Virginia State Route 168
Encyclopedia
State Route 168 is a primary state highway
in the South Hampton Roads
region of the U.S. state
of Virginia
. It runs from the border with North Carolina
(where it continues as North Carolina Highway 168 towards the Outer Banks
) through the independent cities
of Chesapeake
and Norfolk
where it ends in the Ocean View area near the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel
.
SR 168 consists of three sections with different characteristics. From North Carolina to the junction with Interstate 64 and Interstate 464, SR 168 is mostly built to freeway standards as a major road into North Carolina; part of it - the Chesapeake Expressway - is a toll road
. From I-64 north into downtown Norfolk, SR 168 is a local road; I-464 carries most through traffic. The rest of SR 168, from downtown Norfolk north to Ocean View, is Tidewater Drive, an arterial road
with some interchange
s, built to carry traffic to the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel before Interstate 64 opened.
SR 168 was originally constructed in the 1930s on the north side of Hampton Roads as Merrimack Trail
, mainly as a bypass of U.S. Route 60 from Newport News
past Williamsburg (now State Route 143). It was extended across Hampton Roads (via the Newport News-Pine Beach (Norfolk) Ferry) in the mid-1940s, but did not move onto its current alignment to North Carolina until 1957, when the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel opened. As the new freeway (Interstate 64) opened past Williamsburg, SR 168 was shifted to it; it was truncated to its current extent around 1980.
in Chesapeake, Virginia
that is part of State Route 168. This expressway travels from U.S. Route 17
, Interstate 64, and Interstate 464
in northern Chesapeake to near the North Carolina
border in the southern part of the city, and traverses the eastern edge of the Great Dismal Swamp
. Construction began in 1999 and the road fully opened in 2001. The one toll plaza is located near Indian Creek Road. Following a May 2011 toll increase, tolls for a 2-axle passenger vehicle are now $6.00 during weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and $3.00 at all other times (tolls were previously $2.00 at all times). Smart Tag
and E-ZPass
are accepted as well. The Chesapeake Expressway is also one of two routes where a subscription membership (exclusive to Smart Tag
) allows for a discount. The Chesapeake Expressway chiefly serves to facilitate tourist traffic from the Hampton Roads
cities en route to the Outer Banks
of North Carolina
. It meets North Carolina Highway 168 at the state line.
Norfolk
within the Willoughby Spit
(Northern Terminus) at Ocean View
(Ocean View Ave.) (Granby St.) (E. Little Creek Rd.) (Lafayette Blvd.) (Virginia Beach Blvd.) (Brambleton Ave.) (Park Ave.) (E. Indian River Rd.)
Chesapeake
(Liberty St.) (S. Military Hwy.) (Dominion Blvd.) (Great Bridge Blvd./Kempsville Rd.) (Mt. Pleasent Rd.) near Moyock
(Southern Terminus)
), State Route 532 (Newport News to Hampton via Shell Road), and State Route 533 (King Street from Rip Rap Road - then State Route 513 - south into Hampton). Another piece, from Hampton east on Pembroke Avenue towards Buckroe Beach
, was added to the state highway system in 1932, and was extended to Buckroe Beach in 1936. In the 1930s, SR 168 was extended northwest to State Route 53 (now State Route 30 near Barhamsville. It used Jefferson Avenue and 35th Street in Newport News and Shell Road, Newport News Avenue, Back River Road, Rip Rap Road, King Street, and Pembroke Avenue in Hampton; see State Route 143 (Barhamsville to Hampton) and State Route 351 (Hampton to Buckroe Beach) for more history. It intersected U.S. Route 60 at Anderson's Corner
, near Toano
in James City County
.
which preceded the federally funded Interstate Highway System
in Virginia. It provided substantial traffic relief to a number of heavily traveled older U.S. highways, notably including U.S. Route 60
on the Virginia Peninsula
and U.S. Route 460
in the Cities of Norfolk and South Norfolk
and U.S. Route 17
in Norfolk County
(now City of Chesapeake) in South Hampton Roads
.
, the route originally ran along Battlefield Boulevard. This arterial is now bypassed by several roads: the Chesapeake Expressway (a toll road
completed in 2001), the Great Bridge Bypass (a bypass
route constructed in 1980 and improved through the 1990s), and the Oak Grove Connector (a link from the Great Bridge Bypass to Interstate 464
completed in 1999). From the north end of the Oak Grove Connector, Route 168 overlaps Interstate 64
until it rejoins Battlefield Boulevard. The sections of the boulevard bypassed by the mentioned roads are now designated State Route 168 Business.
