Arkansas Highway 1

Highway 1
Route information
Maintained by AHTD
Length: 159.88 mi[1] (257.30 km)
Existed: 1926 – present
Major junctions
South end: U.S. 278 – McGehee
  U.S. 65 / U.S. 165 – McGehee
U.S. 165 – Back Gate
U.S. 49 – Marvell
U.S. 79 – Marianna
U.S. 70 – Forrest City
I-40 – Forrest City
U.S. 64 – Wynne
I-555 / U.S. 49 / U.S. 63 – Jonesboro
North end: Route BB, Missouri state line
Location
Counties: Desha, Arkansas, Monroe, Phillips, Lee, St. Francis, Cross, Poinsett, Craighead, Greene, Clay
Highway system

Arkansas Highway System
Interstates • US • State
Business • Spurs • Scenic

← Hwy. 980 Hwy. 2 →

Arkansas Highway 1 is a north–south state highway in east Arkansas. The route of 159.88 miles (257.30 km) runs from McGehee to Clay County and the Missouri state line.[2] One of the original 1926 state highways, Highway 1 has remained very close to its original routing.[3] The highway contains an overlap of approximately 50 miles (80 km) with U.S. Route 49.

Contents

Route description

McGehee to Gillett

Arkansas Highway begins at U.S. Route 278 in downtown McGehee and runs northwest (along the Union Pacific Railroad tracks) for three blocks before turning northeast at an intersection with AR 159.[4] The highway continues across US 65/US 165 and exits town in a northeastern direction, passing McGehee High School. AR 1 meets Arkansas Highway 4, which runs south to Arkansas City before curving north to Rohwer, which was a Japanese American internment camp during World War II.[5] AR 1 passes the Kemp Cotton Gin Historic District, Rowher Relocation Center, and Rohwer Relocation Center Memorial Cemetery. Continuing north, AR 1 ceases following the railroad at Watson and runs west to Back Gate, where a concurrency with US 165 begins.

Gillett to Wynne

Entering Arkansas County, the routes pass through Gillett and rural Arkansas County.[6] In south De Witt AR 1 splits east from US 165 and AR 1 Business.[7] AR 1 bypasses southeast De Witt, and after reconnecting with AR 1B continues northeast. AR 1 runs east through St. Charles before entering Monroe County. AR 1 Spur enters St. Charles, and terminates near the site of the Battle of Saint Charles on the White River.[8]

Arkansas Highway 1 enters southern Monroe County briefly. At Cross Roads, AR 1 is the southern terminus of AR 17.[9] On the Monroe/Phillips County line, AR 1 has a junction with Arkansas Highway 39 and Arkansas Highway 316. The route continues northeast to Marvell, where AR 1 concurrs with U.S. Route 49 east to Walnut Corner.[10] At the corner, AR 1 turns north past the Richardson-Turner House and enters Lee County. The route has a junction with AR 121 at Cypress Corner and continues north to Marianna.[11]

In Marianna, Highway 1 breaks west from AR 1 Business, which runs downtown through Marianna. After AR 1B rejoins the main route, there is a 0.2 miles (0.32 km) concurrency north with U.S. Route 79.[12] Further north, AR 1 passes Lee County Senior High and becomes four lane briefly until Forrest City.[1] Upon entering St. Francis County, AR 1 enters Forrest City. The business route runs downtown, while the main route skirts the southwest edge of town. There is a parclo interchange with U.S. Route 70 and an interchange with Interstate 40.[13] The business route meets AR 1 in north Forrest City, and AR 1 enters Caldwell and Colt before entering Cross County.[14] South of Caldwell, AR 1 is near the historic Little Telico Creek Bridge, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Wynne to Missouri

AR 1 enters Wynne in Cross County. The highway has a junction with US 64, AR 284, AR 980, and US 64 Business, and also passes near Wynne High School.[15] The highway continues north to Vanndale and Cherry Valley before entering Poinsett County.[15] The route passes through marshes in southern Poinsett County before entering Harrisburg. Throughout the county, AR 1 is paralleled by AR 163 approximately 2.5 miles (4.0 km) to the east and US 49 approximately 10 miles (16 km) to the west, with the Union Pacific Railroad also near.[16] AR 1 passes the Bacon Hotel in south Poinsett County near Whitehall, and also passes the historic Modern News Building in downtown Harrisburg.

