End of US highway 340

View a map showing this route.

Photo credits:"cinza"; Chris Elbert; Andy Field; Alex Nitzman; Michael Summa
Additional research: Dave Strong

Approx. time period East terminus West terminus
1926-1933 Frederick, MD Millwood, VA
1933-1935 Frederick, MD Boyce, VA
1935-1957 Frederick, MD Winchester, VA
1957-present East Terminus South Terminus
Frederick, MD Greenville, VA
Point where signage changes from "East/West" to "North/South": MD/VA state line

The east end of US 340 has always been in Frederick MD. Originally it came into town on what is now MD hwy. 180, which aligned with Jefferson Street. It ended either at Patrick Street (MD 144, but old US 40) or at Market Street (MD 355, but old US 15). For photos and more info, please visit Tim Reichard's page. The view below is from westbound Patrick:

Google Maps Street View, 2008

That's now MD 144, but it was once US 40, which continued by angling to the right. To the left on Jefferson was the east beginning of US 340. Heading northeast on Jefferson, signage at Patrick looks like this:

Google Maps Street View, 2008

Patrick is one-way westbound, but originally it carried both directions of US 40.

When the freeways through town were built, US highway traffic was rerouted onto them, and now US 340 ends at its junction with the US 40 freeway. The photo below was taken heading south on that freeway (which is southbound US 15 and eastbound US 40 at this point):

Field, Oct. 2001

Southbound US 15 continues to the right, and US 340 begins at that exit as well. As you can see from the next sign, US 340 is signed east-west in Maryland:

Field, Oct. 2001

US 340 begins to the right. If you take that exit, the confirming assembly looks like this:

Elbert, July 2006

The signs in the distance are shown close-up below:

Elbert, July 2006

You can see how modern US 340 curves off the left edge of the photo, but you can also see the old alignment straight ahead (that's Jefferson Pike, or modern MD 180).

When US 340 was commissioned in 1926, it ran only about 40 miles southwest of Frederick, to US 50 just south of Millwood VA (along what is now VA hwy. 255). In about 1933, US 340 was rerouted south of Berryville, ending at US 50 south of Boyce. Then a few years later, the designation was truncated at Berryville and instead routed west (along what is now VA 7) to Winchester, where it terminated at its junction with US 11...

...that's all according to some maps and route logs. However, I've seen a 1929 map showing US 340 already in Winchester. So I question whether US 340 ever really ended in Millwood or Boyce. Even if it did, it was a very short-lived situation. The photo below was taken in Winchester, looking south on Loudoun Street:

cinza, June 2004

Originally this was southbound US 11, which continued to the right on Piccadilly Street. To the left on Piccadilly was the west beginning of US 340.

Anyway, regardless of where the route ended: all during that time, US 340 could be considered to run east-west, so its number (implying an east-west branch of US 40) made sense. But then in about 1957, US 340 was again truncated at Berryville, such that it ran through Boyce. But this time it was extended far to the south of US 50, essentially running all the way through the Shenandoah River valley. It was probably at this time that signage on US 340 in Virginia was changed to north-south. The number of the route should've been changed too - my suggestion would've been US 115. But that didn't happen, and ever since then US 340 has been one of those unusual routes whose number belies its direction. Anyway, if you could obtain a photo of current or historic signage at any of these places, please let me know!

Since 1957, the south end of US 340 has been at US 11 just outside Greenville VA. The photo below was taken approaching the end of the route...

Nitzman, June 2005

...and the next photo was taken just a ways ahead, at the actual intersection where US 340 ends:

Nitzman, June 2005

Southbound US 11 is to the left; there was a sign indicating that, but it's off the left edge of the photo above. It is barely visible at far left in the shot below, which was taken approaching from southbound US 11...

Nitzman, June 2005

Heading the opposite direction, the south beginning of US 340 is indicated thus:

Nitzman, June 2005

If you take that right turn, the first northbound reassurance marker used to look like this...

Summa, 1994

...but Alex reports that was gone by 2005, and there was no replacement. The unusual arrow sign in the distance says "KEEP RIGHT". This was very close to interchange 213 on I-64/81 (just south of Staunton), but I'm told the junction has changed since then.