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Richmond-petersburg Turnpike The Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike was a toll expressway which paralleled U.S. Highway 1 and U.S. Highway 301 between the northern edge of Richmond, Virginia and the southern limits of Petersburg, Virginia. Opened in 1958, and funded through toll revenue bonds, it was conceived prior to the creation of the U.S. Interstate Highway System. Tolls were removed completely in 1992. Today, the former Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike forms a vital portion of Interstate 95 in central Virginia, including the northernmost portion of Interstate 85 near Petersburg. History Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike Authority After World War II, the busy north-south corridor in central Virginia shared by U.S. Highway 1 and U.S. Highway 301 through the cities of Richmond, Colonial Heights, and Petersburg and along the Jefferson Davis Highway between the cities was heavily-developed commercially. With only four traffic lanes and long stretches of undivided roadway, it became a major area of traffic congestion, as well as the site of occasional spectacular and deadly head-on collisions. In 1955, prior to the creation of the U.S. Interstate Highway System, the Virginia General Assembly created the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike Authority as a state agency to administer (design, finance, acquire right-of-way, construct, operate, collect tolls, and maintain) the new Turnpike of the same name. The new toll road was planned with only 15 exits, and most of these were well away from the highly developed commercial areas along parallel U.S. 1-301. Funded with proceeds from toll revenue bonds sold by the Commonwealth of Virginia, the 34.7 mile-long road cost $76.7 million to build, including new bridges over the James River in Richmond and the Appomattox River between Colonial Heights and Petersburg. It featured six lanes from the northern entrance to just south of the new James River Bridge in Richmond, and four lanes from that point south. At Petersburg, the new Turnpike split into two branches, one leading to U.S. Highway 301 south towards Emporia and Weldon, North Carolina, and the other to U.S. Highway 1 south, which led to South Hill. The new expressway opened on July 1, 1958. Soon after opening, the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike was designated with the I-85 and I-95 signs, and became part of the U.S. Interstate Highway System even though no federal aid was used to build it. The new roadway achieved the intended diversion of long distance traffic. As earlier feared, hotels, motels, tourist homes and cabins, and restaurants along the bypassed highways suffered tremendous loss of business, and many failed. However, due to the relatively high rate of tolls on the Turnpike, the blow was softened by a continued traffic flow and patronage of motorists wanting to avoid the tolls. This practice of avoiding roads and bridges with tolls became known as "shunpiking." Expansion The original bonds were retired in 1975. However, in 1973, the General Assembly passed legislation which transferred the Authority's duties to the Virginia Department of Highways and Transportation, the predecessor agency to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). In December 1973, additional toll revenue bonds were issued to provide much-needed improvements to the heavily travelled highway. The improvements included widening to six lanes of 22 miles from just south of the James River Bridge at Richmond and complete reconstruction of the I-85 and I-95 interchange in downtown Petersburg. Several other major interchanges including Chester/Hopewell and Broad Street at downtown Richmond were also reconstructed. Tolls removed, modernization Tolls were removed from all portions of the former Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike in 1992, although the road now connects with several newer locally oriented toll facilities, including Richmond Metropolitan Authority's Downtown Expressway which interchanges with the former Turnpike on the I-95 James River Bridge, and the Pocahontas Parkway (State Route 895) which connects I-95 at exit 67 with Interstate 295 and the Richmond International Airport. Today, the former Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike with the I-95 designation, and parallel Interstate 295 (which forms an eastern bypass of Richmond and Petersburg) carry some of the heaviest traffic flows of any portion of the busy eastern U.S. corridor between Florida and New England. See also Reference - 2005 Rand McNally "The Road Atlas 2005" - newest feature- interstate mileage by state
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