From I-64 in Chesapeake, Route 168 follows several roads until it crosses into the City of Norfolk and eventually runs along Tidewater Drive (following the path of the earlier Cottage Toll Road) until reaching its terminus at West Ocean View Avenue (U.S. Route 60) near Fourth View Street in the Willoughby Spit
area.
in the Town of Phoebus
in Elizabeth City County
(communities which were consolidated into the newly enlarged City of Hampton in 1952).
When it first opened to traffic on November 1, 1957, the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel
originally carried the VA-168 designation (as a toll facility
). The Route 168 signage and tolls were both removed when the crossing was expanded in 1976 as part of the federally funded Interstate 64
improvements, which included four-laning the crossing.
from Anderson's Corner near Toano
west of Williamsburg
to the Hampton Roads Ferry landing at Old Point Comfort
near Fort Monroe
. Known as the Merrimack Trail
, the road was a major additional highway which was built in the years prior to the creation of the Interstate Highway System, and was replaced as a major through route by Interstate 64, in segments as that new road was completed.
Small portions of the roadway on the Peninsula originally signed at SR 168 became portions of State Route 30 (from Anderson's Corner to Croaker) and Interstate 64. However, most of it from Exit 238 in I-64 east was redesignated as State Route 143, which continues to serve as an alternative to U.S. Route 60 for most of its length. After Interstate 64 was completed on the Peninsula, both Routes 60 and 143 with many at-grade intersections and businesses became more major conduits for local traffic than through-traffic routes.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in the South Hampton Roads
South Hampton Roads
South Hampton Roads is a region located in the extreme southeastern portion of Virginia in the United States, and is part of the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA with a population about 1.7 million....
region of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. It runs from the border with North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
(where it continues as North Carolina Highway 168 towards the Outer Banks
Outer Banks
The Outer Banks is a 200-mile long string of narrow barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina, beginning in the southeastern corner of Virginia Beach on the east coast of the United States....
) through the independent cities
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...
of Chesapeake
Chesapeake, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 199,184 people, 69,900 households, and 54,172 families residing in the city. The population density was 584.6 people per square mile . There were 72,672 housing units at an average density of 213.3 per square mile...
and Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
where it ends in the Ocean View area near the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel
Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel
The Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel is the -long Hampton Roads crossing for Interstate 64 and U.S. Route 60. It is a four-lane facility comprising bridges, trestles, man-made islands, and tunnels under the main shipping channels for Hampton Roads harbor in the southeastern portion of Virginia in the...
.
SR 168 consists of three sections with different characteristics. From North Carolina to the junction with Interstate 64 and Interstate 464, SR 168 is mostly built to freeway standards as a major road into North Carolina; part of it - the Chesapeake Expressway - is a toll road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
. From I-64 north into downtown Norfolk, SR 168 is a local road; I-464 carries most through traffic. The rest of SR 168, from downtown Norfolk north to Ocean View, is Tidewater Drive, an arterial road
Arterial road
An arterial road, or arterial thoroughfare, is a high-capacity urban road. The primary function of an arterial road is to deliver traffic from collector roads to freeways, and between urban centres at the highest level of service possible. As such, many arteries are limited-access roads, or feature...
with some interchange
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
s, built to carry traffic to the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel before Interstate 64 opened.
SR 168 was originally constructed in the 1930s on the north side of Hampton Roads as Merrimack Trail
Merrimack Trail
Merrimack Trail is the local name for State Route 143 as it passes through portions of York County and James City County and the independent city of Williamsburg in the Virginia Peninsula subregion of Hampton Roads in Virginia.-History:...
, mainly as a bypass of U.S. Route 60 from Newport News
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
past Williamsburg (now State Route 143). It was extended across Hampton Roads (via the Newport News-Pine Beach (Norfolk) Ferry) in the mid-1940s, but did not move onto its current alignment to North Carolina until 1957, when the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel opened. As the new freeway (Interstate 64) opened past Williamsburg, SR 168 was shifted to it; it was truncated to its current extent around 1980.
