highway system by 1923 as State Route 321. [CTB minutes|12-1923-01, page 12] Extensiens east from Oilville were added for four miles (6 km) in 1924, [CTB minutes|04-1924-01, page 8] six miles (10 km) in 1925, [CTB minutes|02-1925-01, page 4] and 7.5 miles (12.1 km) in 1926. [CTB minutes|05-1926-01, pages 19 and 22] By 1927, SR 321 became an extension of SR 41 west from Richmond, and that year the former SR 321 was extended 3.5 miles (5.6 km), the rest of the way to Richmond. [CTB minutes|03-1927-01, page 9]

SR 321/SR 41 was also extended west for 2.0 miles (3.2 km) in 1926, [CTB minutes|05-1926-01, pages 19 and 21] two more miles in 1927, [CTB minutes|03-1927-01, page 9] and 5.4 miles - the rest of the way to State Route 39 (now State Route 22) at Shadwell - in 1928. [CTB minutes|08-1928-02, pages 22 and 23]

In Richmond, SR 41 initially used Broad Street, a hairpin turn through Chimborazo Park, Fulton Street, Williamsburg Road, Hatcher Street, Newton Road, and New Osborne Turnpike. [CTB minutes|07-1932-02, page 11] [http://lvaimage.lib.va.us/cgi-bin/vhip_annotated/vhip.pl?&
] , 1930s]

State Route 39 from Shadwell west to Monterey, now U.S. Route 250, was part of the initial 1918 state highway system (numbered State Route 9 until 1923). It initially continued west from Monterey on present US 250, [CTB minutes|07-1922-01, Proposed "State Highway System" for Virginia, as Recommended by the State Roads Committee, January, 1918] but by 1924 it used current State Route 84 west to West Virginia. The road west from Monterey towards West Virginia Route 56 [CTB minutes|04-1924-01, page 5] (now U.S. Route 250) for 7.86 miles (12.65 km) was added to the state highway system in 1930 [CTB minutes|12-1930-02, page 24] and 1932 as State Route 835; [CTB minutes|07-1932-03, page 26] the remaining mileage to the state line was added in 1933. [CTB minutes|10-1933-01, page 23]

In the 1933 renumbering, State Routes 41 and 835 both became part of a new State Route 5, as did the piece of State Route 39 from Monterey to Shadwell. By 1935, [CTB minutes|08-1935-02, "Route 250, Broad Street Road, just east of Hungary Springs Road"] the whole route west of Richmond became an extension of U.S. Route 250 into Virginia, truncating SR 5 to its present Richmond-Williamsburg route.

SR 5 was extended east along State Route 31 through Williamsburg to State Route 168 (now State Route 143) "to improve the service to travelers interchanging between Route 5 and Routes 60 and 168" in 1958. [CTB minutes|08-1958-01, page 64] SR 31 has since been truncated to the SR 5 junction.

References