More than 25 years ago, the Virginia General Assembly established the Route 58 Corridor Development Program to help strengthen the economy of southside and southwest Virginia. The goal is to create a four-lane highway across southern Virginia from the Port of Virginia at Hampton Roads to Interstate 77 and eventually to Interstate 81 and the coalfields.
The last section of the 680-mile project is the 36 miles between Hillsville and Stuart, which is divided into six segments. Cooked Oak, Vesta and Lover’s Leap—the remaining segments—total approximately 20 miles. The 58 project is part of a Comprehensive Agreement between VDOT and Branch Highways under Virginia’s Public Private Transportation Act (PPTA), which allows private companies to propose innovative solutions for design, construction, financing and operation of transportation improvements. Economic development, safety, connectivity and reduced traffic congestion are benefits to the Commonwealth of completing Route 58. We’re Halfway There. Facts&Figures • Excavated 1,275,000 cubic meters • Laid 54,000 metric tons of aggregate • Laid 52,163 metric tons of asphalt • Installed 10,250 meters of pipe • Began reconstructing the existing road