Warwick Road (Chesterfield County) facts for kids
Warwick Road in Chesterfield County, Virginia, is a very old road. It was first made in the 1700s when Virginia was still a colony of Britain. This road helped people travel around a tricky part of the James River that had fast-moving water and dams. It connected areas near the towns of Manchester and Richmond, Virginia. These towns were on opposite sides of the river.
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Warwick Road: A Path Through History
How the Road Started
Warwick Road got its name from an old port town called Warwick. This town was built around 1750 near where Falling Creek meets the James River. However, in 1781, during the American Revolutionary War, British General Benedict Arnold's soldiers destroyed Warwick town.
The old Warwick Road helped people move goods and boats. It was a "portage" route. This means it was a land path used to carry boats or cargo around parts of a river that were hard to travel through. The road went around the waterfalls, rapids, and dams near Manchester and Richmond. This allowed boats like bateau boats to travel further west on the James River where the water was calmer.
The 18th-century road went through what is now a large DuPont Plant in Chesterfield County. It then crossed into parts of Chesterfield that became part of South Richmond in 1944 and 1970. Finally, it went back into Chesterfield County near the Bon Air, Virginia area. There, it met another road called River Road. Together, Warwick Road and River Road formed the important portage route.
Changes in the 1900s
Even though Warwick town was destroyed in 1781, much of the original Warwick Road was still used as a main route. This continued until about 1960. That's when Chippenham Parkway was built. This new parkway cut through Warwick Road near Bon Air, between Jahnke Road and Midlothian Turnpike.
However, parts of the old road are still used today. If you travel from east to west, you can find sections of modern Walmsley Boulevard, Warwick Road, and Old Warwick Road in South Richmond. In Chesterfield County, parts of it are now Brown Road and Belleau Drive.
In 1932, Warwick Road became part of Virginia's Secondary Road System under the Byrd Road Act. This meant that parts of it were paved with a hard surface. Later in the 1900s, the parts of Warwick Road east of Chippenham Parkway became very busy and difficult to drive on. Many houses and businesses were built nearby, and traffic grew a lot. The road was only two lanes, had curves, no shoulders, and deep ditches. It was built long before cars were common. Because of its old design and heavy traffic, Warwick Road became known for many car accidents.
A New Road for Modern Times
In the 1990s, a new, wider road was built in the City of Richmond area. This new road was 4.5 miles long and had four lanes. It cost $41 million and was funded by the Virginia Department of Transportation. The new road followed some of the same path as the original Warwick Road.
Most of this new road was given the historic name "Warwick Road." It starts where Bells Road and Belt Boulevard (State Route 161) meet. It crosses the CSX A-line (an old railroad line) over a new bridge. Then it goes through major intersections with Broad Rock Boulevard (State Route 10) and Hull Street Road (U.S. Route 360). Finally, it ends at an intersection with Midlothian Turnpike, which is U.S. Route 60.
Several older sections of the road that were bypassed by the new route were renamed "Old Warwick Road."