Entering Craighead County, AR 1 enters Jonesboro from the south. After intersecting AR 163, the route intersects US 49/U.S. Route 63 (future Interstate 555).[17] Highway 1 becomes concurrent north with US 49 {and later US 62) until Piggott

The route leaves US 62 (Crowley's Ridge Parkway) in Piggott and runs east to Missouri supplemental route BB near Holcomb, Missouri, where the route terminates.[2]

History

The route now known as AR 1 first appears as a state highway in 1924, when the Arkansas General Assembly first created a state highway system. Arkansas State Road B-1 ran from the Louisiana state line near Wilmot north into Missouri, and was mostly unpaved.[18] Upon creation of the U.S. Route system in 1925, the north and south portions of the highway were replaced by U.S. Route 67 and U.S. Route 165, respectively, shaping a more familiar AR 1 routing.[19] Arkansas followed the trend to number in 1926, and B-1 became Arkansas Highway 1. The route remains very true to that original course today. The route was split apart in 1941 into AR 1 East and AR 1 West segments from Paragould north.[20] AR 1 East continued north through Marmaduke and Rector. AR 1 West traveled into Corning. By 1955, AR 1W became Arkansas Highway 135, and AR 1E became AR 1.[21] US 49 overlapped Highway 1 from Jonesboro to Piggott in 1978.[22]

Major intersections

Mile markers reset at concurrencies.

County Location Mile[1] Destinations Notes
Desha
 McGehee 0.0 U.S. 278 southern terminus
0.3 Hwy. 159 north AR 159 southern terminus
0.8 U.S. 65 / U.S. 165
Rohwer 10.0 Hwy. 4 south
Kelso 14.7 Hwy. 138 west AR 138 eastern terminus
Pea Ridge 27.5 Hwy. 277 south AR 277 northern terminus
Back Gate 30.8 U.S. 165 south Concurrency north
U.S. 165 concurrency north, 24.99 miles (40.22 km)
Arkansas
 De Witt 0.0 U.S. 165 north (Ricebelt Ave.) Concurrency ends
0.2 Hwy. 1B north (S Monroe St.) AR 1B southern terminus
2.0 Hwy. 1B south (E 2nd St.) AR 1B northern terminus
Van 6.0 Hwy. 153 east
  10.2 Hwy. 153 west
St. Charles 14.2 Hwy. 17 south
15.6 Hwy. 1S north AR 1S southern terminus
Monroe
 Cross Roads 21.5 Hwy. 17 north
Phillips
 Turner 26.2 Hwy. 39 north / Hwy. 316 east
Marvell 31.6 Hwy. 318 south AR 318 northern terminus
34.3 U.S. 49 north Concurrency south
U.S. 49 concurrency south, 9.04 miles (14.55 km)
Walnut Corner 0.0 U.S. 49 south / Hwy. 85 south Concurrency ends
Lexa 3.1 Hwy. 242 east AR 242 western terminus
Lee
 Cypress Corner 7.1 Hwy. 121
Scott Valley 11.2 Hwy. 243 south AR 243 northern terminus
Marianna 14.0 Hwy. 1B north (S Alabama St.) AR 1B southern terminus
15.5 Hwy. 1B south (W Chestnut) AR 1B northern terminus
15.5 U.S. 79 south Concurrency north
U.S. 79 concurrency north, 0.21 miles (0.34 km)
0.0 U.S. 79 north Concurrency ends
Felton 1.8 Hwy. 243 south AR 243 northern terminus
2.6 Hwy. 121 south AR 121 northern terminus
St. Francis
 Forrest City 12.7 Hwy. 1B north (S Washington St.) AR 1B southern terminus
16.5 U.S. 70 (W. Broadway Ave.) parclo interchange
18.6 I-40 east – West Memphis
18.7 I-40 west – Little Rock
21.2 Hwy. 1B south (N Washington St.) AR 1B northern terminus
Caldwell 22.5 Hwy. 261 west AR 261 eastern terminus
Colt 26.5 Hwy. 306
Cross
 Wilkins 28.8 Hwy. 350 north
Wynne 33.1 Hwy. 284 west (E Union Ave.)
33.3 U.S. 64B east / Hwy. 284 east (E Hamilton Ave.) US 64B western terminus
33.7 Hwy. 980 east (E Bridges Ave.) to Wynne Municipal Airport
35.2 U.S. 64 east Concurrency west
U.S. 64 concurrency west, 0.75 miles (1.21 km)
0.0 U.S. 64 west / U.S. 64 Spur south (E St) Concurrency ends, US 64S northern terminus
Vanndale 4.3 Hwy. 1B east / Hwy. 364 AR 1B western terminus
5.1 Hwy. 1B west AR 1B eastern terminus
Cherry Valley 11.0 Hwy. 42
12.0 Hwy. 1B south AR 1B northern terminus
Poinsett
 Whitehall 16.4 Hwy. 214 west AR 214 eastern terminus
Harrisburg 21.5 Hwy. 322 west (Acme Rd.) AR 322 eastern terminus
22.7 Hwy. 14 (Jackson St.)
Greenfield 28.7 Hwy. 158 east AR 158 western terminus
Craighead
 Jonesboro 37.7 Hwy. 1B north / Hwy. 163 south (Harrisburg Rd.) AR 1B southern terminus, AR 163 northern terminus
38.0 Hwy. 163S south (Apt Dr.)
40.1
I-555 / U.S. 49 south / U.S. 63 (Joe N. Martin Expy) (future[23])		 US 49 concurrency north
U.S. 49 / U.S. 62 concurrency north, 50 miles (80 km)
Clay
 Piggott 0.0 U.S. 62 east (Crowley's Ridge Parkway) concurrency ends
Arkansas-Missouri state line 5.0 Route BB northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
     Concurrency terminus •      Closed/Former •      Incomplete access •      Unopened

