View source for Interstate 77 in Virginia

{{Short description|Section of Interstate Highway in Virginia, United States}}
{{highway detail hatnote|Interstate 77}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox road
|state = VA
|route = 77
|type = I
|map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=240|frame-lat=36.918|frame-long=-80.923|zoom=8|type=line|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/Interstate 77 in Virginia}}}}
|map_custom = yes
|map_notes = I-77 highlighted in red
|established = 1972
|length_mi = 66.27
|length_round = 2
|length_ref = <ref name="traffic counts Carroll">{{cite web|url= http://www.virginiadot.org/info/resources/AADT_017_Carroll_2005.pdf |title=2005 Virginia Department of Transportation Jurisdiction Report - Daily Traffic Volume Estimates - Carroll County }}</ref><ref name="traffic counts Wythe">{{cite web|url= http://www.virginiadot.org/info/resources/AADT_098_Wythe_2005.pdf |title=2005 Virginia Department of Transportation Jurisdiction Report - Daily Traffic Volume Estimates - Wythe County }}</ref><ref name="traffic counts Bland">{{cite web|url= http://www.virginiadot.org/info/resources/AADT_010_Bland_2005.pdf |title=2005 Virginia Department of Transportation Jurisdiction Report - Daily Traffic Volume Estimates - Bland County }}</ref>
|direction_a = South
|terminus_a = {{Jct|state=NC|I|74|I|77}} at the [[North Carolina]] state line
|junction = 
*{{Jct|state=VA|US|58|US|221}} near [[Hillsville, Virginia|Hillsville]]
*{{Jct|state=VA|I|81|US|11}} near [[Wytheville, Virginia|Wytheville]]
*{{jct|state=VA|US|52}} various times between [[Wytheville, Virginia|Wytheville]] and [[Rocky Gap, Virginia|Rocky Gap]]
|direction_b = North
|terminus_b = {{Jct|state=WV|I|77|US|52}} at the [[West Virginia]] state line
|counties = [[Carroll County, Virginia|Carroll]], [[Wythe County, Virginia|Wythe]], [[Bland County, Virginia|Bland]]
|previous_type = VA
|previous_route = 76
|next_type = VA
|next_route = 78
}}
'''Interstate&nbsp;77''' ('''I-77''') in the US state of [[Virginia]] is a {{convert|67|mi|km|adj=on}} north–south [[Interstate Highway]] serving [[Hillsville, Virginia|Hillsville]], [[Wytheville, Virginia|Wytheville]], and [[Bland, Virginia|Bland]]. Running parallel to [[U.S. Route 52 in Virginia|US Route&nbsp;52]] (US&nbsp;52), I-77 passes through the [[Big Walker Mountain Tunnel]] and [[East River Mountain Tunnel]], the latter on the [[West Virginia]] state line and one of only two land vehicular tunnels to cross a state line. It is planned to overlap with the proposed I-74 in the future.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/virginia/unique-tunnel-in-va/|title=Most People Have No Idea This Unique Tunnel In Virginia Exists|last=Beth|date=2016-06-30|website=OnlyInYourState|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-19}}</ref>

==Route description==
[[File:2017-06-11 15 51 34 View south along Interstate 77 just south of Exit 66 (U.S. Route 52) in North Gap, Bland County, Virginia.jpg|thumb|left|View south along I-77 just south of the East River Mountain Tunnel in Bland County]]I-77 enters Virginia near [[Mount Airy, North Carolina]], while the highway continues south into North Carolina concurrently with a segment of the unfinished [[Interstate 74 in North Carolina|I-74]]. The first exit is a [[folded diamond interchange]] with [[Virginia State Route 620|State Route&nbsp;620]] (SR&nbsp;620).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Virginia Interstate Exits - Travel {{!}} Virginia Department of Transportation|url=https://www.virginiadot.org/travel/exit-numbers-77.asp|access-date=2021-01-05|website=www.virginiadot.org}}</ref> The route continues northeast toward [[Fancy Gap, Virginia|Fancy Gap]] and passes under the [[Blue Ridge Parkway]], with access to it and the town provided by a [[diamond interchange]] with [[Virginia State Route 775|SR&nbsp;775]], which has a connection to US&nbsp;52. 

