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The Highways of Virginia US 52 
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US 52
From:WV State Line near Rocky Gap (Bland County)
To: NC State Line near Cana (Carroll County)
Total Length: 85 miles
Nationally US 52 runs from S-10-3 (old US 17) Charleston, SC to Manitoba, CAN at Portal, ND - about miles  
ROUTE LOG
WV STATE LINE: 0 - 0
I-77 SB (exit 66), VA 598: 1 - 1
VA 61 EB: 5 - 6
I-77 (exit 64): 0.75 - 6.75
VA 61 WB: 0.25 - 7
VA 42 EB, VA 98: 11 - 18
I-77 (exit 52): 1 - 19
VA 42 WB: 4 - 23
WY-BL LINE: 4 - 27
I-81 SB (exit 70), US 21: 12 - 39
I-77 NB (exit 40): 2 - 41
US 11 SB: 1 - 42
I-77 SB, I-81 NB (exit 80), US 11 NB, VA 121: 7 - 49
VA 94: 1 - 50
VA 69: 6 - 56
CA-WY LINE: 1 - 57
US 58, US 221: 11 - 68
VA 148: 7 - 75
BLUE RIDGE PKWY: 1 - 76
NC STATE LINE: 9 - 85
Creation: US 52 was an original US Route, but it did not reach Virginia until 1935. Ran from WV at Bluefield, WV to the NC Line, similar to today. From WV to Wytheville US 52 was a multiplex with US 21. From Wytheville to Fort Chiswell was a multiplex with US 11. From Fort Chiswell to NC was a replacement of US 121.
Adjustments: US 52 was moved to I-81 around Wythville in 1966. The old route through town remained US 11 and US 21.
In 1980, US 52 became a solo US Route north of Wytheville, as US 21 was truncated to I-81.
In 1981, US 52 was moved onto I-77's northernmost 2 miles to West Virginia, utilizing the East River Mountain Tunnel. The old route to Bluefield became VA 598.
In 1986, I-77/81 were built on top of US 11/52 to form a double set of wrong-way multiplexes.
Posting: Fully posted; cutouts in Hillsville, Ft. Chiswell; cutouts at SR 600 Favonia until at least 1991; cutouts in Wytheville until at least 1996. Did you catch the error in that Michael Summa picture?
Comment: North-south route in Virginia. Answer to the trivia question: What is the only road to run through North Dakota and North Carolina?
US 52 is a pretty minor route in Virginia, unlike the Carolinas and West Virginia, where it is a main thoroughfare. North of Bland US 52 is just about the frontage road for I-77.

Last Update: 6 July 2004

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