VA 5 winds throughout central and western Charles City County. On the right here is the VCU Rice Center.
There's a bike/pedestrian path next to VA 5 starting from the Kimages area (near the last photo) heading east in bits and pieces almost all the way to Williamsburg. Plans are for it to eventually go all the way to Richmond Here it's on the south side of the road, but some newer segments are on the north side.
VA 5 gets less curvy as it heads further east.
A new segment of bike path on the north side of the road.
Why I like being the only car on the road.
I missed getting a photo of this shield in 2010 and 2011. It's about halfway between VA 106/156 and central Williamsburg.
Look! Traffic! VA 5 is mostly used by locals; Richmond-Williamsburg traffic usually takes I-64, or, in a pinch, the parallel and multilaned US 60.
The bike path returns as we go over VA 5's new bridge over the Chickahominy River into James City County, the first of many changes of jurisdiction in the Williamsburg area on this trip.
Looking south, towards the confluence of the James and Chickahominy Rivers. I left relatively late in the day, so it was already after 1 PM at this point.
A sign for Virginia's Historic Triangle, of Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown. VA 5 gets ready to turn onto itself.
I don't get why SR 5000 (Monticello Avenue) is posted with the Truck banner. Regardless, it takes you to VA 321, though I (and others in the road community) think it should be primary.
VA 5 becomes a slow-moving drive through Williamsburg exurbia.
Now closer to the city, VA 5 approaches VA 199. Williamsburg uses these older-spec signs on a green background, although I'm still in James City County at this point.
VA 5 joins VA 199 eastbound here. Originally it continued straight ahead and turned east on SR 616, John Tyler Lane.
The VA 5/199 concurrency has a speed limit of 45. As you'll see later, the independent sections of VA 199 are higher than that.
Entering Williamsburg city limits. Jurisdiction change: 2.
VA 5 leaves VA 199 at Jamestown Road and heads deeper into the city. This was originally VA 31, which now ends at the same intersection, which we'll see later.
VA 5 originally ended here, from the left.
This section of VA 5 is hilly.
It then drops to two lanes...
...and 25 MPH.
Seriously, watch for pedestrians. Lots of them. Being terribly cold outside makes this less of an issue.
VA 5 passes the College of William and Mary. The streets on campus are considered part of VA 321, but some were blocked off so I didn't attempt a true clinch of it.
VA 5 turns onto Bun...er, Blonde...or is that brunette?...um, I mean Boundary Street.
And then quickly onto Francis Street.
Shortly after that, it joins VA 132 on Henry Street.
VA 5/132 passes through the central tourist area of Williamsburg.
VA 5 then leaves VA 132 to head east on Lafayette Street. More from VA 132 later.
Until 1994, VA 162 was also on Lafayette but was then truncated to its current, hilariously short length, which we'll see later.
Lafayette is right next to the railroad.
VA 5 then joins US 60 on a wrong-way concurrency. Westbound 60 and eastbound 5 actually head north here, as did eastbound 162 before 1994.
I'm sure there's a reason VA 5 doesn't use Francis Street all the way here. Like maybe it doesn't come all the way here and you have to use whatever that connector is.
Wrong-way reassurance, from a distance.
Page Street meets Second Street. When VA 162 went through town it turned here. There's also a First Street, but it doesn't connect to Page. There's no Third Street or higher.
Side view.
US 60 leaves VA 5, which then becomes Capitol Landing Road to its end.
VA 5's last segment is 35 MPH.
VA 5 ends at VA 143, which then takes the Capitol Landing Road name north of their intersection.
As you can see, VA 143 turns to stay on itself. When this was VA 31, it continued straight through, but I think VA 5 doesn't go this way because it's heading northwest and so would be going the "wrong" signed way. We'll continue with VA 143 in part 3.
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