US 17-1 Emporia to Petersburg 1929 Official

US 301 replaces US 17-1 1933 Official

Adjustments:In July 1933, VA 24 and VA 35 were dropped from the route.
In Apr 1939 (CTB), US 301 was rebuilt in the Templeton area, leaving behind VA 35-Y (now part of US 301 again).
On January 1, 1942 (approved May 1941 by AASHO), US 301 was extended north with US 1 to Richmond, over VA 2 to Bowling Green, then replaced what had been VA 207 from Bowling Green northeast to Maryland at Dahlgren. All of this had been part of the short-lived but posted VA 301.
In Jan 1945 (CTB), the Hopwell Chamber of Commerce put forth a proposal to build a high-rise bridge over the James River near Hopewell and to put US 301 on it. A map was given to the CTB but the minutes do not show/describe where US 301 would run to Hopewell or how it might tie back into US 301 further north. The CTB did agree to study the proposal. I found no other references to this proposal.
In Dec 1947 (CTB), US 301 was removed from SR 695 south of Bowling Green.
In Aug 1951 (CTB), US 301 was rerouted in Petersburg off of Sycamore St and instead using its current routing along Crater Rd into eastern Petersburg. This was a swap with US 301 ALT. Oddly, this was not submitted to AASHO for approval until Sept 1974.

Initial Petersburg routing 1936 Official

current Petersburg routing 1959 Official

In Nov 1953 (CTB), US 301 was placed on one-way splits in Richmond: NB used Broad St, Bowe St, Moore St, Lombardy St; SB used Lombardy St and Broad St. I have yet to find a Richmond map that shows the US 1 and US 60 routings used throughout most of the 1950s.
In Sept 1959 (CTB), US 301 was given its current routing through Richmond with the completion of Chamberlayne connecting to Belvidere directly.

Richmond routing up to 1953 1935 Official

Richmond routing since 1959 1961 Official

Around Dec 1960 (CTB), US 301 was put back on its original routing in Templeton, replacing VA 35-Y. The ramp from VA 35 to NB I-95 may be in the old 301 ROW.

Initial Templeton routing 1935 Prince George County

Templeton routing 1939-60ish 1963 Prince George County

Templeton routing since 1960ish 2004 Prince George County

In Feb 1969 (CTB), US 301 was placed on its bypass of Bowling Green.

VA 301 north of Richmond 1941 Official

US 301 replaces VA 301 1941-42 Official

US 301 gaps filled above Bowling Green 1944 Official

US 301 Bypasses Bowling Green 1970 Official

In 1980-81, US 301 was altered at a number of overpasses/interchanges to accommodate the construction of I-95 from Jarratt to Templeton. I-95's south lanes were put on US 301's northbound lanes over significant stretches.
Improvements:  Upon designation in 1932, US 301 was fully paved
The First segment of US 301 to be 4-laned was its addition to US 1 in 1941.
In 1951, US 301 was multilaned in eastern Petersburg
In 1955, US 301 was multilaned from Emporia to Jarratt.
In 1956, US 301 was multilaned from the Sussex/Prince George line to Templeton.
In 1957, US 301 was multilaned from Jarratt to the Sussex/Prince George Line
In 1963, US 301 was multilaned from Richmond several miles north.
In 1965, US 301 was multilaned from the Rappahannock River to the Dahlgren Wayside.
In 1966, US 301 was multilaned from Bowling Green to US 17.
In 1969, US 301 was multilaned when placed on the Bowling Green bypass.
In 1971, US 301 was multilaned from SR 721 north to Bowling Green.
In 1978, US 301 was multilaned from US 17 across the Rappahannock River.
In 1980-81, US 301 reverted to 2-lane from Jarratt to Templeton except for about a mile or so around Carson as I-95 stole its ROW.
US 301 is 6+ lanes from VA 150 to Overbrook Rd in Richmond (about 12 miles);
Posted:  Fully posted
The last known US 301 cutouts were in Richmond and were gone by 2003.
There is a circle 301 shield in King George County
Multiplexes:  VA 40 Bus (0.24 mi)
VA 35 (0.72 mi)
US 460 Bus (0.98 mi)
US 460 Bus, VA 36 (0.10 mi)
VA 36 (0.70 mi)
US 1 (incl triplexes) (26.08 mi)
US 1, VA 144 (1.94 mi)
VA 2 (32.90 mi)
Legislative names:  Blue Star Memorial Highway , entire route except Bowling Green bypass (2-24-48); Washington-Rocheambeau Highway, several sections (route follows original VA 50) between Hanover CH and Bowling Green (2-20-75)
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Bridge over Appomattox River (4-16-92); James Madison Memorial Bridge over Rappahannock River (5-13-38 designation predates US 301);
Other names:  Skippers Rd (s of Emporia); Main St (Emporia); Crater Rd (Prince George Co); Crater Rd/[Bollingbrook St NB, Bank St SB] (Petersburg); Boulevard (Colonial Heights); Cowardin Ave/Lee Bridge/Belvidere St (Richmond); Chamberlayne Ave (Richmond, Henrico and Hanover Co); Hanover Courthouse Rd(Hanover Co n of SR 653); Richmond Tpk (Caroline Co s of Bowling Green), A P Hill Blvd (Caroline Co s of Bowling Green); James Madison Pkwy (KIng George Co)
Scenic Byway:  No segments
Comments: The July 1941 official map shows a break in routing from Bowling Green northward. I never have found the CTB reference to put this into the primary system.
North of Bowling Green, it would make a good interstate corridor along with VA 207. Maryland's portion of US 301 is quickly becoming unusable as a through route.
The bridge to Md. is toll SB only ($4).
US 301 has interstate-style mile markers north of VA 207. It's mostly a local road in VA below Richmond.
Right at the NC Line there is a stoplight at SR 662 - which is a dead end road.

1925 proposed US 301 routing 1926 NC/SC Auto Trails

US 17 assigned to this route instead 1926 Official