Special routes of U.S. Route 52 explained

Country:USA
Type:US
Route:52
List Type:Special routes

Several special routes of U.S. Route 52 exist, from North Dakota to South Carolina. In order from northwest to southeast, they are as follows.

Minot business loop

State:ND
Type:US-Bus
Route:52
Location:Minot, North Dakota

Harvey business loop

State:ND
Type:US-Bus
Route:52
Location:Harvey, North Dakota
Length Mi:2

U.S. Route 52 Business is a 2adj=midNaNadj=mid business route of U.S. Route 52 in Harvey, North Dakota. It runs from U.S. Route 52 in Harvey to U.S. Route 52/North Dakota Highway 3.

Jamestown truck bypass route

State:ND
U.S. Route 52 Truck Bypass
Marker Image:

Location:Jamestown, North Dakota
Major junctions

Iowa alternate route

State:IA
Type:US 1961-Alt
Route:52
Location:LuxemburgDubuque
Length Mi:26.82
Formed:1964
Deleted:1968

U.S. Highway 52 Alternate (US 52 Alt.) existed in northeastern Iowa in the 1960s. The original pavement on US 52 between Dubuque and Luxemburg was in such poor condition that in 1964, the Iowa State Highway Commission temporarily rerouted US 52. It was rerouted along US 20 and Iowa Highway 136. As a result of this, the alternate route was then established along the old route.[1] Once comprehensive repairs were made to the roadway by 1968, the mainline designation was restored to the routing.[2]

Ironton business loop

State:OH
Type:US-Bus
Route:52
Location:Ironton, Ohio

U.S. Route 52 Business is a special business route of U.S. Route 52 in Ironton, Ohio. U.S. Route 52 Business exits the mainline route at the village of Coal Grove, just south of Ironton then follows the original pre-1962 routing of U.S. 52 through the central business district of Ironton before rejoining the mainline near Hanging Rock. U.S. 52 mainline was moved to its current alignment in 1962, which is a controlled-access 4-lane highway which bypasses the city itself. The business route was established at that time but was poorly signed for many years until 1999 when an effort to improve signage was completed. Since then it has been sufficiently signed as U.S. Route 52 Business.

Williamson truck route

State:WV
Type:US-Truck
Route:52
Location:Williamson, West Virginia

Welch alternate route

State:WV
Type:US-Alt
Route:52
Location:Welch, West Virginia
Formed:circa 1950
Length Mi:2.3
Length Ref:[3]

US 52's Welch Alternate route follows the original path of US 52 through town prior to construction of the Welch bypass around 1950. The route follows West Virginia Route 16 along with portions of Virginia Avenue and other streets.[4]

Bluefield truck route

State:WV
Type:US-Truck
Route:52
Location:Bluefield, West Virginia

U.S. Route 52 Truck follows US 19 from the edge of downtown Bluefield to US 460, a 4-lane highway which it then follows back to regular US 52. The truck route bypasses several 90-degree turns and a residential neighborhood.

Mount Airy alternate route

State:NC
Type:US 1950
Route:52A
Location:Mount Airy, North Carolina
Formed:1953
Deleted:1960

U.S. Route 52A was established in 1953, replacing the old mainline US 52 through downtown Mount Airy, via Main Street. It was renumbered in 1960 as US 52 Business.[5]

Mount Airy business loop

State:NC
Type:US-Bus
Route:52
Location:Mount Airy, North Carolina
Formed:1960
Length Mi:5.4
Length Round:1

U.S. Route 52 Business was established in 1960, a renumbering of US 52A through downtown Mount Airy, via Main Street, Renfro Street, and Lebanon Street. Between 1963 and 1967, US 52 Business was split on one-way streets: northbound via Cherry and Renfro Streets, southbound via Main Street. Sometime between 1969 and 1972, southbound US 52 Business was removed from Main and Cherry Streets, and moved onto an extended Renfro Street.[6]

Pilot Mountain alternate route

State:NC
Type:US 1950
Route:52A
Location:Pilot Mountain, North Carolina
Formed:1949
Deleted:1960

U.S. Route 52A was established in 1949, replacing the old mainline US 52 through Pilot Mountain, via Main Street. It was renumbered in 1960 as US 52 Business.[5]

Pilot Mountain business loop

State:NC
Type:US 1961-Bus
Route:52
Location:Pilot Mountain, North Carolina
Formed:1960
Deleted:1964

U.S. Route 52 Business was established in 1960, a renumbering of US 52A through Pilot Mountain, via Main Street. It was decommissioned in 1964 when the Pilot Mountain Parkway was opened, taking US 52 onto a new alignment west of town.[6]

Albemarle business loop

State:NC
Type:US-Bus
Route:52
Location:Albemarle, North Carolina
Formed:mid-1990s
Length Mi:2.1
Length Round:1

U.S. Route 52 Business was established in the mid-1990s, it goes through downtown Albemarle, via First Street.[6]

Cheraw truck route

State:SC
Type:US-Truck
Route:52
Location:Cheraw, South Carolina
Formed:2002
Length Mi:3.550
Length Ref:[7] [8]

U.S. Route 52 Truck (US 52 Truck) is a 3.55miles truck route of US 52 that has about half of its path within the city limits of Cheraw. All but the northernmost 0.32miles of its path is concurrent with US 1 Truck.

