{{Short description|State highway in southern Virginia, US}} {{For|the former State Route 41|State Route 41 (Virginia 1923-1933)}} {{Use American English|date=April 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox road |state=VA |type=VA |route=41 |alternate_name=Franklin Turnpike |length_mi=22.5 |length_ref=<ref name="Google Maps VA 41"/> |length_round=1 |established=July 1, 1933<ref>{{cite news |title=New Numbers of Va. Highways Effective July 1 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/42704631/va_route_changes_may_10_1933/ |access-date=January 21, 2020 |work=The Richmond Times-Dispatch |date=May 10, 1933 |page=5|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> |map=VA 41 map.svg |direction_a=South |direction_b=North |terminus_a={{jct|state=VA|SR|360}} near Danville |junction={{jct|state=VA|US|29}} near Danville |terminus_b={{jct|state=VA|SR|57}} in Callands |counties=Pittsylvania, City of Danville |previous_type=VA |previous_route=40 |next_type=VA |next_route=42 }}
'''State Route 41''' ('''SR 41''') is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as '''Franklin Turnpike''', the state highway runs {{convert|22.5|mi|km}} from SR 360 northeast of Danville to SR 57 in Callands. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) officially designates the route north of U.S. Route 29 Business (US 29 Bus.) in Danville as a part of SR 41 but the Franklin Turnpike south and east of this point is signed as SR 41.<ref name="Google Maps VA 41"/><ref name=VDOTGIS>{{cite web|url=http://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=cd4d084cccc84cea9e77a08e3de20fa2|title=VDOT Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT)|year=2012|publisher=Virginia Department of Transportation|format=Shapefile|access-date=May 17, 2014}}</ref>
==Route description== thumb|right|View north at the south end of SR 41 at SR 360 and US 29 near Danville SR 41 begins at a stop-controlled T-intersection with SR 360 (Old Richmond Road) in an unincorporated area of Pittsylvania County. The route starts as a four-lane divided highway and within {{convert|0.2|mi|km}} of its southern terminus, it has an interchange with the US 29 freeway. After the interchange, SR 41 crosses over Falls Creek and a railroad on a {{convert|640|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}},<ref name=FrankTpkeExVDOT>{{cite press release |url=http://www.virginiadot.org/newsroom/lynchburg/2011/ceremony_to_mark_opening54618.asp |title=CEREMONY TO MARK OPENING OF FRANKLIN TURNPIKE EXTENSION |publisher=VDOT |date=October 3, 2011 |access-date=July 17, 2014}}</ref> curved bridge. While traveling over the bridge, the route enters the city limits of Danville. The route has only a few driveways and one road intersection before its intersection with SR 293 (Main Street). The highway then heads northwest through a more residential neighborhood and intersects US 29 Bus. (Piney Forest Road) before leaving the independent city and reentering Pittsylvania County. SR 41 passes through the unincorporated communities of Mount Hermon and Pleasant Gap, where the highway crosses White Oak Mountain. The state highway curves west then veers north at Swansonville. SR 41 reaches its northern terminus at SR 57 (Callands Road) in Callands. The state highway follows the height of land north of the watershed of the Sandy River, which empties into the Dan River in Danville. To the north of SR 41 are the watersheds of Little Falls Creek east of White Oak Mountain and the Bannister River west of the mountain; these streams empty into the Dan River at Danville and near South Boston, respectively.<ref name="Google Maps VA 41"/><ref name="Pittsylvania Traffic Data"/>
==History== Prior to 1949, the route continued north past VA 57 down what is now SR 969 Sago Road/Danville Turnpike into Franklin County, where it met up with what is now SR 890 Snow Creek Road, then VA 108.<ref name="1933 map">{{cite map|publisher=Virginia Department of Highways|title=Virginia State Highway Map Showing the Primary Highway System and Connections|date=July 1933|location=Richmond, VA}}</ref> This might explain why VA 40 east of Rocky Mount in Franklin County is named "Old Franklin Turnpike" while VA 41 is named Franklin Turnpike.