Business routes

Main article: Business routes of Arkansas Highway 1

Arkansas Highway 1 has six business routes and one spur route.[1] As cities have grown, bypasses have become necessary, and the former downtown alignments of AR 1 have become the business routes discussed here. The St. Charles spur route terminates at the site of the Civil War Battle of Saint Charles upon the White River. The Forrest City business route intersects major routes U.S. Route 70 and Interstate 40.[13] De Witt, Marianna, Vanndale, and Cherry Valley all have business routes of less than 3.0 miles (4.8 km).[1] The Jonesboro business route is the longest, and intersects future Interstate 555.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "[Arkansas] State Highways 2009 (Database)." April 2010. AHTD: Planning and Research Division. Database. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  2. ^ a b Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. General Highway Map - Clay County, Arkansas (Map) (2/11/10 ed.). http://www.arkansashighways.com/maps/Counties/County%20PDFs/ClayCounty.pdf. Retrieved January 18, 2011. 
  3. ^ Arkansas State Highway Commission. State Highway System of the State of Arkansas (Map) (1926 (original) ed.). http://www.arkansashighways.com/planning_research/mapping_graphics/archived_tourist_maps/archived_tourist_maps.aspx. Retrieved June 3, 2011. 
  4. ^ Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Map of McGehee, Arkansas (Map) (July 2010 ed.). http://www.arkansashighways.com/maps/cities/mcgehee_city.pdf. Retrieved January 16, 2011. 
  5. ^ Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. General Highway Map - Desha County, Arkansas (Map) (9/7/10 ed.). http://www.arkansashighways.com/maps/Counties/County%20PDFs/DeshaCounty.pdf. Retrieved January 16, 2011. 
  6. ^ Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. General Highway Map - Arkansas County, Arkansas (Map) (1/08/10 ed.). http://www.arkansashighways.com/maps/Counties/County%20PDFs/ArkansasCounty.pdf. Retrieved January 16, 2011. 
  7. ^ Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Map of De Witt, Arkansas (Map) (May 2003 ed.). http://www.arkansashighways.com/maps/cities/dewitt_city.pdf. Retrieved January 16, 2011. 
  8. ^ Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Map of St. Charles, Arkansas (Map) (April 2003 ed.). http://www.arkansashighways.com/maps/cities/stcharles_city.pdf. Retrieved January 17, 2011. 
  9. ^ Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. General Highway Map - Monroe County, Arkansas (Map) (5/2/00 ed.). http://www.arkansashighways.com/maps/Counties/County%20PDFs/MonroeCounty.pdf. Retrieved January 17, 2011. 
  10. ^ Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. General Highway Map - Phillips County, Arkansas (Map) (8/9/07 ed.). http://www.arkansashighways.com/maps/Counties/County%20PDFs/PhillipsCounty.pdf. Retrieved January 17, 2011. 
