Interstate 77 in Virginia
Route information | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Maintained by VDOT | ||||
Length | 66.27 mi[1][2][3] (106.65 km) | |||
Existed | 1972–present | |||
NHS | Entire route | |||
Major junctions | ||||
South end | I-74 / I-77 near Mount Airy, NC | |||
| ||||
North end | I-77 / US 52 near Bluefield, WV | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Virginia | |||
Counties | Carroll, Wythe, Bland | |||
Highway system | ||||
|
Interstate 77 (I-77) in the US state of Virginia is a 67-mile (108 km) north–south Interstate Highway serving Hillsville, Wytheville, and Bland. Running parallel to US Route 52 (US 52), I-77 passes through the Big Walker Mountain Tunnel and East River Mountain Tunnel, the latter on the West Virginia state line and one of only two land vehicular tunnels to cross a state line.[4]
Route description
I-77 enters Virginia near Mount Airy, North Carolina, while the highway continues south into North Carolina concurrently with a segment of the unfinished I-74. The first exit is a folded diamond interchange with State Route 620 (SR 620).[5] The route continues northeast toward Fancy Gap and passes under the Blue Ridge Parkway, with access to it and the town provided by a diamond interchange with SR 775, which has a connection to US 52.
Continuing northwest, the expressway reaches another diamond interchange with US 58/US 221 (Carrollton Pike). The route has another interchange with SR 620 before folding onto I-81.
The route begins a wrong-way concurrency with I-81 and US 11, with the northbound direction cosigned with southbound I-81 and US 11. US 52 joins this concurrency in an interchange. Continuing west, US 11 splits south to Wytheville's downtown[6] and I-81 eventually splits west to head toward Bristol. From here, US 52 resumes its parallel of the expressway and the highway intersects SR 61 near Rocky Gap. Near Bland, the interstate enters the Big Walker Mountain Tunnel, and north of Bland, US 52 merges onto the freeway on the approach to the East River Mountain Tunnel, and the tunnel crosses into West Virginia, where the route continues.
History
I-77 was first opened in 1972 between I-81 in Wytheville and US 52 in Bland, which also included the Big Walker Mountain Tunnel. The Interstate was extended from Bland to the West Virginia border in 1974–1975; this extension included the East River Mountain Tunnel. In July 1977, I-77 was built between the North Carolina border and Fancy Gap, and, in December, it was extended from Fancy Gap to Poplar Camp. In 1978, I-77 was built between Poplar Camp and I-81. The Interstate existed in two separate segments until 1987, when the I-81/I-77 overlap between Wytheville and Fort Chiswell was built.
I-77 in Fancy Gap has been the site of many fatal accidents, often due to fog and wind in the mountains. In November 2010, two people died as a result of a 75-vehicle pileup.[7] On March 31, 2013, 17 crashes along I-77 led to a 95-vehicle pileup and resulted in three deaths.[8][9] In September 2013, a pileup resulted in one death.[10]
Exit list
County | Location | mi | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Carroll | | 0.00 | 0.00 | I-77 south / I-74 east – Charlotte | North Carolina state line | ||
| 0.94 | 1.51 | 1 | SR 620 | |||
| 8.57 | 13.79 | 8 | SR 148 / SR 775 to US 52 – Fancy Gap | To Blue Ridge Parkway | ||
| 14.85 | 23.90 | 14 | US 58 / US 221 – Hillsville, Galax | |||
| 19.03 | 30.63 | 19 | SR 620 | |||
Poplar Camp | 24.06 | 38.72 | 24 | SR 69 – Poplar Camp | |||
Wythe | | 32.14 | 51.72 | 32 | I-81 north / US 11 north – Roanoke | South end of I-81 / US 11 wrong-way concurrency; I-77 south follows exit 81 | |
Interstate 77 overlaps with I-81. (exit 73 to 80) | |||||||
Wytheville | 39.18 | 63.05 | 40 | I-81 south / US 52 north to US 21 south – Bristol | North end of I-81 wrong-way concurrency; north end of US 52 overlap; I-77 north follows exit 72 | ||
40.28 | 64.82 | 41 | SR 610 (Peppers Ferry Road) – Wytheville, Max Meadows | ||||
Bland | | 45.77 | 73.66 | 47 | SR 717 | ||
Wythe | No major intersections | ||||||
Big Walker Mountain | 48.81 | 78.55 | Big Walker Mountain Tunnel | ||||
Bland | Bland | 51.22 | 82.43 | 52 | US 52 / SR 42 – Bland | ||
| 57.33 | 92.26 | 58 | US 52 (via SR 666) – Bastian | |||
South Gap | 61.27 | 98.60 | 62 | SR 606 – South Gap | |||
Rocky Gap | 63.24 | 101.77 | 64 | US 52 / SR 61 – Rocky Gap | |||
| 65.57 | 105.52 | 66 | US 52 south / SR 598 | South end of US 52 overlap | ||
| 66.27 | 106.65 | I-77 north / US 52 north – Bluefield, Charleston | West Virginia state line (East River Mountain Tunnel through East River Mountain) | |||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
|
References
- ^ "2005 Virginia Department of Transportation Jurisdiction Report - Daily Traffic Volume Estimates - Carroll County" (PDF).
- ^ "2005 Virginia Department of Transportation Jurisdiction Report - Daily Traffic Volume Estimates - Wythe County" (PDF).
- ^ "2005 Virginia Department of Transportation Jurisdiction Report - Daily Traffic Volume Estimates - Bland County" (PDF).
- ^ Beth (2016-06-30). "Most People Have No Idea This Unique Tunnel In Virginia Exists". OnlyInYourState. Retrieved 2019-09-19.
- ^ "Virginia Interstate Exits - Travel | Virginia Department of Transportation". www.virginiadot.org. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
- ^ "Virginia Interstate Exits - Travel | Virginia Department of Transportation". www.virginiadot.org. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
- ^ Police, Staff Reports, Virginia State (November 16, 2010). "Dense fog causes 75-vehicle pile up and closes southbound I-77". HeraldCourier.com. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "3 killed in 95-vehicle pileup at Virginia-N.C. line". USA Today. March 31, 2019. Retrieved 2019-09-19.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Purdy, Chase (March 31, 2013). "3 killed in I-77 pileup". The Roanoke Times. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "UPDATE: Pile-Up in Dense Fog on I-77 Kills One, Injures Two". WSET. 2013-09-21. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
External links
- Media related to Interstate 77 in Virginia at Wikimedia Commons