Continuing northwest, the expressway reaches another diamond interchange with [[U.S. Route 58 in Virginia|US&nbsp;58]]/[[U.S. Route 221 in Virginia|US&nbsp;221]] (Carrollton Pike). The route has another interchange with SR&nbsp;620 before folding onto [[Interstate 81 in Virginia|I-81]].

The route begins a [[wrong-way concurrency]] with I-81 and [[U.S. Route 11 in Virginia|US&nbsp;11]], with the northbound direction cosigned with southbound I-81 and US&nbsp;11. US&nbsp;52 joins this concurrency in an interchange. Continuing west, US&nbsp;11 splits south to Wytheville's downtown<ref>{{Cite web|title=Virginia Interstate Exits - Travel {{!}} Virginia Department of Transportation|url=https://www.virginiadot.org/travel/exit-numbers-81.asp|access-date=2021-01-05|website=www.virginiadot.org}}</ref> and I-81 eventually splits west to head toward [[Bristol, Virginia|Bristol]]. From here, US&nbsp;52 resumes its parallel of the expressway and the highway intersects [[Virginia State Route 61|SR&nbsp;61]] near [[Rocky Gap, Virginia|Rocky Gap]]. Near [[Bland, Virginia|Bland]], the interstate enters the [[Big Walker Mountain Tunnel]], and north of Bland, US&nbsp;52 merges onto the freeway on the approach to the [[East River Mountain Tunnel]], and the tunnel crosses into [[West Virginia]], where the route continues.{{clear}}

==History==
I-77 was first opened in 1972 between I-81 in Wytheville and US&nbsp;52 in Bland, which also included the Big Walker Mountain Tunnel. The Interstate was extended from Bland to the West Virginia border in 1974–1975; this extension included the East River Mountain Tunnel. In July 1977, I-77 was built between the North Carolina border and Fancy Gap, and, in December, it was extended from Fancy Gap to Poplar Camp. In 1978, I-77 was built between Poplar Camp and I-81. The Interstate existed in two separate segments until 1987, when the I-81/I-77 overlap between Wytheville and [[Fort Chiswell, Virginia|Fort Chiswell]] was built.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}

I-77 in Fancy Gap has been the site of many fatal accidents, often due to fog and wind in the mountains. In November 2010, two people died as a result of a 75-vehicle pileup.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldcourier.com/news/dense-fog-causes--vehicle-pile-up-and-closes-southbound/article_73b40715-3395-57d8-9e0c-dea28153221e.html|title=Dense fog causes 75-vehicle pile up and closes southbound I-77|last=Police|first=Staff Reports, Virginia State|website=HeraldCourier.com|date=November 16, 2010 |language=en|access-date=2019-09-20}}</ref> On March 31, 2013, 17&nbsp;crashes along I-77 led to a 95-vehicle pileup and resulted in three deaths.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/31/75-vehicle-pileup/2040277/|title=3 killed in 95-vehicle pileup at Virginia-N.C. line|last=|first=|date=March 31, 2019|website=USA Today|language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-09-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.roanoke.com/news/virginia/killed-in-i--pileup/article_7cf5827d-07f3-56dc-9f05-4c66881f9c16.html|title=3 killed in I-77 pileup|last=Purdy|first=Chase|date=March 31, 2013|website=The Roanoke Times|language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-09-20}}</ref> In September 2013, a pileup resulted in one death.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wset.com/archive/update-one-person-killed-in-multi-vehicle-accident-on-i-77|title=UPDATE: Pile-Up in Dense Fog on I-77 Kills One, Injures Two|last=|first=|date=2013-09-21|publisher=WSET|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-09-20}}</ref> {{clear}}

