Corridor Q phase changes Route 614 access in Buchanan County

A June 24, 2026 update from the Virginia Department of Transportation confirms that the Poplar Creek Phase A segment of Corridor Q is complete in Buchanan County. The change matters to drivers because it establishes a permanent Route 614 connection pattern and a new limited-access highway segment near Poplar Creek.

This is not a new July 2026 opening. The physical section opened to traffic in 2025. The current news is VDOT’s updated completion record and its clarification of the permanent roadway configuration.

What was completed

Poplar Creek Phase A is a four-lane, limited-access highway running from the east end of the Route 460/121 Hawks Nest section to Route 604, also known as Poplar Creek Road. VDOT lists the project’s estimated cost at $199 million.

For Buchanan County drivers, the completed segment creates a limited-access connection between the Hawks Nest area and Route 604. VDOT says the broader corridor is intended to improve travel times, access to health care, interstate commerce and economic development. Those are stated project objectives, not documented measurements of travel-time savings or economic results for Vansant.

How Route 614 access changed

The most immediate practical change involves Route 614, also known as Woods Fork. VDOT says access to the northern end of Route 614 is now through Route 609, or Bulls Creek Road, while access to the southern end is through Route 604. Both routes connect to Route 460 west of Grundy.

Drivers should not treat this arrangement as a temporary construction detour. VDOT describes the Route 614 connections as a permanent change created by the Poplar Creek Phase A project.

Why Vansant is in the story

Vansant is a census-designated place in Buchanan County, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Virginia geographic file. The completed highway is not documented as running directly through Vansant, so the local relevance is countywide rather than a direct roadway crossing of the community.

Residents, workers and businesses in Vansant may use the surrounding Route 460, Route 604 and Route 609 network when traveling through Buchanan County. The project may improve regional access for medical trips, freight movement and connections toward Grundy, but the approved records do not quantify benefits specific to Vansant.

Phase B is still unfinished

Drivers should distinguish the completed Poplar Creek Phase A segment from Poplar Creek Phase B. VDOT’s June 2026 project-status materials show Phase B still in construction, while Cardinal News reported that the next section is expected to extend the road to the bridge in downtown Grundy and be completed in late 2027.

For now, the key change is the completed Phase A route and the permanent Route 614 connections through Routes 609 and 604. The larger Corridor Q effort remains active, so drivers should distinguish the finished Poplar Creek segment from the construction still advancing toward Grundy.

Sources

• Virginia Department of Transportation project page
• Cardinal News report on the Buchanan County opening
• U.S. Census Bureau Virginia CDP file