Hi, Joseph R P! 
Many thanks for sharing the link that you used for your edits. 
I decided to restore the information about the "ref" tag according to the Wiki page describing route SR 124 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_primary_state_highways_in_Virginia_shorter_than_one_mile#SR_124, that says that SR 124 goes between US 29 and Lorcom Lane.
Additionally, I noticed that the value of the "ref" tag for the road segments corresponds to the route relation - https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/1540478  
Therefore, based on the above information, it seems appropriate to retain the "ref" tag.
Could you please share your thoughts according to your experience on whether it is common for a road number to end unexpectedly on a random segment rather than logically concluding at an intersection?
Thank you in advance for your insights.

Best regards!
