Corridor H of the Appalachian Development Highway System, also known as U.S. Route 48 (US 48), will run 148 miles (238 km) from northern Virginia to central West Virginia. It is being constructed from Interstate 79 (I-79) in Weston eastward across the crest of the Allegheny Mountains to I-81 in Strasburg, Virginia. While most of the highway has been constructed, only the portion east of Bismarck, West Virginia is signed as US 48 due to major segments of highway either under construction or under planning.
West Virginia's segment of Corridor H crosses very mountainous terrain, some of the most rugged in the eastern United States and crosses two major rivers. There are more than 1000 historic structures, five historic districts, two Civil War battlefields and other archaeological sites within five miles (8 km) of Corridor H, and the highway will cross through two national forests. There are over 50 species of plants and animals that are protected under the Endangered Species Act and more than 150 native trout streams, thousands of acres of wetlands and high mountain bogs, areas of karst terrain, abandoned coal mines and numerous recreational facilities within the Corridor H study area.
In the U.S. state of California, U.S. Route 50 (US 50) runs east from I-80 in West Sacramento to the Nevada state line in South Lake Tahoe. Portions within Sacramento are known as the Capital City Freeway and El Dorado Freeway. The western half of the highway in California, from I-80 through Sacramento and Placerville to Exit 60 in Pollock Pines is a four-or-more-lane divided highway, mostly built to freeway standards. US 50 continues as an undivided highway with one eastbound lane and two westbound lanes until it reaches the canyon of the South Fork American River at Riverton. The remainder of the highway, which climbs along and out of the canyon, then over the Sierra Nevada at Echo Summit and into the Lake Tahoe Basin, is a mainly two-lane road.
The US 50 corridor is a historic one, used by many 49ers who came to California during the Gold Rush as well as the Pony Express. In 1895, part of the present-day route was designated as California's first state highway, and it was later considered as a scenic alternate of the Lincoln Highway. Much of US 50 was constructed during the initial construction of the California state highway system. During the second half of the twentieth century, US 50 was gradually designated and converted into a modern highway.
State Route 55 (SR 55) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known for most of its length as John Marshall Highway, the state highway runs 64.71 miles (104.14 km) from the West Virginia state line, where the highway continues as West Virginia Route 55 (WV 55), east to U.S. Route 29 (US 29) in Gainesville. West of its interchange with Interstate 81 (I-81) in Strasburg, SR 55 runs concurrently with the easternmost portion of US 48 as part of Corridor H. East of Front Royal, the state highway serves as the local complement of I-66 as it passes through the towns of Marshall, The Plains, and Haymarket.
Most of SR 55 is a Virginia Byway.
SR 55 begins at the West Virginia state line at the highway's summit of Great North Mountain. The highway continues west toward Wardensville as US 48 and WV 55. SR 55 heads northeast as two-lane Wardensville Pike through George Washington National Forest and descends the mountain to the hamlet of Star Tannery, where the highway leaves Frederick County by crossing Cedar Creek. The state highway, now named John Marshall Highway, passes around the northern end of Little North Mountain near the community of Wheatfield, where the highway turns south. SR 55 passes through the Shenandoah County communities of Lebanon Church and Clary on its way to a diamond interchange with I-81, which serves as US 48's eastern terminus. SR 55 continues south into the town of Strasburg, where the highway has a short concurrency with US 11 on Massanutten Street and passes under Norfolk Southern Railway's B-Line. In the center of the town, US 11 and SR 55 head west and east, respectively, on King Street. The state highway passes under the B-Line again before reaching the eastern edge of town, where the highway becomes Front Royal Road and makes a curve to the south. SR 55 passes through an S-curve as it crosses the North Fork Shenandoah River into Warren County.
My daddy came a-marchin'
Over the hill at dawn
Had to make that wage, man
That's how we got along
My daddy's life was workin'
Workin' all day long
Put food on the table
And the children sang a song
Yes, the children sang a song
My granddad's name was Pulpwood
Wore a coat of green
Took a wife in '31
Drove the big machine
My daddy load the lumber
Put it on the truck
I used to see him walkin' home
On U.S. 41
That's right, U.S. 41
Well, all my life's been workin'
Out the door and gone
Got to make that overtime
Keep us movin' on
I need a drink of water
Get out of the sun
Burnin' up to make that wage
That's right, U.S. 41
The boss man owns the business
Keeps it goin' strong
Blowin' like a hurricane
And work like nothing wrong
We got to keep on movin'
'Til the bell gone ring
Fill her up with kerosene
And let that lady sing
Whoa, now let that lady sing
His given name was Lucky
His wife's name, Annie Brown
Ran outside the law
And they chased him right on down
Lucky faced the lawman
The captain drew his gun
They put him with a sling blade
On U.S. 41
That's right, U.S. 41
Yeah, that's right
On U.S. 41
My daddy came a-marchin'
Over the hill at dawn