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26:
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conditions on Afton
Mountain, which peaks at about 1,915 feet above sea level. In April 1992, there were 2 fatalities in a 60-car pileup. In late April 1998, another wreck involving 65 cars sent 40 people to area hospitals. Less than three weeks later, there was another 18-car crash. Fog was a factor
286:
of the
Catoctin Formation, a late Neoproterozoic geologic unit exposed throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, Maryland, and southern Pennsylvania. Catoctin greenstones were originally erupted as basaltic lava flows 550 to 565 million years ago and later metamorphosed and deformed during
478:
Motorists approaching from lower elevations sometimes suddenly encounter a dense fog as they approach the summit of the gap. A lighting system within the pavement to help designate lanes automatically activated by fog sensors was installed by the
270:, each generally following the mountain ridgetops, meet a short distance north of Rockfish Gap (such that the roadway on the bridge over the gap is actually part of the Blue Ridge Parkway). The
247:. Rockfish Gap lies along a drainage divide between southeast-flowing streams that drain to the James River and northwest-flowing streams in the Shenandoah River system.
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age. The broken bedrock along this fracture zone is more easily eroded than unfractured bedrock - likely the reason for the formation of the gap at this location.
716:
681:
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joined 24 other dignitaries at a meeting held in the
Mountain Top Tavern at Rockfish Gap. Under Jefferson's leadership, they selected nearby
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291:(300 to 330 million years ago). Rockfish Gap lies astride a north-northwest trending fracture zone; some fractures are intruded by
239:
and is currently part of the CSX line. With an elevation of about 1,900 feet (580 m), it is one of the lowest gaps between
160:
480:
869:
546:
Southworth, S.; Aleinkoff, J.N.; Bailey, C.M.; Burton, W.C.; Crider, E.A.; Hackley, P.C.; Smoot, J.P.; Tollo, R.P. (2009).
1219:
660:
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1234:
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335:, with inns or taverns spaced about 10 miles apart. By 1782, carriages could cross the Blue Ridge at Rockfish Gap.
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or bikeway. In
November 2020 the old tunnel and a short trail running through it were opened to the public.
492:
106:
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236:
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were gradually expanded to accommodate the westward expansion of
Virginia colonists. The Three Chopt or
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with a new one on a slightly different alignment in the mid-20th century. The railroad is now owned by
228:
63:
618:
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601:
459:
361:
224:
197:
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Rockfish Gap has been the site of several large multiple vehicle collisions on
Interstate 64 during
319:
between
Richmond and the Shenandoah Valley by the 1740s. Most likely, the road followed an ancient
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74:
59:
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78:
619:""Guide to Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive" - Turk Mountain Overlook to Rockfish Gap"
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244:
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201:
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8:
432:
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36:
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Aerial view of
Rockfish Gap showing the junction of I-64, US-250 and Blue Ridge Parkway.
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to the
Piedmont region of the state, it is the site of the mountain crossing of
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in 1935 was built across the gap. In 1972 and 1973, sections of the new
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782:
440:
327:. This well-planned route required only one major river crossing, the
568:
Christopher M. Bailey, "Worthy Field
Locales: the Geology of Virginia"
25:
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854:
797:
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Pawlett, Nathaniel Mason; Newlon, Jr., Howard H. (September 2003) .
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439:) is still intact and has been considered for possible re-use as a
323:
trail from the village of Orapax (east of Richmond) to the western
296:
205:
82:
446:
607:(Report). Virginia Highway & Transportation Research Council.
292:
545:
375:, painted a landscape of Rockfish Gap and the Mountain House.
548:
Geologic Map of the Shenandoah National Park Region, Virginia
395:
under Rockfish Gap in the 1850s as part of the state-owned
602:
THE ROUTE OF THE THREE NOTCHíD ROAD: A PRELIMINARY REPORT
483:(VDOT) to improve safety during such weather conditions.
471:
698:. rescue5.com. Archived from the original on 2006-04-27
454:
In the early 20th century, a road which was designated
663:. 2008-01-04. Archived from the original on 2010-12-26
462:
were completed across Afton Mountain at Rockfish Gap.
756:
465:
599:
1201:
715:: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (
680:: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (
355:Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court
216:, which is frequently used to refer to the gap.
