VA 38
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Photo: VA 38 unisigns from SR 614 northbound (photo by Mapmikey 11/10/07)
From:  Amelia CH (Amelia County)
To:  Scotts Fork (Amelia County)
Current Length:  7.03 miles  
ROUTE LOG
US 360 Bus: 0 - 0
VA 153: 7.03 - 7.03
 Creation: Appeared in July 1933 as a renumbering of VA 406. Originally, VA 38 ran from US 360 Amelia CH east to US 460 Sutherland This is the 2nd VA 38.
Adjustments: In Oct 1940 (CTB), VA 38 was extended north from Amelia to end at VA 13 Tobaccoville, replacing some of VA 49.
Sometime around the time VA 38 was extended north of Amelia CH, US 360 was removed from SR 656 and placed on current US 360 Business west out of Amelia CH. When this happened, VA 38's path (0.03 miles) between old and new 360 remained in the primary system, presumably as VA 38-Y.

(1933 Official)
VA 38 in 1933
1933 Official

VA 38 extended to Tobaccoville
1941-42 Official

VA 38-Y stub left behind in Amelia CH
1940 Amelia County

In April 1951 (CTB), VA 38 east was truncated to US 360 Amelia. Amelia to below Wilsons Corner became an extended VA 153. From the old north end of VA 153 east to US 460, VA 38 was downgraded to SR 708.
In Aug 1951 (CTB), VA 38 was re-extended east to Scotts Fork, replacing VA 153, plus the CTB explicitly said VA 38 was to be assigned with VA 153 south to the SR 708 intersection (about 3 miles).
In Aug 1954 (CTB), VA 38 was downgraded to SR 681 between Tobaccoville and Amelia.

VA 38 east truncated to VA 153
1952 Official

VA 38 west truncated to Amelia
1955 Official

The 1958 Official is the last to show the useless VA 38-153 duplex and the 1958 Amelia County map does not show it.
VA 38 was reconfigured at VA 153 to meet SR 602 in a 4-way intersection but this is not in the historic CTB minutes that I can find, so it may have occurred after 2001.
Officially VA 38 was rerouted at the SR 614 intersection south of Amelia to its current 4-way intersection in the June 2009 CTB (originally, VA 38 and SR 614 did not touch). However, the intersection was already reconfigured the first time I visited there at least 3 years before this. VA 38 replaced SRs 1014 and 1018.
Improvements:  Paved upon inception from Amelia to Mannsboro and all of the Dinwiddie County portion.
The rest of VA 38 was paved in 1934.
VA 38 has no multilane segments.
Posted:  Fully posted; From US 360 Bus EB, VA 38 is posted to follow SR 1007.
Multiplexes:  None
Legislative names:  None
Other names:  Virginia Ave/Court St/Washington St/Church St (Amelia CH); Five Forks Rd (Amelia County)
Scenic Byway:  No segments
Comment: VA 38 is a quiet route.
VA 38 has always had the multiple turn tour of Amelia CH.

Previous VA 38's:

