VA 4
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Photo: VA 4 on the earthen portion of Kerr Dam (photo by Mapmikey 9/23/06)
From:  Gills (Mecklnburg County)
To:  North Carolina State Line near Palmer Springs (Mecklnburg County)
Current Length:  11.02 miles  
The road does not continue as primary routing in N.C.
ROUTE LOG
US 58: 0 - 0
NC STATE LINE: 11.02 - 11.02
Creation: Designated in Aug 1952 (CTB) as a mix of new construction and upgrades to SRs 715, 712, 708, and 674 running the way it does now.
This is the 4th VA 4. Adjustments: The Kerr Dam was not completed until about 1954 so there may have been a gap in VA 4 briefly.
Improvements:  Paved upon inception; no multilane segments
Posted:  Fully posted; there is a TO VA 4 shield on US 1 NB just inside the VA/NC line
Multiplexes:  None
Legislative names:  None
Scenic Byway:  None
Comment: The choice of 4 for this route is odd...many 3 digit numbers were available.
Lou Corsaro shares his experience with VA 4:
VA 4 in its entirety a dead narrow road with occasional homes. Midway through VA 4, goes through Kerr Dam at Kerr Lake, it was really something to see, which undoubtfully is the only thing to see on VA 4 and few lake homes. Crossing into NC, you would see your typical " Welcome to NC " guide sign in the distance but before you would cross into NC, you would see signs indicating the ground is low and it is prone to flooding. The day we traveled, fortunately the road was passable but there was a little water at the very bottom of the highway inches away from crossing the border! Once crossing into NC, the roadway goes uphill and turns away from the immediate Kerr Lake watershed.
VA 4 (1958 Mecklenburg County)
Current VA 4
1958 Mecklenburg County
Previous VA 4's:

1922 ROUTE LOG
BEGIN VA 4: 0 - 0
MD STATE LINE: 64 - 64


1937 ROUTE LOG
WV STATE LINE: 0 - 0
Harrisonburg-Rockingham Line: 21.62 - 21.62
VA 42: 1 - 22.62
US 11: 0.25 - 22.84
Rockingham-Harrisonburg Line: 0.75 - 23.59
VA 253: 1.25 - 24.84
VA 12 SB: 6.53 - 31.37
VA 12 NB: 8.36 - 39.73
Greene-Rockingham Line: 6.66 - 46.69
VA 230: 7 - 53.69
VA 243 WB: 3 - 56.69
VA 243 WB: 2 - 58.69
US 29: 5 - 63.69
Orange-Greene Line: 1 - 64.69
VA 20: 5 - 69.69
US 15 NB, VA 231: 6 - 75.69
Louisa-Orange Line: 1 - 76.69
US 15 SB, VA 22: 4.15 - 80.84
VA 16 NB: 10.59 - 91.43
VA 16 SB: 0.10 - 91.53
VA 49 NB: 5.46 - 96.99
VA 49 SB: 3.75 - 100.74
Hanover-Louisa Line: 11.89 - 112.63
VA 54: 6.20 - 118.83
Henrico-Hanover Line: 11.95 - 130.78
VA 4 ALT: 0.10 - 130.88
VA 4 ALT: 2.40 - 133.28
VA 161: 3.92 - 137.20
US 250 WB: 2.4 - 139.60
Richmond-Henrico Line: 0.5 - 140.10
VA 161: 1.32 - 141.42
US 1 NB: 0.97 - 142.39
US 1 SB: 0.61 - 143.00
US 60 WB, US 250 END: 0.49 - 143.49
US 360 WB: 0.56 - 144.05
US 360 EB: 0.70 - 144.75
US 60 EB: 0.25 - 145.00
Henrico-Richmond Line: 1.33 - 146.33
VA 156 NB: 6.52 - 152.85
US 60 WB: 0.95 - 153.80
VA 156 SB: 3.4 - 157.20
New Kent-Henrico Line: 2.30 - 159.50
US 60 EB: 0.35 - 159.85
VA 155 NB: 7.55 - 167.40
VA 155 SB: 3.90 - 171.30
VA 30 SB: 11.80 - 183.10
King William-New Kent Line: 1.20 - 184.30
VA 296: 0.14 - 184.44
VA 30 NB: 0.09 - 184.53
VA 298: 0.09 - 184.62
King and Queen-King William Line: 0.68 - 185.30
VA 14 NB: 3.45 - 188.75
VA 14 SB: 1.84 - 190.59
Gloucester-King and Queen Line: 2.93 - 193.52
US 17 SB: 3.15 - 196.67
Middlesex-Gloucester Line: 1.66 - 198.33
US 17 NB: 1.80 - 200.13
VA 227: 2.09 - 202.22
VA 225: 8.54 - 210.76
END VA 4: 8.50 - 219.26


