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The Highways of Virginia US 220 
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US 220
From:NC State Line near Ridgeway (Henry County)
To: WV Line, above Monterrey (Highland County)
Total Length: 181 miles
Nationally US 220 runs from US 1 Rockingham, NC to NY 17 Waverly, NY - nearly miles
Business Routes: Ridgeway (since 1963 or 1964), Rocky Mount (since 1968-70), Martinsville (since 1976), Roanoke (since 1981), Clifton Forge (since 1988)  
ROUTE LOG
NC STATE LINE: 0 - 0
US 220 Bus: 3 - 3
VA 87: 1 - 4
US 220 Bus: 1 - 5
US 58 EB, US 220 Bus: 3 - 8
US 58 WB, US 58 Bus: 4 - 12
VA 57 ALT: 6 - 18
VA 57 EB: 1 - 19
US 220 Bus, VA 57 WB: 1 - 20
FR-HE LINE: 6 - 26
US 220 Bus: 15 - 41
VA 40: 1 - 42
US 220 Bus: 1 - 43
RO-FR LINE: 9 - 52
BLUE RIDGE PKWY: 6 - 58
US 220 Bus, VA 419: 2 - 60
ROA-RO LINE: 0.5 - 60.5
US 220 Bus: 2.5 - 63
I-581 BEGIN (exit 9), VA 24: 1 - 64
US 11, US 220 Bus, US 221, VA 116: 0.5 - 64.5
US 11 ALT, US 220 ALT, US 460, VA 116: 0.5 - 65
VA 101: 3 - 68
VA 117: 1.5 - 69.5
RO-ROA LINE: 0 - 69.5
I-81 SB (exit 143), I-581 END: 1 - 69.5
VA 115: 3 - 72.5
BO-RO LINE: 0.5 - 73
I-81 NB (exit 150), US 220 ALT: 3 - 76
VA 43: 21 - 97
AG-BO LINE: 11 - 108
US 220 Bus: 1 - 109
US 60 Bus WB: 0.5 - 109.5
I-64 EB (exit 27), US 60 EB, US 60 Bus END: 0.5 - 110
US 60 Bus, US 220 Bus, VA 384: 3 - 113
I-64 WB (exit 16): 8 - 121
COV-AG LINE: 0 - 121
VA 18: 1 - 122
US 60 WB: 1 - 123
VA 154: 1 - 124
AG-COV LINE: 1 - 125
BA-AG LINE: 6 - 131
VA 39: 14 - 145
HI-BA LINE: 13 - 158
VA 84: 13 - 171
US 250: 4 - 175
WV STATE LINE: 6 - 181
Creation: US 220 came to Virginia in 1935, when it was extended south from Cumberland, MD to Rockingham, NC. In general it ran as it does now. It replaced VA 18 from WV to Covington, VA 12 #2 from Clifton Forge to Troutdale, and US 311 from Roanoke to NC.
Adjustments: By 1937, US 220 went directly from Clifton Forge to Roanoke without going to Troutdale. The old route became VA 294 (curr SR 670).
In 1956, US 220 was given a new alignment between Boones Mill and Rocky Mount, leaving behind SR 919.
In 1966, US 220 was moved onto I-64 between Clifton Forge and Covington. Also in 1966, US 220 was moved onto I-81 and I-581 in the Roanoke area, leaving behind its US 11 multiplex. I-581 ended at US 11A-460, so US 220 still went through Downtown Roanoke.
Between 1968-70 the freeway was extended to VA 24.
The US 220 freeway past VA 24 did not open until 1981.
Posting: Fully posted; cutouts in Covington, Clifton Forge (though possibly not this 1995 assembly), and near the WV Line. Cutouts in Roanoke lasted to at least 1991.
Comment: US 220 south of Covington is mostly very modern, 4-lane used for through traffic. Below Roanoke US 220 is in the general corridor of I-73 if it comes to pass.
US 220a
From:I-581, US 220, US 460 WB, VA 116 WB City of Roanoke
To: I-81, US 220 Cloverdale (Botetourt County)
Total Length: 11 miles  
ROUTE LOG
I-581 (exit 7), US 11 ALT SB, US 220, US 460 WB, VA 116 WB: 0 - 0
US 11, US 11 ALT END, US 221 SB, VA 116 EB: 0.5 - 0.5
VA 115: 0.5 - 1
RO-ROA LINE: 2.25 - 3.25
US 221 NB, US 460 EB: 2.25 - 5.5
BO-RO LINE: 0.5 - 6
US 11: 4.75 - 10.75
I-81 (exit 150), US 220: 0.25 - 11
Creation: US 220 ALT appeared in 1979 as an upgrade to SR 604 (in the 40's the small discontinuous stub of VA 114 was on this route). Ran as it does today. This is the 2nd US 220 ALT.
Adjustments: None
Posting: Fully posted at US 11-220/I-81 exit 150 and at US 221-460 Bonsack. Only 1 posting in the City of Roanoke, on US 460 EB/US 11 ALT NB/VA 116 SB Orange Ave at US 11-US 221-VA 116 Williamson Rd. jct just east of I-581. Definitely not posted from either direction on I-581/US 220.

US 220a
Thanks to Chris E. for this 7/3/05 photo

Comment: Shown on the VDOT route log and state official maps as VA 220 ALT, but has been posted in the field as US 220 ALT since at least 1991 (first time I drove it). Maps from 1979-87 do not label this as continuing with US 221-460 to Downtown Roanoke, and it is definitely not posted in the field this way today.
US 220 ALT is used as a bypass for travelers using US 460 east of Roanoke. In fact this should really be US 460, and the route through town could be an extended US 460 ALT.
Previous US 220 ALT's: US 220 ALT #1: Appeared as new construction in 1960-61 as the Rocky Mount bypass. This was changed to US 220 Bypass between 1968-70.

Last Update: 5 July 2005

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