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presents

The Roads and Rails of Mercer County, WV /

CR 15

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Highway	Names	Start	Terminus	Length (km)
CR 15 (current alignment)	Simmons River Rd.	CR 120 and US 52, Bramwell	WV 71, Montcalm	8
CR 15 (original alignment)	Simmons River Rd.	Tazewell County, Virginia state line at Pocahontas	WV 71 between Montcalm and Rock	16

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Overview

County Route 15 is a pleasingly-level road running along the Bluestone River valley from Bramwell to Montcalm. The eastern third is two-laned with a centre stripe. It also runs parallel to the Norfolk & Western's Bluestone Branch, and various rail infrastructure is visible along the route.

History

CR 15 was commissioned in 1933, and routed upon pre-existing infrastructure from the late nineteenth century.

The configuration of CR 15 has changed markedly over its history as a numbered road. Originally, the highway extended from Sandlick Creek near Rock clear to the Virginia state line...a distance of 16 kilometres, or twice the highway's current length.

In the early 1940s, WV 44 was redesignated WV 20 and extended westward to the Virginia border. CR 15 was replaced by WV 20 west of its intersection with US 52 in Bramwell.

By 1945, a 2-kilometre segment between Duhring and Montcalm had been bypassed to eliminate steep grades. The old segment was then redesignated CR 11/10.

Two decades later, CR 15 was pared back again. WV 71 was realigned south of Rock in 1977, replacing CR 15 between the Sandlick Creek and Lorton Lick Creek valleys.

Since then, adjustments have been minor. The west leg of WV 20 reverted to secondary status by 1980, leaving it free to revert to its "15" number...however, the road was redesignated CR 120 instead. When a new bridge for US 52 was constructed in 1991, the transition point between roads was shifted...and a 200-metre stretch of CR 120 reverted to CR 15 for the first time in 50 years.

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Fractional spur roads

Road	Names	Start	Terminus	Length (km)	Notes
15/1	Goodwill Hollow Rd.	CR 15, Duhring	CR 52/3 west of Goodwill	4	Original 1930s road with numbers assigned from east to west.
15/2	Goodwill Hollow Rd.	Dead end; originally through to CR 15	CR 15/1 west of Goodwill	3	Original 1930s road with numbers assigned from east to west. East end stubbed off after bridge removed, ca. 1970s?
15/3	Bramwell Hill Rd.	CR 120 (former CR 15 and WV 20), Bramwell	McDowell County line near original site of Coaldale	8	Original 1930s road with numbers assigned from east to west. North end impassable. Portion is an invisible concurrency with CR 52/2.
15/4	Foy Bypass Rd.	CR 15 near Flipping	CR 15	insignificant
15/5	Bicycle Rd.	WV 71 (former CR 15), Montcalm	CR 71/10	2
15/6	Bramwell Hill Rd.	CR 15/3	CR 52/2	insignificant
15/7	Whittaker Hollow Rd.	CR 15 near Flipping	dead end	insignificant
15/8	Shrader Hollow Rd.	CR 15	dead end	insignificant
15/9	Razorback Rd.	CR 15	dead end	insignificant
15/10	Vest Hollow Rd.	CR 15 east of Bramwell	dead end	insignificant

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