378:
742:
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735:
419:. The original tunnel was replaced by the
307:In the 18th century, early trails used by
580:"Charlottesville Woolen Mills Chronology"
527:United States Department of the Interior
445:
175:Location of Rockfish Gap within Virginia
1202:
371:In 1854, the German landscape artist,
1210:Landforms of Augusta County, Virginia
730:
696:"43-vehicle pileup on Afton Mountain"
481:Virginia Department of Transportation
1215:Landforms of Nelson County, Virginia
167:
518:Geographic Names Information System
505:
266:, which runs south to a point near
13:
14:
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466:Fog, hazardous driving conditions
399:. This tunnel was later used by
166:
159:
54:
49:
24:
555:United States Geological Survey
523:United States Geological Survey
427:and is operated under lease to
235:which later became part of the
688:
653:
632:
611:
593:
572:
561:
539:
389:Virginia Board of Public Works
340:President of the United States
1:
498:
282:Rockfish Gap is underlain by
274:also passes through the gap.
642:. Vahighways.com. 2008-01-04
493:National Landmark of Soaring
391:oversaw construction of the
315:had been established in the
7:
486:
421:Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
379:Railroad, highway crossings
254:, which runs north through
237:Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
10:
1266:
1220:Transportation in Virginia
429:Buckingham Branch Railroad
302:
277:
1179:
1006:
878:
768:
582:. Historicwoolenmills.org
154:
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105:
93:
69:
45:
35:
23:
18:
1235:Shenandoah National Park
475:in all three incidents.
268:Cherokee, North Carolina
256:Shenandoah National Park
364:as the site of the new
451:
450:Rockfish Gap viewpoint
435:. The old tunnel (aka
366:University of Virginia
1225:Wind gaps of Virginia
793:Gaps of the Allegheny
762:Appalachian Mountains
449:
383:State Chief Engineer
1230:Blue Ridge Mountains
345:, former presidents
194:Blue Ridge Mountains
100:Blue Ridge Mountains
433:short-line railroad
431:, a Virginia-based
397:Blue Ridge Railroad
289:Alleghenian orogeny
287:the late Paleozoic
233:Blue Ridge Railroad
229:U.S. Route 250
129:38.0324°N 78.8580°W
125: /
1240:Blue Ridge Parkway
788:Delaware Water Gap
778:Cumberland Narrows
661:"I64 and branches"
640:"I64 and branches"
452:
425:CSX Transportation
417:American Civil War
413:Peninsula Campaign
317:Colony of Virginia
313:Three Notch'd Road
264:Blue Ridge Parkway
225:Interstate 64
1197:
1196:
1166:Stony Clove Notch
850:Potomac Water Gap
835:Mechanicsburg Gap
820:James River Gorge
437:Blue Ridge Tunnel
405:Stonewall Jackson
325:Shenandoah Valley
272:Appalachian Trail
231:, and the former
221:Shenandoah Valley
183:
182:
134:38.0324; -78.8580
1257:
870:Thoroughfare Gap
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411:during the 1862
347:Thomas Jefferson
309:Native Americans
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41:1,903 ft (580 m)
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1200:
1199:
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1181:Artificial cuts
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1156:Smugglers Notch
1096:Granville Notch
1091:Grandmother Gap
1076:Franconia Notch
1016:Appalachian Gap
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393:railroad tunnel
385:Claudius Crozet
381:
362:Charlottesville
333:Charlottesville
305:
280:
198:Charlottesville
192:located in the
179:
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150:Waynesboro East
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119:
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55:
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12:
11:
5:
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1250:U.S. Route 250
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1191:
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1168:
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1146:Sherburne Pass
1143:
1138:
1133:
1128:
1126:Middlebury Gap
1123:
1121:Mahoosuc Notch
1118:
1113:
1108:
1103:
1098:
1093:
1088:
1083:
1078:
1073:
1068:
1066:Dixville Notch
1063:
1058:
1056:Crawford Notch
1053:
1048:
1043:
1038:
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1031:Buck Creek Gap
1028:
1023:
1018:
1012:
1010:
1004:
1003:
1001:
1000:
995:
990:
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975:
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963:New Market Gap
960:
955:
950:
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940:
935:
930:
925:
920:
915:
913:Cumberland Gap
910:
908:Crampton's Gap
905:
900:
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882:
876:
875:
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860:Schuylkill Gap
857:
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827:
822:
817:
812:
