Sandstone Mountain is in the Appalachian Mountains. Sandstone Mountain is located on Interstate 64, approximately 12 miles east of Beckley, West Virginia. The steep grades at this location consist of an eastbound and westbound descent into the New River Valley. The eastbound summit is Sandstone Mountain and the westbound summit is an unmarked mountain.
Westbound I-64 from the unmarked summit has a vertical descent of 1,058 feet over a distance of 10.1 miles. The reported grade for the westbound descent is 7% for 4 miles. This grade is a steady descent for approximately 4 miles, where it changes to a lesser stepped descent for about 6 more miles before reaching its base at the New River bridge. No advanced warning of this steep grade is given at the summit and the only indication of the approaching steep downgrade is a RUNAWAY TRUCK RAMP sign that precedes the summit. The first grade warning sign is on the downgrade just west of the summit. Additionally, the one and only runaway truck ramp on this grade is less than a mile from the summit. Since the steepest part of this grade is the two miles beyond the runaway truck ramp, the location of the ramp suggests that truck drivers are often quickly surprised by this steep downgrade.
Eastbound I-64 from the Summit of Sandstone Mountain has a vertical descent of 1,433 feet over a distance of 4.6 miles. The reported grade for the eastbound descent is 7% for 5 miles. This grade has a steady steep descent for nearly 5 miles before it flattens near the New River Bridge. This grade has advanced warning signs for several miles and also has a mandatory brake check station at the summit.
SUMMIT
Pass Name:
Sandstone Mountain
Traversed by Highway:
I-64
Summit Elevation:
2,765 ft Eastbound, 2,612 ft Westbound
Summit Conditions:
Mandatory brake check station for Eastbound
Summit Milepost:
133 Eastbound, 148 Westbound
WEST DESCENT
Base Elevation:
1,332 ft
Vertical Distance:
1,057 ft over the steep section & 1,280 ft total
Base Milepost:
137.6
Driving Distance:
4.7 miles over the steep section & 10.1 miles total
Posted Speed Limit:
70 mph
Steepest Reported Grade:
7% for 4 miles
Calculated Average Grade:
4.2% for 4.7 miles and 2.4% for 10.1 miles
Lowest Advisory Speed:
60 mph at 139.5 milepost
Number of Lanes:
2 down
Number of Advisory Speed Curves:
1
Runaway Ramps:
1 at 147 milepost
ADVISORY SPEED CURVES
Advisory Speed
Location from Summit
Sign
60 mph
139.5 milepost
Right Curve
ELEVATIONS
Mile Marker
Elevation
Change in Elevation
Percent Grade
147.7
2,612 ft.
147
2,454 ft.
158 ft.
4.2%
146
2,106 ft.
348 ft.
6.5%
145
1,837 ft.
269 ft.
5.0%
144
1,664 ft.
173 ft.
3.2%
143
1,555 ft.
109 ft.
2.0%
142
1,513 ft.
42 ft.
0.7%
141
1,490 ft.
23 ft.
0.4%
140
1,548 ft.
+58 ft.
+1.0%
139
1,460 ft.
88 ft.
1.6%
138
1,360 ft.
100 ft.
1.8%
137.6
1,332 ft.
28 ft.
0.5%
Sandstone Mountain Westbound
EAST DESCENT
Base Elevation:
1,332 ft
Vertical Distance:
1,433 ft
Base Milepost:
137.6
Driving Distance:
4.6 miles
Posted Speed Limit:
70 mph / Over 26,000 GVW 45 mph
Steepest Reported Grade:
7% for 5 miles
Calculated Average Grade:
5.9% for 4.6 miles
Lowest Advisory Speed:
60 mph at 136 milepost
Number of Lanes:
2 down
Number of Advisory Speed Curves:
1
Runaway Ramps:
2 at mileposts 135.8 and 136.8
Brake Check Stations:
1 at Summit
ADVISORY SPEED CURVES
Advisory Speed
Location from Summit
Sign
60 mph
136 milepost
Left Curve
ELEVATIONS
Mile Marker
Elevation
Change in Elevation
Percent Grade
133
2,762 ft.
134
2,428 ft.
334 ft.
6.3%
135
2,090 ft.
338 ft.
6.4%
136
1,742 ft.
348 ft.
6.5%
137
1,464 ft.
278 ft.
5.2%
137.6
1,332 ft.
132 ft.
4.1%
RECOMMENDED SPEEDS FROM THE GRADE SEVERITY RATING SYSTEM
MAXIMUM TRUCK WEIGHT (POUNDS)
MAXIMUM SAFE SPEED (MPH)
BRAKE TEMP FROM DECLINE (°F)
BRAKE TEMP FROM EMERGENCY STOP (°F)
TOTAL BRAKE TEMP. (°F)
TOTAL TRAVEL TIME (MIN.)
80,000
27
479
18
497
10.2
75,000
30
453
20
473
9.2
70,000
40
464
34
498
6.9
65,000
45
425
40
465
6.1
*These speeds are based on an average grade from the summit to the base. Some grade segments may be steeper than the average and require a slower speed.
