A Guide to the Records of the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike Authority, 1954-1983 (bulk 1956-1958) Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike Authority 40941

A Guide to the Records of the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike Authority, 1954-1983 (bulk 1956-1958)

A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Accession Number 40941


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Library of Virginia

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Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000
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© 2024 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.

Processed by: Renee M. Savits

Repository
The Library of Virginia
Accession Number
40941
Title
Records of the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike Authority, 1954-1983 (bulk 1956-1958)
Extent
16.25 cu. ft. (44 boxes)
Creator
Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike Authority
Language
English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Virginia State Highway Commission, Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike Authority, Records and photographs, 1954-1983 (bulk 1956-1958). Accession 40941, State government records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Transferred on 17 November 2003 from the Dept. of Transportation, Richmond, Va.

Biographical Information

The Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike Authority was established in 1955 to build the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike. The Authority was a small state agency created by the General Assembly, to administer (design, finance, acquire right-of-way, construct, operate, collect tolls, and maintain) the Turnpike. The Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike (RPT) cost $76.7 million (funded with proceeds from toll revenue bonds sold by the Commonwealth of Virginia) to build, and it ran for 34.7 miles from US-1 in Dinwiddie County to US-301 in Henrico County (from today's I-85 Exit 63 to I-95 Exit 82), it opened in its entirety on July 1, 1958; and soon after opening, the RPT was designated with the I-85 and I-95 designations, even though no federal aid was used to build the RPT, and it became part of the Interstate system. The 1973 General Assembly passed legislation to dissolve the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike Authority and transfers its duties, powers and obligations to the Virginia State Highway Commission (the predecessor of the current Commonwealth Transportation Board), so the Virginia Department of Highways and Transportation (today's VDOT) took over administration of the RPT in 1973.

Scope and Content

Records, 1954-1983 (bulk 1956-1958), including agreements, brochures, by-laws, correspondence, engineering reports, finances, maps, photographs, and reports of the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike Authority. The collection is housed in two series: Series I: Papers, 1955-1973; and Series II: Photographs, 1956-1983. The bulk of the collection consists of works progress photographs. The photographs are notable as they document the destruction of many blocks of homes and businesses in Jackson Ward, Richmond's oldest historically African-American community. The highway bisected the neighborhood and had irreparable effects on its fabric.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into two series:

Series I: Papers, 1954-1973 Series II: Photographs, 1956-1983 (bulk 1956-1958)

Contents List

Series I: Papers , 1954-1973 .
Boxes 1-8
Extent: 3.4 cu. ft. (8 boxes).

Series I: Papers, 1954-1973, are housed in eight boxes and arranged alphabetically by folder title. This series includes agreements, brochures, by-laws, correspondence, designs, finances, legislation, reports, specifications, and oversize maps. Of note are the agreements, designs, and correspondence between the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike Authority and Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Hall & MacDonald, engineers, and Coverdale & Colpitts, consulting engineers. Included is correspondence, engineering reports, legal papers, and statements on the financing and sale of bonds to fund the building of the Turnpike. Several examples of other states bonds are included. Also included are reports on the estimated traffic and revenue of the turnpike; revised toll schedules; plan of operation; and report on holiday accident and fatalities. Of note are brochures from other state turnpikes and stickers created for the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike Authority.

Also included are oversize right of way plans, Colonial Heights access ramp plans, route maps, and topographical plans.

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Series II: Photographs , 1956-1983 (bulk 1956-1958) .
Boxes 9-44
Extent: 13.25 cu. ft. (36 boxes).

Series II: Photographs, 1956-1983 (bulk 1956-1958), are housed in thirty-six boxes and arranged alphabetically by contract number. A Route Map key indicates the areas covered by each contract number and is available in oversize box 44.

Several construction companies worked on the project including: American Bridge Division (U.S. Steel Corp.), Blythe Brothers Co., Bowers Construction Co., E.G. Bowles, W.E. Graham & Son's, S.J. Groves & Son's, J. Kennon Perrin Co., T.A. Loving Co., Robert T. Main Co., Thorington Construction Co., Wiley N. Jackson Co., Villa Contracting Co., Virginia Engineering Co., Walden & Flournoy, Inc., D.W. Winkleman Co., and Wright Contracting Co.

The photographs are notable as they document the destruction of many blocks of homes and businesses in Jackson Ward, Richmond's oldest historically African-American community. The highway bisected the neighborhood and had irreparable effects on its fabric. The photographs show the destruction of homes, businesses, and greenery to make way for the turnpike. Also included are oversize aerial photographs of the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike taken in 1982-1983 (Oversize box 44).

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