U.S. Route 48
Encyclopedia
U.S. Route 48 or Corridor H, is part of the Appalachian Development Highway System
. It is an east–west United States highway that runs 148 miles (238.2 km) from northern Virginia
to central West Virginia
.
in Weston
eastward to Virginia.
US 48 will intersect the following highways:
When Corridor H is complete, US 48 will pass by Moorefield
, Elkins
, and Buckhannon
.
northwest of Strasburg
.
to Interstate 81
were known as West Virginia Route 55 and Virginia State Route 55
, and sections north of Elkins, West Virginia
were known as US 219
. Currently, West Virginia has US 48 signed sparsely within its borders.
US 48 is one of the few U.S. Route numbers to be used three times for three separate roadways. The first use of US 48 was in the 1920s, in Northern California, before being absorbed by US 50
. The original U.S. Route 48 was of the original routes in the United States Numbered Highways
system. Assigned in 1926, it ran between U.S. 99
at French Camp, California
, outside Stockton
, and U.S. 101
at San Jose, California
. By 1931, however, the route had been deleted. Most of the route later became part of U.S. 50
. US 48 was the first US highway to be deleted in California.
Then, US 48 was designated for what is now Interstate 68
before it entered the Interstate Highway System. Its newest, current usage is the future designation of Corridor H. Another interesting fact is that the US 48/US 219 concurrently running highway designation will also have been used twice when the section of US 48/US 219 is completed from Parsons
to Elkins, West Virginia
. It was first used on the segment of US 48/US 219 from Grantsville
to Keyser's Ridge in Maryland
.
This current designation for Corridor H is also a "violation" of the AASHTO
numbering scheme, which places east–west U.S. Routes in ascending numerical order southward across the continental U.S. The last use of US 48 was south of US 40
and north of US 50, whereas the current route is located south of US 50 and north of US 60
.
(ARC) was created by the act, which also authorized the ARC to create the Appalachian Development Highway System
(ADHS). The Appalachian region, as defined by the act, stretches from Mississippi to New York. Congress defined it to "provide a highway system which, in conjunction with the Interstate System and other Federal-aid highways in the Appalachian region, will open up an area or areas where commerce and communication have been inhibited by lack of adequate access". Some 23 transportation corridors were to be developed as part of the ADHS, and Corridor H was designated in 1965.
Corridor H has had a particularly controversial history as conservationists and environmentalists vied with federal agents, developers and the business community over the issue of what constituted the most environmentally sensitive route among several alternatives.
Appalachian Development Highway System
The Appalachian Development Highway System is part of the Appalachian Regional Commission in the United States. See: .-History:...
. It is an east–west United States highway that runs 148 miles (238.2 km) from northern Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
to central West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
.
West Virginia
The US 48 designation has now been applied in West Virginia from Wardensville in Hardy County to Forman in Grant County. The designation will follow Corridor H from Interstate 79Interstate 79
Interstate 79 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States, designated from Interstate 77 in Charleston, West Virginia to Pennsylvania Route 5 and Pennsylvania Route 290 in Erie, Pennsylvania...
in Weston
Weston, West Virginia
Weston is a city in Lewis County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 4,317 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lewis County, and home to the West Virginia Museum of American Glass.-History:...
eastward to Virginia.
US 48 will intersect the following highways:
- Interstate 79Interstate 79Interstate 79 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States, designated from Interstate 77 in Charleston, West Virginia to Pennsylvania Route 5 and Pennsylvania Route 290 in Erie, Pennsylvania...
at WestonWeston, West VirginiaWeston is a city in Lewis County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 4,317 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lewis County, and home to the West Virginia Museum of American Glass.-History:...
. - US 119 NorthU.S. Route 119U.S. Route 119, commonly abbreviated as US 119, is a spur of US 19. It is a north–south route that was an original United States highway of 1926. It is often referred to as Corridor G east of US 23 and KY 80 in Kentucky to Interstate 64 at Charleston, West Virginia.- Kentucky :US 119 is a two...
at BuckhannonBuckhannon, West VirginiaBuckhannon is the only incorporated city in, and the county seat of, Upshur County, West Virginia, United States, and is located along the Buckhannon River. The population was 5,725 at the 2000 census. Buckhannon is home to West Virginia Wesleyan College and the West Virginia Strawberry Festival,...
