Virginia State Route 114

Samuel Pepper established a ferry crossing during the 1770s which opened a transportation route during the late colonial and early national periods linking the resources of the west with the population centers in the east.[4] Remnants of this original road in Dublin,[5] Pulaski,[6] and Wytheville and Wythe County[7] are still called Peppers Ferry Road.

The first State Route 114 ran from Coeburn north to Haysi along the pathe of present-day VA 72 and VA 83. The second State Route 114 was a 3.6-mile route, the part of present-day Wythe County SR 667 (Old Stage Road) east of SR 654 (Berea Road).[8][9] was added to the state highway system in 1928.[10] It was renumbered State Route 89 in the 1933 Virginia state highway renumbering, and was transferred to the secondary system in 1938 at the request of Wythe County.[11]

The current State Route 114 had its origins in the 1933 Virginia state highway renumbering but none of the current path of VA 114 was part of the original 1933 route. Instead a series of extensions and truncations of VA 114 have given it its present alignment. Prior to 1933, Route 114 was numbered Route 209.[12]

State Route 209 first appeared in August 1928 as new primary routing beginning at US 11 in Cloverdale running to Daleville and then northwest through Catawba to the Montgomery County line towards Blacksburg.[13] In June 1930, a second piece of VA 209 was added from what was then VA 23 (now Business US 460) in Blacksburg east for 2.4 miles.[13] In December 1930, the original 1928 section was extended west 4.8 miles further towards Blacksburg.[13] VA 209 was also extended west from Blacksburg along Turner Street and Prices Fork Road for 1.46 miles.[13] In July 1932, the two sections were connected east of Blacksburg and the Prices Fork Road section was extended west past Linkous Store.[13] Also in July 1932, a new piece was created replacing CR 113 running north from VA 10 (now Bonsack Road near US 221/US 460) less than a mile to the Botetourt County line.[13]

In July 1933, all parts of VA 209 were renumbered as Route 114.[12] The road was gradually paved throughout the 1930s and 40s.[12] There were also many changes to the route in this period. In May 1938, VA 114 was extended west to US 11 in Fairlawn, an upgrade of SR 604.[12] In April 1944, the separate section at Bonsack was downgraded to SR 604 (now US 220 Alternate).[12] In May 1945, the VA 114 designation west of Blacksburg was removed from Prices Fork Road.[12] That road became SR 658 and is now VA 412, SR 685, and a route in the Radford Arsenal. VA 114 was then routed south on VA 8 (now Business US 460) to just east of Belmont, where it went west on Peppers Ferry Rd (previously SR 658).[12] At the same time, VA 114 was truncated in the east VA 311 near Catawba, with the former route downgraded to SR 779.[12]

In May 1950, all of VA 114 east of US 460 was eliminated, replaced by SR 785 from Blacksburg to Catawba.[12] VA 114 maintained its Fairlawn to Belmont path unchanged for over 50 years until it was extended east to an interchange on the new US 460 bypass.[12] While this new section is multilane, much of the road remains two lanes.