807:
806:
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803:Kittanning Gap
800:
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513:"Rockfish Gap"
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467:
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456:U.S. Route 250
380:
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304:
301:
279:
276:
214:Afton Mountain
181:
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1245:Interstate 64
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1171:Zealand Notch
1169:
1167:
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1152:
1149:
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1142:
1141:Pinkham Notch
1139:
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1132:
1131:Monterey Pass
1129:
1127:
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1122:
1119:
1117:
1114:
1112:
1111:Kinsman Notch
1109:
1107:
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1101:Hazen's Notch
1099:
1097:
1094:
1092:
1089:
1087:
1086:Grafton Notch
1084:
1082:
1081:Gillespie Gap
1079:
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1005:
999:
996:
994:
991:
989:
986:
984:
983:Swift Run Gap
981:
979:
976:
974:
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969:
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964:
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959:
958:McCormick Gap
956:
954:
951:
949:
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934:
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926:
924:
923:Diamond Notch
921:
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911:
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906:
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901:
899:
898:Carmans Notch
896:
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818:
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815:Hillsboro Gap
813:
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519:
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461:
460:Interstate 64
457:
448:
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438:
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430:
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422:
418:
414:
410:
406:
402:
398:
394:
390:
386:
376:
374:
369:
367:
363:
359:
358:John Marshall
356:
352:
351:James Madison
348:
344:
341:
336:
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252:Skyline Drive
248:
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217:
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211:
210:United States
207:
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162:
153:
149:
147:
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138:
110:
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88:United States
84:
80:
76:
72:
68:
65:
61:
48:
44:
40:
38:
34:
27:
22:
17:
1189:Clarke's Gap
1151:Skinners Gap
1136:Newfound Gap
1041:Carter Notch
993:Turner's Gap
988:Thornton Gap
978:Snickers Gap
973:Rockfish Gap
972:
953:Manassas Gap
893:Buford's Gap
840:Moccasin Gap
830:Loysburg Gap
700:. Retrieved
690:
665:. Retrieved
655:
644:. Retrieved
634:
623:. Retrieved
613:
595:
584:. Retrieved
574:
563:
541:
530:. Retrieved
516:
507:
477:
469:
453:
409:foot cavalry
407:to move his
382:
373:Edward Beyer
370:
343:James Monroe
337:
306:
281:
249:
241:Manassas Gap
219:Joining the
218:
213:
186:Rockfish Gap
185:
184:
46:Traversed by
19:Rockfish Gap
1116:Lincoln Gap
1071:Evans Notch
948:Maggoty Gap
928:Fishers Gap
903:Chester Gap
865:Swatara Gap
845:The Narrows
810:Goshen Pass
621:. snp.guide
401:Confederate
284:greenstones
260:Front Royal
250:The scenic
245:James River
132: /
107:Coordinates
64:US 250
1204:Categories
1106:Hobart Gap
1051:Craven Gap
1021:Balsam Gap
998:Wilson Gap
938:Jarman Gap
918:Deep Notch
825:Lehigh Gap
783:Brocks Gap
770:Water gaps
702:2017-04-13
667:2017-04-13
646:2017-04-13
625:2009-06-19
586:2009-06-19
553:(Report).
532:2017-12-15
499:References
441:rail trail
262:, and the
212:, through
202:Waynesboro
120:78°51′29″W
117:38°01′57″N
81:counties,
73:Border of
1061:Deals Gap
1046:Cowee Gap
1026:Brock Gap
968:Pound Gap
943:Keyes Gap
933:Fox's Gap
888:Ashby Gap
880:Wind gaps
855:Reeds Gap
798:Blair Gap
338:In 1818,
295:dikes of
37:Elevation
1161:Soco Gap
1036:Bull Gap
711:cite web
676:cite web
487:See also
403:General
297:Jurassic
243:and the
206:Virginia
196:between
190:wind gap
146:Topo map
83:Virginia
70:Location
62: /
760:of the
415:of the
387:of the
329:Rivanna
321:Monacan
303:History
293:diabase
278:Geology
75:Augusta
1008:Passes
353:, and
79:Nelson
605:(PDF)
551:(PDF)
188:is a
95:Range
758:Gaps
717:link
682:link
349:and
200:and
77:and
60:I-64
472:fog
331:at
258:to
1206::
713:}}
709:{{
678:}}
674:{{
525:,
521:.
515:.
368:.
227:,
208:,
204:,
750:e
743:t
736:v
719:)
705:.
684:)
670:.
649:.
628:.
589:.
557:.
535:.
85:,
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
