US 460

[NW Mailing List]

Mike,

 

Getting back to the question at hand. In the early 1970’s VDOT four-laned US 460 in SW Virginia (no small task in many places). One tight spot was ‘the narrows’ of the New River which forms the gap between Peters Mtn and East River Mtn directly west of the town of Narrows. There was no land available on the side of Peters Mtn to easily construct two additional lanes of new highway so it was decided to use the ex-Virginian Railway’s right-of-way (situated directly below the old two-laned 460) through the narrows. So today the two east-bound lanes of 460 are on former VGN right-of-way. BTW this allowed the N&W to abandon the ex-VGN bridge at Glen Lynn which I assume would have saved them a considerable sum in long-term maintenance cost.

 

So today you are basically driving on the old VGN R/W from the east end of the old Glen Lynn bridge to the railroad’s scale track at the eastern edge of the town limits of Narrows. I drive it often and always enjoy the view of the New River out the right-hand side. I’m sure the VGN/N&W crews did as well.

 

John Garner

 

From: NW Mailing List [mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org] 
Sent: Monday, March 23, 2020 8:58 PM
To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Subject: US 460

 

My understanding is the 460 is essentially the Virginian Right of Way. Going to and from Roanoke, at Narrows, there are tracks on both sides of the New River. Are both of those N&W, is this one of the areas where N&W and Virginian competed?  Do I have it all wrong?

Thank you. 


Mike Shockley 

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