Interstate Designation
| Interstate 895 | |
|---|---|
| Location: | Richmond, Virginia |
| Length: | 8.8 mi (14.2 km) |
The road was originally planned as Interstate 895. However, in January 2002, when the Virginia Department of Transportation sought the Interstate designation from the Federal Highway Administration, it was informed that the expressway was not qualified for such a designation, as federal statute 23 USC 129(a)(1)(A) provides that federal funds may not be used for a tolled Interstate. Thus, toll roads using no federal funds and free roads of any funding source are eligible for Interstate designation, but toll roads that use federal funds are not. In this case, $9.28 million of the preliminary engineering (out of a total $324 million cost) was funded by the federal government, and the project ultimately opened as a toll road, disqualifying the road as a bearer of an Interstate shield.
Because of the unique situation, the new roadway was designated as a State Route using the same number, with the expectation that it would be eligible for an Interstate designation upon completion and cession of ownership to the Commonwealth. SR 895 is one of only two routes that violates Virginia's numbering convention, in which primary state highways are numbered below 600. The other such route is the unsigned State Route 785, planned as Interstate 785.
Read more about this topic: Virginia State Route 895
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