Florence truck route

State:SC
Type:US-Truck
Route:52
Location:Florence, South Carolina
Length Mi:4.780
Length Ref:[9] [10]

U.S. Route 52 Truck (US 52 Truck) is a 4.78miles truck route of US 52 that is mostly within the city limits of Florence, South Carolina. It is mostly unsigned. It begins concurrent with US 301 (Freedom Boulevard, which is signed as a US 301 truck route), but branches off on its own.

Florence connector route

State:SC
Type:US-Conn
Route:52
Location:Florence, South Carolina
Length Mi:1.070
Length Ref:[11]

U.S. Route 52 Connector (US 52 Conn.) is a 1.07miles connector route of US 52 that is entirely within the city limits of Florence, South Carolina. It has a one-block-long concurrency with US 76 (West Palmetto Street). The rest of the highway uses Coit Street. It is unsigned.[12]

Darlington business loop

State:SC
Type:US-Bus
Route:52
Location:Darlington, South Carolina
Length Mi:4.508
Length Ref:[13]

U.S. Route 52 Business (US 52 Bus.) is a 4.508miles business route of US 52 that has most of its length within the city limits of Darlington. Except for its termini, the only other major intersection is that with SC 34/SC 151 at SC 151's southern terminus.

North Charleston connector route

State:SC
Type:US-Conn
Route:52
Location:North Charleston, South Carolina
Length Mi:0.900
Length Ref:[14]

U.S. Route 52 Connector (US 52 Conn.) is a 0.9miles connector route of US 52 that has its entire length within the city limits of North Charleston. It is a short freeway that connects Interstate 26 (I-26) and US 52/US 78 (Rivers Avenue). Except for its termini, it has no other major interchanges. It is an unsigned highway.[15]

Charleston spur route

State:SC
Type:US-Spur
Route:52
Length Mi:2.980
Length Ref:[16]
Location:Charleston, South Carolina
Formed:early 1950s

U.S. Route 52 Spur (US 52 Spur) is an unsigned 2.98miles long spur route of US 52 in Charleston, South Carolina. It extends from Broad Street to US 52 (where it is named Meeting Street) along the northeastern side of the peninsula of downtown Charleston. The highway provides access for trucks to shipping terminals of the Port of Charleston on the Charleston peninsula: Union Pier and Columbus Street.

The entire length of the highway is in the city of Charleston. 1.29miles of the route is named Morrison Drive and the remaining 1.69miles is named East Bay Street.[17]

One section of the route, Morrison Drive near Jackson Street, will flood regularly during a spring tide. The southern terminus is near the historic wharves of Charleston, including Adgers Wharf, which is now the site of a playground. It is also adjacent to the Old Exchange, or Customs House, of Charleston. The current Customs House that was built around the time of the Civil War is on this route.

The section named Morrison Drive was constructed in the early 1950s.[18] It was named for William McG. Morrison, mayor of Charleston from 1953 to 1954.[19]

When Morrison Drive was constructed, there was still one private terminal operating near the southern terminus, the Clydeline Steamship Company. The Clydeline terminal burned down in 1955. In the late 1980s, the land of the terminal was rebuilt as Waterfront Park.[20]

Notes and References

  1. 1964. August 7, 2020.
  2. 1968. August 7, 2020.
  3. Web site: Riverside Dr to 750 Virginia Ave.
  4. West Virginia Department of Transportation. West Virginia Department of Transportation. 2003 . [ftp://gis.transportation.wv.gov/CityMaps/Welch.pdf Welch ]. PDF.
  5. Web site: NCRoads.com: U.S. 52-A . 2011-03-05 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101125114856/http://members.cox.net/ncroads/us52a.html . 2010-11-25 .
  6. Web site: NCRoads.com: U.S. 52 Business . 2011-03-05 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101125114153/http://members.cox.net/ncroads/us52b.html . 2010-11-25 .
  7. Web site: Highway Logmile Report . South Carolina Department of Transportation . December 8, 2020 .
  8. Web site: Highway Logmile Report . South Carolina Department of Transportation . December 8, 2020 .
  9. Web site: Highway Logmile Report . South Carolina Department of Transportation . December 8, 2020 .
  10. Web site: Highway Logmile Report . South Carolina Department of Transportation . December 8, 2020 .
  11. Web site: Highway Logmile Report . South Carolina Department of Transportation . December 8, 2020 .
  12. Florence Urban Area . Sheet 4 . D7 . July 2020 . December 8, 2020 .
  13. Web site: Highway Logmile Report . South Carolina Department of Transportation . December 8, 2020 .
  14. Web site: Highway Logmile Report . South Carolina Department of Transportation . December 8, 2020 .
  15. Charleston Urban Area . South Carolina Department of Transportation . Sheet 12 . J12 . August 2020 . December 8, 2020 .
  16. Web site: Highway Logmile Report . South Carolina Department of Transportation . December 8, 2020 .
  17. [South Carolina Department of Transportation]
  18. South Carolina State Highway Department Docket No. 10.348 dated July 17, 1950
  19. http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/SC/ofc/charleston.html Political Graveyard
  20. http://www.tbrpc.org/waterfront/charles.htm Charleston Waterfront Park: A Success Story