The route was truncated to its present northern terminus at SR 57 in 1949 due to low traffic counts.<ref name=CTB1949-4>{{CTB minutes|04-1949-01|pages=3-4|accessdate=July 17, 2014}}</ref> In August 1962, the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) approved a motion to drop the {{convert|0.92|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} segment of SR 41 between North Main Street (US 29) and Piney Forest Road (what was then Alt. US 29) at the same time major highways were constructed throughout downtown Danville.<ref name=CTB1962-8>{{CTB minutes|08-1962-01|page=16|accessdate=July 17, 2014}}</ref> Despite this truncation, the route continued to be signed to North Main Street.<ref name=GSV41293>{{google maps |url=https://www.google.com/maps/@36.622891,-79.383905,3a,75y,4.86h,92.95t/data=!3m5!1e1!3m3!1s8R1XKqcCwU8O8A_X8Szs_Q!2e0!5s2007-11 |access-date=July 17, 2014 |title=Google StreetView image showing southern terminus of SR 41 in Nov. 2007}}</ref>
In 2001, the Franklin Turnpike Extension was approved by the CTB to be constructed. Initially, the new road was designated '''SR 265'''.<ref name=CTB2001>{{cite web |url=http://www.ctb.virginia.gov/resources/ctb-minutes-09202001.pdf |title=MINUTES OF MEETING OF THE COMMONWEALTH TRANSPORTATION BOARD |page=4 |date=September 20, 2001 |publisher=CTB |access-date=July 17, 2014}}</ref> The portion of the extension from the US 29 interchange to SR 360 had already been completed when construction on the remainder of the extension began. The project (later renamed to East Franklin Turnpike and renumbered to be a part of SR 41) was completed in late 2011 at a cost of {{US$|19000000}}.<ref name=FrankTpkeExVDOT/><ref name=WSLSFranklinTpke>{{cite news |url=http://www.wsls.com/story/20853380/franklin-turnpike-connector-to-be-open-by-friday |title=Franklin Turnpike connector to be open by Friday |date=October 24, 2011 |author=Crane, John |publisher=WSLS-TV |access-date=July 17, 2014}}</ref>
==Major intersections== {{jcttop|length_ref=<ref name="Google Maps VA 41"/>}} {{VAint |county=Pittsylvania |cspan=2 |location=none |mile=0.0 |road={{jct|state=VA|SR|360|name1=Old Richmond Road|city1=Halifax|city2=Danville|city3=Richmond}} |notes=Southern terminus }} {{VAint |location=none |mile=0.2 |road={{jct|state=VA|US|29|location1=Greensboro|city2=Lynchburg}} |notes=Partial cloverleaf interchange }} {{VAint |indep_city=Danville |lspan=2 |mile=1.5 |road={{jct|state=VA|SR|293|name1=North Main Street}} }} {{VAint |mile=2.4 |road={{jct|state=VA|US-Bus|29|dab1=Danville|name1=Piney Forest Road}} }} {{VAint |county=Pittsylvania |location=Callands |mile=22.5 |road={{jct|state=VA|SR|57|name1=Callands Road|city1=Martinsville|city2=Chatham}} |notes=Northern terminus }} {{jctbtm}}
==References== <references>
<ref name="Pittsylvania Traffic Data">{{cite web|title=Daily Traffic Volume Estimates Jurisdiction Report: Pittsylvania County|publisher=Virginia Department of Transportation|year=2009|url=http://www.virginiadot.org/info/resources/2009/AADT_071_Pittsylvania_2009.pdf|format=PDF|access-date=2011-07-15}}</ref>
<ref name="Google Maps VA 41">{{google maps|url=https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=E+Franklin+Turnpike&daddr=36.820132,-79.587725&hl=en&ll=36.718,-79.475495&spn=0.236675,0.445976&sll=36.61601,-79.361592&sspn=0.003703,0.006968&geocode=Fby2LgIdcQxF-w%3BFaTUMQIdc5ZB-w&mra=dme&mrsp=0&sz=18&t=m&z=12|access-date=July 17, 2014}}</ref>
</references>
==External links== {{commons category|Virginia State Route 41}} {{Attached KML|display=title,inline}} *[http://www.vahighways.com/route-log/va041.htm Virginia Highways Project: VA 41]
041 State Route 041 State Route 041