Virginia State Route 172

Route description

SR 172 begins at an interchange with SR 134 (Magruder Boulevard) in the northern part of the independent city of Hampton. The interchange is currently being changed from a trumpet interchange to a partial cloverleaf interchange to accommodate a westward extension of Commander Shepard Boulevard. SR 172 heads east as a four-lane divided highway on the highway named for Alan Shepard, the first American in space, and not after the main protagonist in the Mass Effect video game franchise. The state highway meets the northern end of Armistead Avenue, which leads to the main entrance of Langley Air Force Base, as it curves to the north. SR 172 intersects Langley Boulevard, the main entrance to Langley Research Center, then passes between the NASA research center and Langley Speedway. As the boulevard curves back to the west, shortly before reconnecting with SR 134, SR 172 turns north onto Wythe Creek Road.

SR 172 continues as a four-lane undivided highway until north of another gate to the research center, where the highway becomes two lanes. The state highway leaves the research center vicinity by crossing Brick Kiln Creek, a tributary of the Back River, into the city of Poquoson. SR 172 expands to a five-lane road with center turn lane as it approaches the center of Poquoson, where the highway intersects SR 171, which heads west as Victory Boulevard and east as Little Florida Road. The state highway reduces to three lanes just south of its northern terminus at Poquoson Avenue. The road continues north as Yorktown Road, which soon turns west while Hunts Neck Road continues north toward the northern extremity of Poquoson.