Interstate 195 Virginia

Overview

Interstate 195 is an urban freeway spur branching southwest from I-64/95 (Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike) to Carytown in the city of Richmond. The Beltline Expressway accompanies a CSX Railroad corridor between the Malvern Gardens community and the Museum District. The south end splits into branches for the tolled Powhite Parkway (SR 76) west to Midlothian and the tolled Downtown Expressway (SR 195) back to Interstate 95.

History

Plans for the Richmond Expressway System were announced in October 1966. As originally envisioned, the $90 to 95 million system would consist of four segments (Richmond Times-Dispatch, 1986):

• Beltline Expressway - a four to six lane route running northeast from near Willow Oaks on the south banks of the James River to Bryan Park on the North Side of the city.
• Downtown Expressway - a six lane roadway angling southeast from the Beltline Expressway along Idlewood Avenue to the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike near Main Street Station.
• Powhite Parkway - an expressway linking Chippenham Parkway in Chesterfield County to the Beltline Expressway at Willow Oaks. This route would follow the Powhite creekbed and Southern Railway line.
• Riverside Parkway - paralleling the south bank of the James River, between the Powhite Parkway and Huguenot Bridge. Provisions were considered for an extension of this leg west into Henrico County, including a bridge across the James to the west of the Huguenot Bridge.

Tolls collected on the expressway system were proposed mostly at 15 cents, with selected locations levying either 10 or 25 cents. Speed limits were to be set at 50 miles per hour (Richmond Times-Dispatch, 1986).

The Beltline Expressway opened in 1975 (Kozel, 2003). The route of I-195 was approved by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on June 9, 1986. The application sent to AASHTO by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) provided the following reasoning:

The requested designation is for Interstate Route 195 which provides, in conjunction with the Downtown Expressway, ingress and egress to the central business district of Richmond. This designation conforms with current FAI designation and signing in this area and forms part of the Interstate System in Virginia.

North End  ‐ Richmond, VA

North at

Interstate 195 (Beltline Expressway) meets U.S. 33/250 (Broad Street) 1.25 miles from the three-wye interchange with I-64 and I-95. 05/28/21

East at

Interstate 64 crosses paths with U.S. 33 (Staples Mill Road) at Dumbarton, 1.75 miles northwest of the exchange (Exit 186) with I-195, SR 197 (Laburnum Avenue) and I-95. 12/30/20

South at

Interstate 95 converges with U.S. 301 (Chamberlayne Road) near Chamberlayne, two miles north of I-64/195. 05/28/21

West North at

I-64/95 partition at Interstate 195, two miles beyond the former Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike toll plaza location. 12/16/22

North End – Past Views

Past Views Gallery (Tap to Expand / Collapse Section)

North at

Interstate 64 splits from I-95 (Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike) northbound in 0.75 miles at Exit 79. 06/01/12

South at

01/04/19

South End  ‐ Richmond, VA

South at

Interstate 195 (Beltline Expressway) drops below grade from Scott’s Addition and U.S. 33/250 (Broad Street) as a CSX Railroad separates the north and southbound roadways. The route concludes in 1.75 miles. 12/30/20

West at

SR 195 (Downtown Expressway) partitions at a wye interchange for SR 146 south to the Powhite Parkway (SR 76) and Interstate 195 north onto the Beltline Expressway. 05/28/21

North at

Crossing the James River, Powhite Parkway (SR 76) approaches the split with SR 146 to SR 195 (Downtown Expressway) east. I-195 commences north at the merge with SR 195 west.