Misplaced Pages

State Route 68
Route information
Maintained by VDOT
Length	6.13 mi (9.87 km)
Existed	1933–present
Tourist routes	Virginia Byway
Major junctions
West end	SR 606 near Keokee
East end	US 23 Bus. in Appalachia
Location
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Counties	Wise
Highway system
Virginia Routes Interstate US Primary Secondary Byways History HOT lanes
← SR 67 → SR 69

State Route 68 (SR 68) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known for most of its length as Exeter Road, the state highway runs 6.13 miles (9.87 km) from the Lee–Wise county line near Keokee, where the highway continues west as SR 606, east to U.S. Route 23 Business (US 23 Business) in Appalachia.

Route description

SR 68 begins at the Lee County line, which is formed by the drainage divide between Craborchard Creek to the west and Pigeon Creek to the east. The roadway continues west into Lee County as SR 606 through Keokee toward Pennington Gap. SR 68, which is named Exeter Road, descends into the valley of Pigeon Creek and passes through the communities of Exeter, Lower Exeter, and Imboden. East of Lower Exeter, the state highway parallels a rail line that serves the coal mines in the valley. At Pigeon Creek's confluence with Looney Creek, where the streams enter the Powell River, SR 68 curves north across the rail line, crosses the rail line that parallels Looney Creek, and meets the eastern end of SR 160 (Inman Road). The state highway continues into the town of Appalachia as Inman Street, which crosses over Norfolk Southern Railway's Appalachia Division before reaching its eastern terminus at US 23 Business (Main Street).

History

The whole length of SR 68, west from State Route 11 (now US 23 Business) near Appalachia to the county line, was added to the state highway system in 1928 as State Route 119. It was renumbered as SR 68 in 1933.

Major intersections

The entire route is in Wise County.

Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
​	0.00	0.00	SR 606 – Keokee	Lee–Wise county line; western terminus
Appalachia			SR 160 west (North Inman Street)	Eastern terminus of SR 160
	6.13	9.87	US 23 Bus. (West Main Street) – Appalachia, Big Stone Gap	Eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

1. ^ "2009 Traffic Data". Virginia Department of Transportation. 2009. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
   • Wise County (PDF)
2. "Virginia State Route 68" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
3. State Highway Commission of Virginia (August 9–10, 1928). "Minutes of Meeting" (PDF) (Report). Richmond: Commonwealth of Virginia. p. 13.

External links

• Virginia Highways Project: VA 68

• State highways in Virginia
• Transportation in Wise County, Virginia