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| State Route 700 (Virginia) | |
|---|---|
| State | VA |
| Type | SR |
| Route | 700 |
| Length mi | varies |
| Direction a | South |
| Direction b | North |
| Terminus a | various |
| Terminus b | various |
| Counties | multiple |
State Route 700 (Virginia) is a secondary numbered highway designation applied to a series of discontinuous local roads within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Unlike primary routes such as U.S. Route 1, U.S. Route 29, or Interstate 81, the SR 700 designation appears on multiple segments managed by the Virginia Department of Transportation across several counties and independent cities. These segments typically serve rural communities, connect to primary arteries like U.S. Route 11 and U.S. Route 60, and provide access to landmarks including historical sites, reservoirs, and parks governed by entities such as the National Park Service and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Segments labeled SR 700 traverse a mosaic of landscapes from the Shenandoah Valley near Shenandoah National Park to the Piedmont adjacent to Blue Ridge Parkway. One prominent segment parallels portions of Meadow River tributaries and links small towns comparable to Lexington, Virginia and Buena Vista, Virginia, intersecting primary corridors such as U.S. Route 11 and state routes like Virginia State Route 42. Another SR 700 piece serves as a connector between agricultural areas near Amherst County, Virginia and commercial nodes aligned with U.S. Route 29 Business (Lynchburg) and Interstate 64 interchanges. Typical roadway characteristics include two-lane alignments, asphalt pavement varying from modern overlays to older mill-and-fill surfaces, signage conforming to standards set by the Federal Highway Administration and the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
Along its alignments, SR 700 segments provide access to cultural and recreational destinations such as properties managed by the Virginia Historical Society, preserved battlefield sites related to the American Civil War, and outdoor facilities adjacent to reservoirs like those administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The route frequently crosses rail corridors operated by companies including Norfolk Southern Railway and provides connections to commuter and freight nodes in regions influenced by the historical development patterns of towns such as Harrisonburg, Virginia and Staunton, Virginia.
The numbering of SR 700 reflects administrative practices of the Virginia State Highway Commission and later the Virginia Department of Transportation during the 20th century when a scheme of secondary route assignments was expanded to catalog myriad local roads. Early 20th-century improvements to roads later designated SR 700 were influenced by statewide campaigns associated with figures like Harry F. Byrd Sr. and policies such as the Good Roads Movement, which paralleled initiatives in neighboring states including North Carolina and West Virginia. Many SR 700 alignments incorporate older turnpike rights-of-way and plank road remnants linked to antebellum trade routes that once connected towns such as Lexington and Lynchburg.
During the mid-20th century, federal programs including projects under the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 prioritized interstates and primary arterials, while secondary routes like SR 700 continued to be incrementally upgraded using state and local funding. Some SR 700 segments were realigned or renumbered in response to the construction of expressways such as Interstate 64 and Interstate 81, mirroring changes seen along U.S. Route 60 and U.S. Route 220. Preservation efforts by organizations like the Virginia Department of Historic Resources have recognized features adjacent to SR 700 corridors, linking the road network to sites associated with figures such as Stonewall Jackson and events like the Valley Campaigns of 1864.
Because SR 700 is discontinuous, major intersections vary by segment but commonly include junctions with nationally and regionally significant highways: - Intersections with U.S. Route 11 near valley communities, providing links to Roanoke, Virginia and Winchester, Virginia. - Connections to U.S. Route 60 facilitating east–west travel toward Richmond, Virginia and Charleston, West Virginia. - Interchanges or at-grade crossings with Interstate 64 and Interstate 81, which form key freight corridors tied to ports such as Port of Virginia. - Crossings of state routes including Virginia State Route 42, Virginia State Route 6, and Virginia State Route 61, which tie SR 700 fragments to regional thoroughfares. - Proximity to rail crossings for carriers like Norfolk Southern Railway and access points to municipal roads governed by localities such as Amherst County and Rockbridge County.
Auxiliary and related designations associated with SR 700 include spur segments, former alignments, and connectors that the Virginia Department of Transportation may number within the 600–799 secondary range. These short connectors often provide direct access to institutions and facilities such as county courthouses, campus entrances for universities like Virginia Military Institute, and recreational areas administered by Shenandoah National Park authorities. Historical auxiliary ways include former bypasses around downtowns and realigned corridors created during highway improvement projects sponsored by state and federal agencies.
Future changes to SR 700 segments depend on regional planning efforts by Metropolitan Planning Organizations, county boards of supervisors, and state transportation programs managed by the Virginia Department of Transportation. Projects under consideration or in planning phases may include pavement rehabilitation funded through statewide programs, safety improvements inspired by guidelines from the National Transportation Safety Board, and multimodal enhancements to support bicycle and pedestrian access consistent with initiatives by advocacy groups like Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Additionally, development pressures near growth centers such as Lynchburg and Harrisonburg could prompt corridor studies that reclassify segments or create new connectors to primary highways like U.S. Route 29.
Category:State highways in Virginia Category:Secondary state highways in Virginia