Chesapeake Expressway
The Chesapeake Expressway is a toll roadToll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
in Chesapeake, Virginia
Chesapeake, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 199,184 people, 69,900 households, and 54,172 families residing in the city. The population density was 584.6 people per square mile . There were 72,672 housing units at an average density of 213.3 per square mile...
that is part of State Route 168. This expressway travels from U.S. Route 17
U.S. Route 17
U.S. Route 17 or U.S. Highway 17 is a north–south United States highway. The highway spans the southeastern United States and is close to the Atlantic Coast for much of its length. The highway's southern terminus is at Punta Gorda, Florida, at an intersection with U.S. Route 41...
, Interstate 64, and Interstate 464
Interstate 464
Interstate 464 is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The highway runs from U.S. Route 17 and Virginia State Route 168 in Chesapeake north to I-264 in Norfolk. I-464 connects two major highway junctions in the South Hampton Roads region...
in northern Chesapeake to near the North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
border in the southern part of the city, and traverses the eastern edge of the Great Dismal Swamp
Great Dismal Swamp
The Great Dismal Swamp is a marshy area on the Coastal Plain Region of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina between Norfolk, Virginia, and Elizabeth City, North Carolina in the United States. It is located in parts of southern Chesapeake and Suffolk in Virginia, as well as northern...
. Construction began in 1999 and the road fully opened in 2001. The one toll plaza is located near Indian Creek Road. Following a May 2011 toll increase, tolls for a 2-axle passenger vehicle are now $6.00 during weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and $3.00 at all other times (tolls were previously $2.00 at all times). Smart Tag
Smart Tag
Smart Tag is the former name of a transponder-based electronic toll collection system implemented by the Virginia Department of Transportation . It was launched as Fastoll on April 15, 1996...
and E-ZPass
E-ZPass
E-ZPass is an electronic toll-collection system used on most tolled roads, bridges, and tunnels in the northeastern US, south to Virginia and West Virginia, and west to Illinois. Currently, there are 25 agencies spread across 14 states that make up the . All member agencies use the same technology,...
are accepted as well. The Chesapeake Expressway is also one of two routes where a subscription membership (exclusive to Smart Tag
Smart Tag
Smart Tag is the former name of a transponder-based electronic toll collection system implemented by the Virginia Department of Transportation . It was launched as Fastoll on April 15, 1996...
) allows for a discount. The Chesapeake Expressway chiefly serves to facilitate tourist traffic from the Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
cities en route to the Outer Banks
Outer Banks
The Outer Banks is a 200-mile long string of narrow barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina, beginning in the southeastern corner of Virginia Beach on the east coast of the United States....
of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. It meets North Carolina Highway 168 at the state line.
Major Points and Junctions
North to SouthNorfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
within the Willoughby Spit
Willoughby Spit
Willoughby Spit is a peninsula of land in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States. It is bordered by water on three sides: the Chesapeake Bay to the north, Hampton Roads to the west, and Willoughby Bay to the south.- History :...
(Northern Terminus) at Ocean View
Ocean View (Norfolk)
Ocean View is a coastal region in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States. It has several miles of shoreline on the Chesapeake Bay to the north, starting with Willoughby Spit to the west and the Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek in the independent city of Virginia Beach on...
(Ocean View Ave.) (Granby St.) (E. Little Creek Rd.) (Lafayette Blvd.) (Virginia Beach Blvd.) (Brambleton Ave.) (Park Ave.) (E. Indian River Rd.)
Chesapeake
Chesapeake, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 199,184 people, 69,900 households, and 54,172 families residing in the city. The population density was 584.6 people per square mile . There were 72,672 housing units at an average density of 213.3 per square mile...
(Liberty St.) (S. Military Hwy.) (Dominion Blvd.) (Great Bridge Blvd./Kempsville Rd.) (Mt. Pleasent Rd.) near Moyock
Moyock, North Carolina
-Geography:It is located on NC 168 just south of the Virginia state line. The community sits at the end of the Chesapeake Expressway toll road, and is only a short drive from downtown Norfolk, Virginia. Because of this, Moyock has begun to witness an increase in residential development as an...
(Southern Terminus)
History
The SR 168 designation was applied in the 1933 renumbering to three individual roadways: State Route 529 (northwest from Newport News towards Lee HallLee Hall, Virginia
Lee Hall is a former unincorporated town long located in the former Warwick County. Since 1958, Lee Hall has been a suburban community in the extreme western portion of the independent city of Newport News in the Commonwealth of Virginia....