. - US 250U.S. Route 250U.S. Route 250 is a route of the United States Numbered Highway System, and is a spur of U.S. Route 50. It currently runs for from Sandusky, Ohio to Richmond, Virginia. It passes through the states of Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio. It goes through the cities of Richmond, Virginia,...
at NortonNorton, West VirginiaNorton is an unincorporated community in Randolph County, West Virginia, United States. Norton is west of Elkins, at the junction of County Route 151 and Corridor H. Norton has a post office with ZIP code 26285. The town was built as a company town for a nearby coal mine operated by the West...
. - U.S. Route 219U.S. Route 219U.S. Route 219 is a spur of U.S. Route 19. It runs for from West Seneca, New York at an interchange with Interstate 90, to Rich Creek, Virginia, intersecting at U.S. Route 460. U.S. 219 is found in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia...
at KerensKerens, West VirginiaKerens is an unincorporated community in Randolph County, West Virginia, United States. Kerens is north-northeast of Elkins, along Leading Creek. Kerens has a post office with ZIP code 26276....
.
When Corridor H is complete, US 48 will pass by Moorefield
Moorefield, West Virginia
Moorefield is a town in Hardy County, West Virginia, USA. Moorefield is the county seat of Hardy County. It was originally chartered in 1777 and named for Conrad Moore, who owned the land upon which the town was laid out...
, Elkins
Elkins, West Virginia
Elkins is a city in Randolph County, West Virginia, United States. The community was incorporated in 1890 and named in honor of Stephen Benton Elkins , a U.S. Senator from West Virginia. The population was 7,032 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Randolph County...
, and Buckhannon
Buckhannon, West Virginia
Buckhannon is the only incorporated city in, and the county seat of, Upshur County, West Virginia, United States, and is located along the Buckhannon River. The population was 5,725 at the 2000 census. Buckhannon is home to West Virginia Wesleyan College and the West Virginia Strawberry Festival,...
.
Virginia
US 48 is sparsely signed along current State Route 55. It ends at Interstate 81Interstate 81 in Virginia
Interstate 81 is an long highway. In the U.S. state of Virginia, I-81 runs for , making it longer in Virginia than in any other state. It stretches from the Tennessee state line near Bristol to the West Virginia state line near Winchester. U.S...
northwest of Strasburg
Strasburg, Virginia
Strasburg is a town in Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States, which was founded in 1761 by Peter Stover. It is the largest town, population-wise, in the county and is known for its pottery, antiques, and Civil War history...
.
Previous uses of the designation
US 48 is one of the newest additions to the United States Numbered Highway system, having been commissioned in 2002. Before this designation, sections east of Moorefield, West VirginiaMoorefield, West Virginia
Moorefield is a town in Hardy County, West Virginia, USA. Moorefield is the county seat of Hardy County. It was originally chartered in 1777 and named for Conrad Moore, who owned the land upon which the town was laid out...
to Interstate 81
Interstate 81
Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...
were known as West Virginia Route 55 and Virginia State Route 55
Virginia State Route 55
Virginia State Route 55 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known for most of its length as John Marshall Highway, the state highway runs from the West Virginia state line, where the highway continues as West Virginia Route 55 , east to U.S. Route 29 in Gainesville...
, and sections north of Elkins, West Virginia
Elkins, West Virginia
Elkins is a city in Randolph County, West Virginia, United States. The community was incorporated in 1890 and named in honor of Stephen Benton Elkins , a U.S. Senator from West Virginia. The population was 7,032 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Randolph County...
were known as US 219
U.S. Route 219
U.S. Route 219 is a spur of U.S. Route 19. It runs for from West Seneca, New York at an interchange with Interstate 90, to Rich Creek, Virginia, intersecting at U.S. Route 460. U.S. 219 is found in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia...
. Currently, West Virginia has US 48 signed sparsely within its borders.
US 48 is one of the few U.S. Route numbers to be used three times for three separate roadways. The first use of US 48 was in the 1920s, in Northern California, before being absorbed by US 50
U.S. Route 50 in California
In the U.S. state of California, U.S. Route 50 runs east from I-80 in West Sacramento to the Nevada state line in South Lake Tahoe. Portions within Sacramento are known as the Capital City Freeway and El Dorado Freeway...
