US 117
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US 117 old end
Photo: US 117 entered Virginia at the current US 258 border crossing (photo by Froggie 10/5/02)
US 117  not currently assigned
Previous US 117's:

1932 ROUTE LOG
NC STATE LINE: 0 - 0
VA 535: 10.7 - 10.7
US 58, VA 12, VA 507 NB: 1.2 - 11.9

US 117: On Feb 5, 1926 Virginia and North Carolina requested from AASHO a US route corridor that included VA 121 from NC to Franklin, VA 12 from Franklin to Suffolk, and VA 10 from Suffolk through Portsmouth and Norfolk to end at VA 101 (now Atlantic Ave) Virginia Beach.
On March 13, 1926 AASHO accepted this and suggested US 117 as the designation.
On March 17, 1926 Virginia requested this be numbered as an extension of US 17 instead (remember that at this point US 13 was still routed south to Elizabeth City NC).
On March 18, 1926 AASHO turned down the request to make this US 17.
Specifically, US 117 followed today's US 258 and 258 Business from NC to Franklin. In town it used High St to 4th (then-VA 12) and it followed current US 58 Business out of Franklin to Holland. US 117 picked up US 58, then US 58 Business heading to central Suffolk. US 117 followed VA 337 through downtown, then through Magnolia and Driver.
US 117 approached Portsmouth on VA 337, then used VA 337 ALT Turnpike Rd. US 117 used 6th Ave (Constitution Ave) to High St, then east to the ferry to Norfolk. On the Norfolk side, US 117 picked up Bank St to Princess Anne Rd (Bank St is now broken up in discontinuous pieces) to Battery Rd to today's Virginia Beach Blvd.
US 117 followed today's US 58 then US 58 Business to end at Atlantic Ave at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
In May 1931, the CTB directed the Highway Commission to work out US Route numberings along the Cumberland Gap to Virginia Beach corridor. This would spell trouble for US 117.
On July 1, 1931 (AASHO), US 117 was truncated to Franklin. Franklin to Suffolk was renumbered as US 58; Suffolk to Portsmouth remained VA 10; Portsmouth to Virginia Beach also became US 58.
In June 1932, the remaining sliver of US 117 in Virginia was renumbered as US 158.
US 117 is erroneously shown to follow VA 35 on the 1932 Southampton County map.

US 117 (1926 Official)
US 117 assigned
US 117 (1932 Official)
US 117 truncated to Franklin
US 117 (1933 Official)
US 117 replaced by US 158


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Page last modified 12 February 2022