US Route 501 is a road that goes from US 60 in Buena Vista, VA to US 17 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Since this is currently a Virginia based website, this page will only have the Virginia part of the route.
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| US 501 Shield |
The Route Path:
US 501 starts at an intersection with US 60 in Buena Vista. Just after beginning, the route intersects the northern end of its Buena Vista Business Route. Both routes go through downtown, before reuniting near the south end of the city. US 501 continues southwest parallel to the Blue Ridge Mountains, before passing the town of Glasgow, where the route intersects VA-130.
US 501 and VA-130 go concurrent, as they go through the Blue Ridge, entering Amherst County, parallel to the James River. Not too long after entering the county, US 501 splits from VA-130, and crosses the James River into Bedford County. The route runs parallel to the south of the river, as it meets the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Shortly after, US 501 intersects the northern end of VA-122, and continues east through the community of Big Island. The route goes through rural, hilly areas for a while, before entering the City of Lynchburg. US 501 intersects its Lynchburg Business Route, with the mainline turning south on the Northwest Expressway.
The route temporarily widens to a 4 lane divided freeway at the interchange with Wiggington Road, before reaching an intersection with Old Forest Road. US 501 turns right, before intersecting US 221, and becoming the Lynchburg Expressway, widening to a 4 lane divided highway.
US 501 has a diamond interchange with Graves Mill Road, followed by a cloverleaf interchange with Business US 460. After those interchanges, Business US 29 merges onto the expressway, and US 501 departs at a cloverleaf interchange with VA-128.
The route has an intersection with the east end of its short concurrency with VA-128, and merges onto North US 29/East US 460. The routes have an exit for Odd Fellows Road, followed by a cloverleaf interchange with Business US 501, where Mainline US 501 leaves the concurrency, and the City of Lynchburg.
US 501 goes through Campbell County as a 4 lane divided highway, eventually reaching Rustburg. Approaching the town, the route shrinks to a 2 lane undivided highway. In Rustburg, US 501 intersects, and has a concurrency with VA-24. The routes go through the town, before VA-24 splits from the concurrency. US 501 continues south through rural Campbell County, passing through the community of Glady, and having a straight stretch.
The route continues southeast, before reaching the town of Brookneal. There, US 501 meets the east end of its concurrency with VA-40, and the routes head south through the town, and cross the Staunton River into Halifax County. Shortly after, VA-40 splits from the concurrency, as US 501 continues south through more rural areas. Eventually, the route reaches the town of Halifax, where it goes on a concurrency with VA-360.
The routes pass through the town, before VA-360 splits from the concurrency. Just south of the town, US 501 widens to a 4 lane divided highway, as it approaches the town of South Boston. In the town, the route splits onto a 2 street alignment, going through the town, and intersection VA-129 and VA-304.
As US 501 crosses the Dan River, the 2 streets reunite, before intersecting US 58/360. The route continues south past this intersection as a 4 lane divided highway. Eventually, US 501 intersects the west end of VA-96, and enters North Carolina shortly after. US 501 continues through the Tarheel State, before ending at US 17 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
My Experiences:
I have been on US 501 numerous times, all of which were only the parts in Lynchburg.
