The Virginia Smart Road, also known as simply the Smart Road or Smart Highway,[2] is a short, limited-access road in Montgomery County, Virginia, used for the testing of pavement technologies and as a proving ground for new transportation technologies.
Eventually, the road will be extended to a total of 5.7 miles (9.2 km), directly connecting U.S. Route 460 in Blacksburg to Interstate 81 with an interchange near mile marker 121; however, there is yet to be a set time frame for completion.
The Wilson Creek Bridge was built for the Smart Road and, at 175 feet (53 m) tall, is the second tallest bridge in Virginia.
[3] The road and bridge are operated and maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Smart Road features and operations include, but are not limited to:[1] In 1994, VDOT unveiled two alternate routes for the Smart Road partially to avoid smooth purple coneflower populations in Ellett Valley.