Virginia State Route 195
State highway in the City of Richmond, Virginia, US
State Route 195 (SR 195) is a controlled-access toll road in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as the Downtown Expressway, the state highway runs 3.39 miles (5.46 km) from Interstate 195 (I-195) east to I-95 within the independent city of Richmond. SR 195 connects the West End of Richmond with Downtown Richmond. In conjunction with another toll road, SR 76, the state highway also connects the Southside suburbs of the metropolitan area with downtown. SR 195 has a mainline barrier toll plaza and ramp toll plazas at its interchanges with U.S. Route 1 and US 301 and with US 60, all of which accept E-ZPass. The state highway was constructed in the mid- to late 1970s and is maintained by the Richmond Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Route description
SR 195 begins as a continuation of I-195, an Interstate Highway that connects SR 195 and SR 76 with I-95 and I-64 at the northern edge of the city of Richmond. The transition between the Interstate and the state-numbered highway occurs just east of the McCloy Street overpass south of the Carytown district of Richmond. Four-lane SR 195 passes under Idlewood Avenue and has a partial interchange with SR 146, which comprises extended ramps between SR 195 and SR 76 (Powhite Parkway). The freeway expands to six lanes at its interchange with SR 146 which, like its interchange with SR 161 (Boulevard) immediately to the east, allows access to and from the direction of Downtown Richmond.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Virginia State Route 195” as state highway in the City of Richmond, Virginia, US. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as state highway in the City of Richmond, Virginia, US. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Dec 21, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q2508014. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Virginia State Route 195”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Virginia State Route 195 primary sources, Virginia State Route 195 archive and Virginia research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Virginia State Route 195”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Virginia State Route 195” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.