The speed limit on the Route 460 Bypass around Christiansburg and Blacksburg will increase from 55 miles per hour (mph) to 65 mph.  Weather permitting, signs designating the new speed limit should be in place by Friday, Aug. 1.

The Route 460 Bypass met the criteria for the Virginia Department of Transportation to consider a speed limit change as set forth in Senate Bill 408 that was passed by the General Assembly in 2004.  This law allows VDOT to conduct engineering studies on limited access roads such as the Route 460 Bypass and consider raising the speed limit up to 65 mph. 

VDOT examined the alignment of the road, spacing of interchanges, design speed and crash history to determine that 65 mph was an acceptable speed for the Route 460 Bypass around Christiansburg and Blacksburg.

The speed limit change will affect about 11.6 miles of the Route 460 Bypass.  However, it will not be a continuous 11.6 miles as there will be 0.4-mile gap at Southgate Drive intersection where the speed limit will reduce to 55 mph.

On the Christiansburg end of the Route 460 Bypass, the 65 mph speed limit will start about 0.3 mile west of the on-ramp leading from Route 11/460 Business and extend about 7.6 miles to Southgate Drive. 

On the Blacksburg side of the bypass, the increased speed limit will start about 0.3 mile east of Route 460 Business and extend approximately four miles to Southgate Drive.

VDOT coordinated with the Virginia State Police and local officials before the speed limit changes were finalized.

Information in VDOT news releases was accurate at the time the release was published. For the most current information about projects or programs, please visit the project or program Web pages. You may find those by searching by keyword in the search Virginia DOT box above.