Virginia/Major roads/Main

For further information, see Road names/USA, Road types/USA and Virginia/Resources.

The following is intended for Virginia Specific roadways. For further information about Interstates and US Highways and other non-Virginia roadways, see Road names/USA, Road types/USA and Virginia/Resources.

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  Primary route marker

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  Secondary route marker

Naming

Virginia folows the road naming guidelines of the USA. The local name of a road should always be set as the primary name and the route number should be set as an alternate name; there are very few state routes in Virginia that do not have a local name.

Primary state routes have numbers in the range of 2 to 599 (and, as exceptions, 785, 895), displayed in a route marker using a shield design. Using the example above, the road should be named SR-28.

Secondary state routes are those with route numbers 600 or greater; if these roads have route markers (many do not), they use a circle design or a small rectangle instead of a shield. Using the example above, the road should be named VA-613.

Frontage roads are roads run parallel to a higher-speed, limited-access road. A frontage road is often used to provide access to private driveways, industries, farms, etc.. A list of these roads can be found here. They should be named F-###

Town Roads or T-Roads are roads that are maintained by incorporated towns on an optional basis. They should be named T-###

Road typing

Virginia follows the national guidelines for road types. VDOT Functional Classification The VDOT Functional Classification Maps have been approved for setting road type in WME based on the quick reference chart and other considerations listed below.The functional classifications are available via an interactive map that can be found here. Alternatively, maps have been made to match WME in both old and current road colors.

For purposes of applying the US road type guidelines, we treat only primary state routes as "numbered state highways." Primary state routes must be designated as at least  Minor Highway  in Waze, unless the road's functional classification requires a higher designation. (For example, primary routes 785 and 895 are road typed to reflect their future designation as freeway.)

Exception: Primary routes that solely access state facilities (parks, educational/correctional institutions, etc.) should be given a road type that matches the FC maps published by VDOT, even if that is less than Minor Highway. Many, but not all of the routes that service state institutions are SR-3##; a non-exhaustive list can be found here.

Secondary state routes, frontage roads, and town roads are always typed based solely on the FC maps

Consult the Road Types (USA) page for further guidance on how to type based on functional class and road signage.

Locking

In Virginia we have a set minimum standard for locking roads based on segment type. Any road of a certain segment type must be locked at least to the rank (level) in the chart below. Roads may be locked higher for protection and special situations (areas with construction, tricky design, frequent mistakes, imaging inaccuracies, and the like), but should not be locked lower. A great time to implement these locks is while bringing the road types of an area into compliance with the current US road type standards. Lock the roads based on type after they've been set to current US road type standards and connecting roads are set up correctly and all other edits are complete for the segment.

Actual locks used may be more or less than values in the table below, depending on area circumstance

   Please consult the RC, SM, or appropriate AM for guidance

Virginia Locking Rank Standard Guideline

Segment Type	Urban	Rural
Freeway	5
Ramp	Highest rank of connected segment
Major Highway	4	3
Minor Highway	3	2
Primary Street	2	1
Street	1
• • • • Ferry • • • •	5
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-| Railroad |-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|	2