1946 ROUTE LOG
US 19: 0 - 0
VA 67 NB: 5 - 5
VA 67 SB: 3 - 8
VA 83 WB: 24 - 32
VA 83 EB: 4 - 36
KY STATE LINE: 13 - 49

VA 4 #1: Began in January 1918 as an original state route defined by the general assembly:

Route 4: Maryland Line, Accomac, Eastville, Cape Charles

It is unclear where in Cape Charles VA 4 would've ended. The first official map to show a ferry to Norfolk was 1926. Since Cape Charles is not the county seat of Northampton County, there is no courthouse to end at. Perhaps it ended at the post office location at that time.
VA 4 may have initially followed today's SR 641 Old Cape Charles Rd to Bayview but followed VA 184/US 13 Bus to Cheriton by 1922.
VA 4 followed US 13, then 13 Bus through Eastville. VA 4 followed US 13 to Sunny Side, then seems to have used SR 618, SR 622 to Bridgertown, SR 619, then SR 618 to Franktown and Exmore.
VA 4 then used US 13 Bus through Exmore, then VA 178 to Belle Haven. The 1922 Auto Trails map shows VA 4 using VA 181/SR 609 to Pungoteague, then SR 718 to Onancock. VA 4 then used VA 179/VA 126 to Tasley. As best I can tell, VA 4 then followed US 13 or US 13 Bus to the Maryland line except it may have used SR 710 above New Church.
By Jan 1923 (CTB), VA 4 was moved to VA 181/US 13/US 13 Bus from Belle Haven to Tasley. Onancok to Tasley became VA 4X while the rest became unnumbered.
Later in 1923, VA 4 was renumbered as VA 34.
VA 4 never connected to any other part of the highway system.

VA 4 (1922 Auto Trails)
VA 4 #1
1922 Auto Trails

VA 4 #2: Appeared in July 1933 as a renumbering of:
VA 814 from the West Virginia line near Rawley Springs to Harrisonburg
VA 17 from Harrisonburg to Gordonsville
VA 32 from Gordonsville to Boswells Tavern
VA 39 from Boswells Tavern to Montpelier
VA 420 from Montpelier to Richmond
VA 41 through Richmond
VA 429 from Richmond to Seven Pines
VA 39 from Seven Pines to Bottoms Bridge
VA 415 from Bottoms Bridge to West Point
VA 30 from West Point to Saluda
VA 38 from Saluda to Hartfield
VA 603 from Hartfield to Deltaville

Here is a look at VA 4's specific routing:

old VA 4 bridge
VA 4 used this bridge at Penn Laird.
The owner has since built a cover for the bridge.
Mapmikey 1/17/07
VA 4 used today's US 33 from West Virginia to Dale Enterprise; SR 702 loop; US 33 into Harrisonburg; Country Club Rd in the I-81 area; US 33 to VA 276; abandoned but visible routing at Penn Laird; SR 655; US 33; SR 842; SR 996 (except SR 843 in McGaheysville); SR 997 (no longer connects to); US 33; SR 981; US 33 Bus through Elkton; US 33 over the mountain (a couploe visible abandoned alignments exist ascending the mountain).

VA 4 (1933 Official)
VA 4 from West Virginia to Elkton
1933 Official

VA 4 followed US 33 then US 33 Business through Stanardsville (except SR 677 loop); US 33; US 33 to Gordonsville except SR 678 through Barboursville; US 15; VA 22 to Mineral; US 522 to Cuckoo; US 33 to Henrico County except SR 709 through Farrington.

