VA 845 from Basye to Bird Haven 1932 Shenandoah County

VA 265 replaces VA 845 1936 Official

VA 265 #2: Appeared in the April and June 1969 CTB Minutes as the designation for new construction between VA 297 (current US 460 Bus) and the US 460-VA 291 (now US 221 at Old Forest Rd) intersection in Lynchburg.
In May 1970 (CTB), the VA 265 designation was changed to VA 291. Today it is part of the US 501 Bypass of Lynchburg.
VA 265 #3: First appeared in the January 1973 minutes and was assigned 10.7 miles as the Danville Bypass from US 29 at the NC Line to US 29 north of Danville.
The next mention of VA 265 was in January 1976, referring to design of VA 265 but only from US 29 at NC Line to US 58-360.
The first appearance of VA 265 on a map was a dotted line on the 1980 Official.
VA 265 opened in 1982, from US 29 to VA 86. VA 265 was extended to SR 737 in 1986, and extended again to US 58-360 by 1988.

VA 265 first appears 1980 Official

VA 265 opens 1982-83 Official

VA 265 extended to US 58-360 1988 Official

When the freeway was extended further around to meet US 29 north of Danville, VA 265 was renumbered as US 29.

VA 265 proposed to head north to US 29 1996 Official

VA 265 renumbered as US 29 1998 Official

Although the June 1996 (CTB) explicitly removes VA 265 as the designation, The 2003 VDOT Route Log still shows VA 265 as active in its final incarnation, but it also has a VA 785 as active on the same freeway. In the field it is signed only as US 29-58 and there is one "future I-785 corridor" sign in each direction. So I believe VA 265 is not in existence.
In true VDOT tradition, the 1980 state map shows this as US 265.