Virginia State Route 117

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For former State Routes numbered 117, see State Route 117 (Virginia 1923-1926), State Route 117 (Virginia 1926-1928), and State Route 117 (Virginia 1928-1933).

State Route 117

Peters Creek Road

Length:

7.21 mi^[1] (11.60 km)

Formed:

1933

South end:

US 11 in Roanoke

Major
junctions:

US 460/11 Alt. in Roanoke

I-581 in Roanoke

North end:

US 11 near Hollins

Virginia Routes
< SR 116		SR 118 >
Primary - Secondary - History - Turnpikes

State Route 117 is a primary state highway in Roanoke and northern Roanoke County, Virginia, United States, known as Peters Creek Road for its entire length. Route 117 generally parallels Peters Creek, a tributary of the Roanoke River. The road is four lanes with the speed limit varying from 35 miles per hour to 45 miles per hour.^{[citation needed]}

1 Traditional route
2 Extended route
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Traditional route

Until the late 1990s, the road's southern end was its intersection with U.S. Route 460, or Melrose Avenue NW, in the city. The Roanoke-Salem Plaza shopping mall was constructed at this intersection in the early 1960s and remained a mainstay of Roanoke's retail establishment until the opening of Valley View Mall in 1985. The intersection also featured a Volkswagen dealership, with a VW beetle on the roof, and a Krispy Kreme nearby. Over the next two miles both State Route 101, or Hershberger Road NW, and State Route 116, known here as Cove Road, terminate at their intersections with Peter's Creek Road.

The road then gradually changes from a north-south direction to northeast-southwest. For some distance, Peters Creek Road runs at or near the border of the city and county. The stretch of SR 117 near its intersection with Interstate 581 in the county has become a focus of commercial and retail development. This location also allows for quick access to Roanoke Regional Airport via State Route 118 and Municipal Drive. The northern sections of Roanoke County near Peters Creek Road have also seen steady residential growth. SR 117's northern terminus is its intersection with U.S. Route 11, known here as Williamson Road.

[edit] Extended route

In the late 1990s, Peters Creek Road was extended 2.5 mi (4.0 km) to the south from US 460. This project, which had been discussed for decades, provided a link between northwest and southwest Roanoke. Previously, much traffic had been forced to pass through the narrow, nearly century old tunnels underneath Norfolk Southern's rail yard at Schaffers Crossing. New bridges over the Roanoke River and railroad tracks were constructed. The extension is a surface street which has only at grade, signalized intersections. The major intersections along the extended route are with Salem Turnpike NW and Shenandoah Avenue NW. However, between the termini, there are no businesses or residences with direct frontage on the road other than a Food Lion near the intersection with Shenandoah Avenue NW. The road is also separated from most surrounding neighborhoods by barriers such as walls and berms. Peters Creek Road's new southern terminus is at Brandon Avenue SW in Roanoke. This is also US 11, so both ends of SR 117 are at the same route.