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US 23 Business | US 23 ALT
Photo: US 23 northbound heading towards Wise (photo by Mapmikey 5/24/08)
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| ROUTE LOG |
TN STATE LINE: 0 - 0 US 58 EB, US 421 SB: 3.00 - 3.00 US 23 Bus, US 58 Bus, US 421 Bus: 0.96 - 3.96 US 23 Bus, US 58 Bus, US 421 Bus: 2.73 - 6.69 VA 65: 9.49 - 16.18 US 58 WB, US 421 NB: 4.67 - 20.85 Lee-Scott Line: 4.12 - 24.97 Wise-Lee Line: 4.08 - 29.05 VA 387: 3.47 - 32.52 US 23 Bus, US 58 ALT WB: 0.50 - 33.02 Norton-Wise Line: 7.40 - 40.42 US 58 ALT EB, VA 283: 2.52 - 42.94 Wise-Norton Line: 0.77 - 43.71 US 23 Bus: 0.88 - 43.59 US 23 Bus: 0.88 - 44.47 US 23 Bus: 1.96 - 46.43 US 23 Bus: 7.66 - 54.09 US 23 Bus: 2.53 - 56.62 KY STATE LINE: 3.18 - 59.80
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Creation: US 23 is an original US Highway, but it did not enter Virginia originally. US 23 is shown on both the Virginia and Kentucky 1929 State Officials, running as a duplex with US 25E from Wasioto, KY to Cumberland Gap, VA ending at US 411. But it is clear reading through the AASHO correspondence with Kentucky US 23 had never been approved south of Pineville.
| Adjustments: In June 1930 (AASHO), US 23 was rerouted to enter Virginia at Appalachia (this replaced one of the proposals to have US 33 run from Chicago to Charleston SC), then south through Big Stone gap, Clinchport and Gate City before heading into Tennessee. Kentucky to Clinchport was an addition to VA 106; Clinchport to Weber City was an addition to US 411 and VA 10; Weber City to Tennessee was an addition to VA 108. This had been originally proposed by Kentucky to be US 23E. In late 1931, US 23 was rerouted to enter Virginia above Pound as an addition to VA 120 from Kentucky to Norton, then west with VA 11 to Appalachia where it picked up its previous routing south. The old route west of Appalachia to Kentucky remained part of VA 106 (now a bit of VA 68 and all of VA 160).
About 1932 (bridge date), US 23 was removed from SR 727 near the Tennessee Line. Around 1933, US 23 was rerouted to avoid East Stone Gap, leaving behind today's SR 613 and SR 609.
In May 1937 (CTB), US 23 was removed from SR 693 in Pound. About 1950, US 23-58-421 was removed from SR 619 between Gate City and the VA 224 area. In Sept 1962 (CTB), US 23 was removed from SR 790 W. Norton Rd in the Dorchester Junction area. In Oct 1966 (CTB), US 23 was given its southern bypass of Gate city, leaving behind US 23-58-421 Business. Also in Oct 1966, US 23 was given its bypass of Pound leaving behind US 23 Business. In April 1968 (CTB), US 23 was removed from the lengthy SR 823 north of Wise C.H. In Aug 1968 (CTB), US 23 was given its bypass of Wise C.H. leaving behind US 23 Business. In March 1969 (CTB), US 23 was removed from SR 856 Railroad Ave and SR 864 in Duffield. In Jan 1970 (CTB), US 23-58-421 was placed on newly constructed road west of Gate City, leaving behind SR 870. In Feb 1970 (CTB), US 23-58-421 was placed on a new alignment (partially over SR 646) between Clinchport and Duffield, leaving behind SR 871, 872, SR 882, SR 883 and an extended VA 65.
In May 1970 (CTB), the unbuilt US 23 Bypass of Big Stone Gap, Appalachia, and Norton was put into the primary system. In Sept 1970 (CTB), US 23 was removed from SR 757 between Esserville and the Wise C.H. bypass. One small bit of mainline US 23 became an extended US 23 Bus. In Feb 1975 (CTB), US 23 was removed from Lee SR 867 and the two SR 868 pieces at the railroad crossing. In Oct 1975 (CTB), US 23 was removed from SR 844 and SR 846 between Oreton and Big Stone Gap. In Aug 1980 (CTB), US 23 was removed from SR 667 near the Kentucky State line. In Oct 1983 (AASHTO), US 23 was given a bypass of Esserville, leaving behind US 23 Business (north of today's VA 283). In March 1989 (CTB), US 23 was placed on its viaduct over the railroad tracks in Appalachia, leaving behind a piece of Main St and an extended VA 78. In Aug 1991 (CTB), US 23 was placed on its bypass of Big Stone Gap, Appalachia and central Norton, leaving behind an extended US 23 Business and VA 283. Improvements: US 23 has always been fully paved in Virginia. The First segment of US 23 to be multilaned was when it was rebuilt from Gate City to Weber City in 1950. In 1966, US 23 widened from Weber City to Tennessee In 1968, US 23 was multilaned on its bypass of SR 863 north of Wise C.H. In 1969, US 23 was multilaned on the Gate City bypass, SR 870 bypass,Duffield to Lee County Line, Wise Bypass, SR 863 to north end of Pound Bypass In 1970, US 23 was multilaned on its Sunbright bypass. In 1971, US 23 was widened in the Clinchport area In 1975, US 23 was 4-laned from the Lee-Scott Line to the south end of today's Big Stone Gap bypass In 1980, US 23 was widened from Pound to Kentucky In 1986, US 23 was multilaned on the Esserville Bypass In 1991, US 23 was multilaned when routed onto its Big Stone Gap/Norton Bypass There are no remaining 2-lane segments of US 23 in Virginia. The bypass of Big Stone Gap/Norton is a full freeway except there is an at-grade intersection with SR 610 southwest of Norton. Posted: Fully posted; No known cutouts remaining associated with mainline US 23. Multiplexes: US 58, US 421 (17.85 mi) US 58 ALT (9.92 mi) Legislative names: Orby Cantrell Highway, entire route (since 2/25/83); Daniel Boone Heritage Trail, US 58 duplex (since 4/9/88); Trail of the Lonesome Pine, Ky line to VA 283 except Bypass routes (since 3/24/30) John M Johnson Memorial Bridge over N Holston River (11-17-43); George Ward Dalton Bridge over railroad in Lee County (4/8/98); Other names: Main St (Weber City) Scenic Byway: Entire route except bypasses and Duffield to Big Stone Gap, since 3/8/93 Comments: US 23 has mile markers on its entire length, including fractional posts. US 23 is a quick, efficient drive for the most part. Not only does US 23 not have 2-lane segments in Virginia, it doesn't have any from Asheville, NC to Columbus, OH. | ||||||||||
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Page last modified 2 February 2022