VA 4 (1933 Official)
VA 4 from Elkton to Henrico County
1933 Official

In Henrico County, VA 4 followed US 33 to Hunton Park Blvd, then used Old Mountain Rd which is cutoff by I-295. On the other side of I-295, VA 4 used Old Mountain Rd, Mountain Rd, Courtney Rd and Old Courtney Rd back to US 33. After a bit of 33, VA 4 followed Old Route 33 (no longer connects to), Hungary Rd, and Old Staples Mill Rd back to US 33. VA 4 followed US 33 to Broad St, then Broad St through Richmond to 25th St. VA 4 followed this to VA 33 Nine Mile Rd.
VA 4 used VA 33 to Seven Pines, then US 60; Old Williamsburg Rd (cutoff by I-295); US 60 to the New Kent County Line. VA 4 then cut northeast (no road now with I-64 right there) and picked up SR 674 Clint Ln; VA 249 east to VA 33 east to West Point except the Pamunkey River Bridge was slightly north of today's new bridge.
VA 4 followed VA 33 from West Point to Deltaville except SR 678 Shacklefords; SR 601 loop: SR 679 loop; SR 647 Batt; SR 629/641 Stormont; SR 707 loop

VA 4 (1933 Official)
VA 4 from Richmond to Deltaville
1933 Official

In Oct 1935 (CTB), VA 4 was removed from Mountain Rd/Courtney Rds and placed on modern US 33. The old route became VA 4 ALT. See scans under VA 4 ALT entry.
In Aug 1937 (CTB), VA 4 was removed from SR 655/842 in the Penn Laird/Montevideo area and ploaced on current US 33/SR 996.
In 1938, VA 4 was removed from the SR 655 area old alignment in Penn Laird pictured above.
In 1938, VA 4 was renumbered as US 33 west of Richmond and VA 33 east of Richmond.

VA 4 #3: Appeared in Oct 1940 (CTB) as a renumbering of VA 84, running from US 19 Claypool Hill west to the Kentucky State Line via Cedar Bluff, Richlands, and Grundy.
In June 1942 (CTB), VA 4 was removed from SR 707/1202/631 in Cedar Bluff and placed on today's US 460 Business.
Between 1940-43, VA 4 was moved from the east side of Levisa Fork through Conaway near Kentucky and placed on the west side of the river, leaving behind SR 700.

VA 4 (1940 Buchanan County)
VA 4 original Kentucky approach
1940 Buchanan County
VA 4 (1943 Buchanan County)
VA 4 moved across the river
1943 Buchanan County

On 1/1/1947 (per Virginia Hwy Bulletin), VA 4 was renumbered as part of US 460. Today it is US 460 and US 460 Bus through Cedar Bluff and Richlands; VA 67/SR 751/SR 806 through Raven; SRs 804/805 Red Ash; SR 727 Grimleysville; SR 721 in Keen Mountain/Marvin; SRs 759 and 1013 in Janney; SR 725 in Tookland. There are innumerable abandoned alignments of US 460 on the big curves following various mountain streams.

VA 4 (1944 Official)
VA 4 #3
1944 Official
US 460 (1947 Official)
VA 4 replaced by US 460
1947 Official

VA 4 ALT: Appeared in Oct 1935 (CTB) as a renumbering of VA 4. Ran on today's Old Coutney Rd, Courtney Rd, Mountain Rd and the discontinuous segments of Old Mountain Rd (cutoff by I-295).
In 1938, VA 4 ALT was renumbered as VA 33 ALT.

VA 4 (1935 Henrico County)
VA 4 using Mountain Rd and Courtney Rd
1935 Henrico County
VA 4 ALT (1937 Official)
VA 4 ALT northwest of Richmond
1937 Official

VA 4X: Mentioned in the Jan 1923 CTB as the route from VA 4 (now US 13 Bus) Tasley to Onancock. This had been the routing of VA 4.
In 1923, VA 4X became VA 342. Today it is VA 179 and VA 126.

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Page last modified 7 February 2015