  11. ^ Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. General Highway Map - Lee County, Arkansas (Map) (12/29/08 ed.). http://www.arkansashighways.com/maps/Counties/County%20PDFs/LeeCounty.pdf. Retrieved January 17, 2011. 
  12. ^ Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Map of Marianna, Arkansas (Map) (April 2003 ed.). http://www.arkansashighways.com/maps/cities/marianna_city.pdf. Retrieved January 17, 2011. 
  13. ^ a b Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Map of Forrest City, Arkansas (Map) (October 2010 ed.). http://www.arkansashighways.com/maps/cities/forrestcity_city.pdf. Retrieved January 17, 2011. 
  14. ^ Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. General Highway Map - St. Francis County, Arkansas (Map) (8/13/08 ed.). http://www.arkansashighways.com/maps/Counties/County%20PDFs/StFrancisCounty.pdf. Retrieved January 17, 2011. 
  15. ^ a b Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. General Highway Map - Cross County, Arkansas (Map) (7/11/07 ed.). http://www.arkansashighways.com/maps/Counties/County%20PDFs/CrossCounty.pdf. Retrieved January 17, 2011. 
  16. ^ Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. General Highway Map - Poinsett County, Arkansas (Map) (11/20/09 ed.). http://www.arkansashighways.com/maps/Counties/County%20PDFs/PoinsettCounty.pdf. Retrieved January 17, 2011. 
  17. ^ Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. General Highway Map - Craighead County, Arkansas (Map) (11/12/09 ed.). http://www.arkansashighways.com/maps/Counties/County%20PDFs/CraigheadCounty.pdf. Retrieved January 18, 2011. 
  18. ^ "Map of State of Arkansas Showing System of Primary and Secondary Federal Aid Roads and Connecting State Roads and Progress of Improvements." December 31, 1924. Arkansas State Highway Department. Map. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  19. ^ "Map of State of Arkansas showing System of State Highways." Arkansas State Highway Department. 1926.Map. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  20. ^ Arkansas State Highway Commission. General Highway and Transportation Map, Greene County, Arkansas (Map) (1947 ed.). ftp://ftp.geostor.arkansas.gov/geostor_raster_02/AHTD_MAP_SERIES/HISTORIC/Greene_County/Greene_1947.pdf. Retrieved January 23, 2011. 
  21. ^ Arkansas State Highway Commission. General Highway Map, Greene County, Arkansas (Map) (1955 ed.). ftp://ftp.geostor.arkansas.gov/geostor_raster_02/AHTD_MAP_SERIES/HISTORIC/Greene_County/mgree_1955.pdf. Retrieved January 23, 2011. 
  22. ^ Arkansas State Highway Commission. 1979 Traffic Volumes and County Road Numbers Map, Greene County, Arkansas (Map) (1978 ed.). ftp://ftp.geostor.arkansas.gov/geostor_raster_02/AHTD_MAP_SERIES/HISTORIC/Greene_County/mgree_1978.pdf. Retrieved January 23, 2011. 
  23. ^ "Putting the "Future" in I-555." March 21, 2007. KAIT-Jonesboro, Arkansas. Story. Retrieved on March 5, 2009.
Interstate Highways
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State Highways