. The original U.S. Route 48 was of the original routes in the United States Numbered Highways
United States Numbered Highways
The system of United States Numbered Highways is an integrated system of roads and highways in the United States numbered within a nationwide grid...
system. Assigned in 1926, it ran between U.S. 99
U.S. Route 99
U.S. Route 99 was the main north–south highway on the West Coast of the United States until 1964, running from Calexico, California, on the U.S.-Mexico border to Blaine, Washington, on the U.S.-Canada border. It was a route of the United States Numbered Highways, assigned in 1926 and existing...
at French Camp, California
French Camp, California
French Camp is a census-designated place in San Joaquin County, California, United States. The population was 3,376 at the 2010 census, down from 4,109 at the 2000 census. San Joaquin General Hospital is located in French Camp....
, outside Stockton
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
, and U.S. 101
U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101, is an important north–south U.S. highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States...
at San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
. By 1931, however, the route had been deleted. Most of the route later became part of U.S. 50
U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50 is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching just over from Ocean City, Maryland on the Atlantic Ocean to West Sacramento, California. Until 1972, when it was replaced by Interstate Highways west of the Sacramento area, it extended to San Francisco, near...
. US 48 was the first US highway to be deleted in California.
Then, US 48 was designated for what is now Interstate 68
Interstate 68
Interstate 68 is a Interstate highway in the U.S. states of West Virginia and Maryland, connecting in Morgantown to in Hancock. is also Corridor E of the Appalachian Development Highway System. From 1965 until the freeway's construction was completed in 1991, it was designated as...
before it entered the Interstate Highway System. Its newest, current usage is the future designation of Corridor H. Another interesting fact is that the US 48/US 219 concurrently running highway designation will also have been used twice when the section of US 48/US 219 is completed from Parsons
Parsons, West Virginia
The town of Parsons is the county seat of Tucker County, West Virginia, in the United States. The population was 1,463 at the 2000 census. The mayor of Parsons is Dorothy Judy and the city administrator is Jason Myers...
to Elkins, West Virginia
Elkins, West Virginia
Elkins is a city in Randolph County, West Virginia, United States. The community was incorporated in 1890 and named in honor of Stephen Benton Elkins , a U.S. Senator from West Virginia. The population was 7,032 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Randolph County...
. It was first used on the segment of US 48/US 219 from Grantsville
Grantsville
Grantsville can refer to a location in the United States:*Grantsville, Maryland*Grantsville, Utah*Grantsville, West Virginia...
to Keyser's Ridge in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.
This current designation for Corridor H is also a "violation" of the AASHTO
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
AASHTO, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test protocols and guidelines which are used in highway design and construction throughout the United States...
numbering scheme, which places east–west U.S. Routes in ascending numerical order southward across the continental U.S. The last use of US 48 was south of US 40
U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40 is an east–west United States highway. As with most routes whose numbers end in a zero, U.S. 40 once traversed the entire United States. It is one of the original 1920s U.S. Highways, and its first termini were San Francisco, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey...
and north of US 50, whereas the current route is located south of US 50 and north of US 60
U.S. Route 60
U.S. Route 60 is an east–west United States highway, running from the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast in Virginia to western Arizona. Despite the final "0" in its number, indicating a transcontinental designation, the 1926 route formerly ended in Springfield, Missouri, at its intersection...
.
History
The Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965 was passed as part of an effort to stimulate economic growth in Appalachian rural areas. The Appalachian Regional CommissionAppalachian Regional Commission
The Appalachian Regional Commission is a United States federal-state partnership that works with the people of Appalachia to create opportunities for self-sustaining economic development and improved quality of life...
(ARC) was created by the act, which also authorized the ARC to create the Appalachian Development Highway System
Appalachian Development Highway System
The Appalachian Development Highway System is part of the Appalachian Regional Commission in the United States. See: .-History:...
(ADHS). The Appalachian region, as defined by the act, stretches from Mississippi to New York. Congress defined it to "provide a highway system which, in conjunction with the Interstate System and other Federal-aid highways in the Appalachian region, will open up an area or areas where commerce and communication have been inhibited by lack of adequate access". Some 23 transportation corridors were to be developed as part of the ADHS, and Corridor H was designated in 1965.
Corridor H has had a particularly controversial history as conservationists and environmentalists vied with federal agents, developers and the business community over the issue of what constituted the most environmentally sensitive route among several alternatives.