==Exit list==
{{jcttop|state=VA|exit|length_ref=}}<!--needs a source for old exit numbers-->
{{VAint|exit
|county=Carroll
|cspan=6
|location=none
|mile=0.00
|road={{Jct|state=NC|I|77|dir1=south|I|74|dir2=east|city1=Charlotte<!--as signed at the I-81 split-->}}
|notes=North Carolina state line
}}
{{VAint|exit
|location=none
|mile=0.94
|exit=1
|road={{jct|state=VA|Sec|620|county1=Carroll}}
}}
{{VAint|exit
|location=none
|mile=8.57
|exit=8
|road={{jct|state=VA|SR|148|Sec|775|to3=to|US|52|county2=Carroll|city1=Fancy Gap}}
|notes=To [[Blue Ridge Parkway]]
}}
{{VAint|exit
|location=none
|mile=14.85
|exit=14
|road={{jct|state=VA|US|58|US|221|city1=Hillsville|city2=Galax}}
}}
{{VAint|exit
|location=none
|mile=19.03
|exit=19
|road={{jct|state=VA|Sec|620|county1=Carroll}}
}}
{{VAint|exit
|location=Poplar Camp
|mile=24.06
|exit=24
|road={{jct|state=VA|SR|69|city1=Poplar Camp}}
}}
{{VAint|exit
|county=Wythe
|cspan=4
|location=none
|mile=32.14
|exit=32
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=VA|I|81|dir1=north|US|11|dir2=north|city1=Roanoke}}
|notes=South end of I-81 / US 11 wrong-way concurrency; I-77 south follows exit 81
}}
{{jctgap|text=Interstate 77 overlaps with [[Interstate 81 in Virginia#Exit list|I-81]]. (exit 73 to 80)}}
{{VAint|exit
|location=Wytheville
|lspan=2
|mile=39.18
|exit=40
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=VA|I|81|dir1=south|US|52|dir2=north|to3=to|US|21|dir3=south|city1=Bristol}}
|notes=North end of I-81 wrong-way concurrency; north end of US 52 overlap; I-77 north follows exit 72
}}
{{VAint|exit
|mile=40.28
|exit=41
|road={{jct|state=VA|Sec|610|county1=Wythe|name1=Peppers Ferry Road|city1=Wytheville|city2=Max Meadows}}
}}
{{VAint|exit
|county=Bland
|location=none
|mile=45.77
|exit=47
|road={{jct|state=VA|Sec|717|county1=Bland}}
}}
{{jctco|state=VA|county=Wythe}}
{{jctbridge|exit
|river=[[Big Walker Mountain]]
|mile=48.81
|bridge=[[Big Walker Mountain Tunnel]]
}}
{{VAint|exit
|county=Bland
|cspan=6
|location=Bland
|mile=51.22
|exit=52
|road={{jct|state=VA|US|52|SR|42|city1=Bland}}
}}
{{VAint|exit
|location=none
|mile=57.33
|exit=58
|road={{jct|state=VA|US|52|name1=via [[Virginia State Route 666 (Bland County)|SR&nbsp;666]]|city1=Bastian}}
}}
{{VAint|exit
|location=South Gap
|mile=61.27
|exit=62
|road={{jct|state=VA|Sec|606|county1=Bland|city1=South Gap}}
}}
{{VAint|exit
|location=Rocky Gap
|mile=63.24
|exit=64
|road={{jct|state=VA|US|52|SR|61|city1=Rocky Gap}}
}}
{{VAint|exit
|type=concur
|location=none
|mile=65.57
|exit=66
|road={{jct|state=VA|US|52|dir1=south|SR|598}}
|notes=South end of US 52 overlap
}}
{{VAint|exit
|location=none
|mile=66.27
|road={{jct|state=WV|I|77|dir1=north|US|52|dir2=north|location1=[[Bluefield, VA|Bluefield]]|city2=Charleston<!--as signed at the I-81 split-->}}
|notes=West Virginia state line ([[East River Mountain Tunnel]] through [[East River Mountain]])
}}
{{Jctbtm|exit|keys=concur}}

==References==

<references/>

==External links==
{{AttachedKML|display=title,inline}}
*{{commons category-inline}}

{{state detail page browse|type=I|route=74|state=Virginia|statebefore=West Virginia|stateafter=North Carolina}}
{{state detail page browse|type=I|route=77|state=Virginia|statebefore=North Carolina|stateafter=West Virginia}}

[[Category:Interstate Highways in Virginia|77]]
[[Category:Transportation in Carroll County, Virginia|Interstate 077]]
[[Category:Transportation in Wythe County, Virginia|Interstate 077]]
[[Category:Transportation in Bland County, Virginia|Interstate 077]]
[[Category:Interstate 77| Virginia]]