), State Route 532 (Newport News to Hampton via Shell Road), and State Route 533 (King Street from Rip Rap Road - then State Route 513 - south into Hampton). Another piece, from Hampton east on Pembroke Avenue towards Buckroe Beach
Buckroe Beach, Virginia
Buckroe Beach is a neighborhood in the independent city of Hampton, Virginia. It lies just north of Fort Monroe and fronts the mouth of Hampton Roads at the Chesapeake Bay...
, was added to the state highway system in 1932, and was extended to Buckroe Beach in 1936. In the 1930s, SR 168 was extended northwest to State Route 53 (now State Route 30 near Barhamsville. It used Jefferson Avenue and 35th Street in Newport News and Shell Road, Newport News Avenue, Back River Road, Rip Rap Road, King Street, and Pembroke Avenue in Hampton; see State Route 143 (Barhamsville to Hampton) and State Route 351 (Hampton to Buckroe Beach) for more history. It intersected U.S. Route 60 at Anderson's Corner
Anderson's Corner, Virginia
Anderson's Corner, Virginia is located in James City County near the unincorporated community of Toano. Located at the intersection of U.S. Route 60 and State Route 30, Anderson's Corner was the western terminus of State Route 168 a new four-laned highway also known as the Merrimack Trail which was...
, near Toano
Toano, Virginia
Toano is an unincorporated town in James City County, Virginia, United States.-History:Toano was established in the late 19th century in western James City County at the former site of Burnt Ordinary, which was named in the 18th century for a roadside tavern that had burned down...
in James City County
James City County, Virginia
James City County is a county located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Its population was 67,009 , and it is often associated with Williamsburg, an independent city, and Jamestown which is within the...
.
A major arterial road prior to Interstate Highway System
Route 168 was part of a system of state-funded highway improvements after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
which preceded the federally funded Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
in Virginia. It provided substantial traffic relief to a number of heavily traveled older U.S. highways, notably including U.S. Route 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...
on the Virginia Peninsula
Virginia Peninsula
The Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, USA, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay.Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water of the same name...
and U.S. Route 460
U.S. Route 460
U.S. Route 460 is a spur of U.S. Route 60. It currently runs for 655 miles from Norfolk, Virginia at U.S. Route 60 at Ocean View to Frankfort, Kentucky at U.S. Route 60. It passes through the states of Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky...
in the Cities of Norfolk and South Norfolk
South Norfolk, Virginia
South Norfolk was an independent city in the South Hampton Roads region of eastern Virginia and is now a section of the City of Chesapeake, one of the cities of Hampton Roads which surround the harbor of Hampton Roads and are linked by the Hampton Roads Beltway.-History:Located a few miles south of...
and U.S. Route 17
U.S. Route 17
U.S. Route 17 or U.S. Highway 17 is a north–south United States highway. The highway spans the southeastern United States and is close to the Atlantic Coast for much of its length. The highway's southern terminus is at Punta Gorda, Florida, at an intersection with U.S. Route 41...
in Norfolk County
Norfolk County, Virginia
Norfolk County was a county of the South Hampton Roads in eastern Virginia in the United States that was created in 1691. After the American Civil War, for a period of about 100 years, portions of Norfolk County were lost and the territory of the county reduced as they became parts of the separate...
(now City of Chesapeake) in South Hampton Roads
South Hampton Roads
South Hampton Roads is a region located in the extreme southeastern portion of Virginia in the United States, and is part of the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA with a population about 1.7 million....
.
North Carolina to Willoughby Spit
In ChesapeakeChesapeake, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 199,184 people, 69,900 households, and 54,172 families residing in the city. The population density was 584.6 people per square mile . There were 72,672 housing units at an average density of 213.3 per square mile...
, the route originally ran along Battlefield Boulevard. This arterial is now bypassed by several roads: the Chesapeake Expressway (a toll road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
completed in 2001), the Great Bridge Bypass (a bypass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
route constructed in 1980 and improved through the 1990s), and the Oak Grove Connector (a link from the Great Bridge Bypass to Interstate 464
Interstate 464
Interstate 464 is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The highway runs from U.S. Route 17 and Virginia State Route 168 in Chesapeake north to I-264 in Norfolk. I-464 connects two major highway junctions in the South Hampton Roads region...
completed in 1999). From the north end of the Oak Grove Connector, Route 168 overlaps Interstate 64
Interstate 64
Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. 40, and U.S. 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. As I-64 is concurrent with...
until it rejoins Battlefield Boulevard. The sections of the boulevard bypassed by the mentioned roads are now designated State Route 168 Business.