1932 ROUTE LOG
US 15, US 29, VA 32: 0 - 0
VA 708: 11 - 11
US 1 NB, VA 31 NB: 20 - 31
VA 37: 1.5 - 32.5
US 1 SB, Begin US 17, VA 31 SB: 0.5 - 33
VA 50: 6 - 39
VA 633: 14 - 53
VA 621: 27 - 80
VA 13 EB: 1 block - 80
VA 13 WB: 3 - 83
VA 604: 9 - 92
VA 631: 9 - 101
US 17 SB, VA 30 WB: 9 - 110
VA 30 EB: 2 - 112
VA 603: 9 - 121
VA 601: 4 - 125
VA 629: 6 - 131
VA 600 WB: 1 - 132
VA 600 EB: 2 - 134
END VA 38: 11 - 145
 VA 38 #1: Appeared in 1923 as a renumbering of VA 8 from Fredericksburg to Saluda.
More specifically, VA 38 began at Saluda and picked up today's US 17 Bus and US 17 north from Saluda, then used SR 614 in the Warner area. After more 17, VA 38 used SR 695 in the Church View area. VA 38 the used US 17 to Jamaica, then SR 647. A bit more 17 was followed by SR 608 Glebe Landing Rd.
In Essex County, VA 38 followed SR 720 from Laneview to Montague; SR 602 from Montague to Oakley, then across US 17 and still on SR 602 looping over to Center Cross. After a bit of US 17, VA 38 used SR 718 then crossed US 17 onto another loop that is no longer a road; a little more 17 to Ozeana; then looped back and forth with US 17 without using it all the way to SR 609 past Dunnsville (SR 1103/1102/1001 loops and some that are no longer roads); VA 38 used a bit more of 17 then used an alignment slightly west to cross Piscataway Creek; then used "Old Seventeen" and SR 715 to Brays Fork.
VA 38 used US 17-360 into Tappahannock (except it used SR 698 loop and SR 1003 Essex St). VA 38 then followed SR 657 west which no longer connects to SR 627. VA 38 used SR 627 then SR 716 back to US 17, then the SR 624 loop in Caret.
The 1924 Blue Book shows VA 38 using SR 624 to Lloyds, then SR 631 to Champlain, then an SR 11xx loop, then a little SR 633 over towards Occupacia. VA 38 may have used SR 632 and SR 658 which no longer connects back to US 17 at Loretto. VA 38 then used US 17 to the Caroline County line except the bridge over portobago Creek is to the north a little (but still there).
VA 38 seems to have followed US 17 to Port Royal (using the NB alignment where the route splits). VA 38 used the still visible old bridge to the north of US 17 over Goldenvale Creek. VA 38 followed US 17 until past Rappahannock Academy then used SR 719 north to (no longer connects to) SR 614 then back to US 17 to New Post VA 38 then used SR 698 which no longer connects back to US 17 Bus but the two old bridges at Ruffins Pond are visible to the north of US 17 Bus. VA 38 followed 17 Bus generally to SR 638, then likely used Old Airport Rd to head towards Fredericksburg, which used to connect with Dixon St. VA 38 then turned onto Princess Anne St and the route ended at VA 31 (now US 1 Bus) National Rd (now Lafayette Blvd).

VA 38 Fredericksburg to Saluda
1924 Official

In Jan 1925 (CTB), VA 38 was extended 3.7 miles south towards Mathews CH.
In Oct 1926, VA 38 was extended along VA 31 through Fredericksburg to Falmouth, then replaced the two VA 327 pieces northwest to end at VA 32 (now US 15-29) Opal.
VA 38 followed Pincess Anne St, then crossed the Rappahannock River just west of the current US 1 crossing, then used a bit of SR 607, then SR 1001. VA 38 used US 17 with the exception of the following loops: SR 700; SR 750 at Berea; SR 746; SR 704; SR 705 Hartwood; SR 706. In Fauquier County, VA 38 followed US 17 with the exception of these loops: SR 813 Goldvein; SR 718/634 Morrisville; SR 841; SR 839; SR 805/656 Bealeton; SR 837 Liberty. There was still a gap in the primary designation along this path.

VA 327 Falmouth to Opal
1924 Official

VA 38 extended to opal
1926 Official
In Dec 1926, a second piece of VA 38 was started, running from VA 291 (now VA 14) Mathews northwest 6.6 miles towards Saluda via today's VA 198.
In 1927, US 17 was added to VA 38 from Fredericksburg to Saluda.
In March 1927 (CTB), VA 38 was extended southeast 3 miles towards Mathews via today's VA 33 plus SR 629/641 Stormont.
In Jan 1928 (CTB), VA 38 in Fauquier County was extended 1.99 miles towards Bealton.
In Aug 1928 (CTB), VA 38 was extended south from Mathews to Bayside via today's VA 14. About half of this was a replacement of VA 291 and the rest was new primary routing; also VA 38 in Mathews County was extended northwest 1.5 miles towards Twiggs Ferry via VA 198, VA 3 and SR 655; also VA 38 in Middlesex County was extended 5.5 miles towards Twiggs Ferry via VA 33, VA 3 and SR 701; also VA 38 in Fauquier County was extended southeast 4.62 miles. All of these extensions made VA 38 continuous from Bayside to Opal.
In late 1930, VA 38 was placed on modern US 17's routing from Fredericksburg to Saluda.

VA 38 extended to Mathews and Bayside
1932 Official

In July 1933, VA 38 was renumbered as VA 17 from Opal to Falmouth; US 1 remained from Falmouth to Fredericksburg; US 17 remained from Fredericksburg to Saluda; Saluda to Hartfield became VA 4; Hartfield to Cobbs Creek became VA 225; Cobbs Creek to Mathews became VA 198; Mathews to Bayside became VA 14.
VA 38-Y: Appeared around 1940 as a renumbering of a bit of VA 38 which was moved onto the new path of US 360 (now US 360 Business) in Amelia CH.
In June 1941 (CTB), VA 38-Y was downgraded to SR 1009. See scan above.

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Page last modified 8 March 2013