From I-64 in Chesapeake, Route 168 follows several roads until it crosses into the City of Norfolk and eventually runs along Tidewater Drive (following the path of the earlier Cottage Toll Road) until reaching its terminus at West Ocean View Avenue (U.S. Route 60) near Fourth View Street in the Willoughby Spit
Willoughby Spit
Willoughby Spit is a peninsula of land in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States. It is bordered by water on three sides: the Chesapeake Bay to the north, Hampton Roads to the west, and Willoughby Bay to the south.- History :...
area.
Crossing the mouth of Hampton Roads
The Route 168 designation formerly continued northwesterly along West Ocean View Avenue and crossed the Hampton Roads Ferry System from Willoughby Bay to Old Point ComfortOld Point Comfort
Old Point Comfort is a point of land located in the independent city of Hampton. It lies at the extreme tip of the Virginia Peninsula at the mouth of Hampton Roads in the United States....
in the Town of Phoebus
Phoebus, Virginia
Phoebus was an incorporated town located in Elizabeth City County on the Virginia Peninsula in eastern Virginia. Upon incorporation in 1900, it was named in honor of local businessman Harrison Phoebus , who is credited with convincing the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway to extend its tracks to the...
in Elizabeth City County
Elizabeth City County, Virginia
Elizabeth City County was a county in southeastern Virginia from 1634 to 1952. Originally created in 1634 as Elizabeth River Shire, it was one of eight shires created in the Virginia Colony by order of the King of England. In 1636, it was subdivided, and the portion north of the harbor of Hampton...
(communities which were consolidated into the newly enlarged City of Hampton in 1952).
When it first opened to traffic on November 1, 1957, the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel
Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel
The Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel is the -long Hampton Roads crossing for Interstate 64 and U.S. Route 60. It is a four-lane facility comprising bridges, trestles, man-made islands, and tunnels under the main shipping channels for Hampton Roads harbor in the southeastern portion of Virginia in the...
originally carried the VA-168 designation (as a toll facility
Toll bridge
A toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...
). The Route 168 signage and tolls were both removed when the crossing was expanded in 1976 as part of the federally funded Interstate 64
Interstate 64
Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. 40, and U.S. 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. As I-64 is concurrent with...
improvements, which included four-laning the crossing.
On the Virginia Peninsula
The SR 168 designation also formerly applied to a routing on the Virginia PeninsulaVirginia Peninsula
The Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, USA, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay.Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water of the same name...
from Anderson's Corner near Toano
Toano, Virginia
Toano is an unincorporated town in James City County, Virginia, United States.-History:Toano was established in the late 19th century in western James City County at the former site of Burnt Ordinary, which was named in the 18th century for a roadside tavern that had burned down...
west of Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
to the Hampton Roads Ferry landing at Old Point Comfort
Old Point Comfort
Old Point Comfort is a point of land located in the independent city of Hampton. It lies at the extreme tip of the Virginia Peninsula at the mouth of Hampton Roads in the United States....
near Fort Monroe
Fort Monroe
Fort Monroe was a military installation in Hampton, Virginia—at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula...
. Known as the Merrimack Trail
Merrimack Trail
Merrimack Trail is the local name for State Route 143 as it passes through portions of York County and James City County and the independent city of Williamsburg in the Virginia Peninsula subregion of Hampton Roads in Virginia.-History:...
, the road was a major additional highway which was built in the years prior to the creation of the Interstate Highway System, and was replaced as a major through route by Interstate 64, in segments as that new road was completed.
Small portions of the roadway on the Peninsula originally signed at SR 168 became portions of State Route 30 (from Anderson's Corner to Croaker) and Interstate 64. However, most of it from Exit 238 in I-64 east was redesignated as State Route 143, which continues to serve as an alternative to U.S. Route 60 for most of its length. After Interstate 64 was completed on the Peninsula, both Routes 60 and 143 with many at-grade intersections and businesses became more major conduits for local traffic than through-traffic routes.