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Arkansas Highway 22

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Highway 22 marker
Highway 22
Route information
Maintained by ArDOT
Length75.60 mi[1] (121.67 km)
Existed1926–present
Major junctions
West end US 64 / US 71B in Fort Smith
Major intersections I-540 / US 71 in Fort Smith
AR 549 in Barling
AR 23 in Caulksville
East end AR 7 / AR 27 in Dardanelle
Location
CountryUnited States
StateArkansas
CountiesSebastian, Franklin, Logan, Yell
Highway system
← AR 21→ AR 23

Arkansas Highway 22 (AR 22) is an east–west state highway in the Arkansas River Valley. It is maintained by the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD). The route runs 75.60 miles (121.67 km) from US 64/US 71B east to Highway 7 in Dardanelle. Following the historic stagecoach line of the cross-country Butterfield Trail, the route is one of the original 1926 state highways. It is designated by the AHTD as the True Grit Trail.

Route description

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The route begins in Fort Smith at US 64/US 71B. It runs east, crossing I-540/US 71 and the incomplete interchange at the northern end of future I-49.[2] From its western terminus in Fort Smith, it carries the Seminole route of the Trail of Tears to Highway 255 where the historic route follows Highway 255 heading north.[3] From the junction with Highway 255, Highway 22 concurs with Highway 255 through Fort Chaffee and intersects Highway 96 east of the installation. The route next enters Charleston where it meets Highway 217 and the historic Butterfield Trail. The historic route continues along Highway 22 to its eastern terminus in Dardanelle.[4] Continuing east into Branch, the route has a brief concurrency with Highway 41.[5] County Line High School is located on the highway between Branch and Ratcliff.[6]

Highway 22 east of Barling

In the town of Caulksville, Highway 22 has a junction with Highway 23. Continuing east into the city of Paris, the highway has a junction with Highway 109/Highway 309. Highway 22 continues east to Subiaco, where it crosses Highway 197.[7] In Midway, Highway 22 meets Highway 109, which heads north towards Clarksville. Highway 22 continues east to Dardanelle, passing through the communities of New Blaine and Delaware along the way.[8] In Dardanelle, the route terminates at Highway 7 after an intersection with Highway 155.[9]

The road itself is fairly straight and in reasonably good repair. Passing can be safely accomplished in several stretches of Highway 22 despite a lack of constructed passing areas.[citation needed]

History

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Former alignments of Highway 22
Barling segment
New Blaine segment
Dardanelle segment

The precursor to today's Highway 22 was the Butterfield Trail, a stagecoach trail officially known as the Overland Mail Company that traveled roughly along the present-day highway's route from Dardanelle to Fort Smith. The stagecoach carried mail and passengers from Memphis to Fort Smith. In Fort Smith the trail split into two routes, with one traveling west to San Francisco and the other traveling north to St. Louis. The Butterfield Trail was in operation from 1858 to 1861.[4]

Upon its establishment, Highway 22 was one of the original 1926 Arkansas state highways. Highway 22 ran from Fort Smith to Dardanelle along a routing very similar to the modern-day routing of AR 22.[10] On July 14, 2015 the highway was linked to Future I-49 in Barling.[11] In June 2019 a proposal was made under the Connecting Arkansas Program-2 for US$25 million to be allocated to the improvement of sections of Highway 22 between Fort Smith and Charleston.[12] On March 20[13] of the same year, the highway was officially designated by the AHTD as the True Grit Trail. The name comes from the 1968 novel, True Grit by Charles Portis. Frank Ross, father of the protagonist Mattie Ross, travels along Highway 22 from Dardanelle to Fort Smith.[14]

National Register of Historic Places

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Three original segments of Highway 22 remain intact and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The New Blaine segment was listed in 2003,[15] the Barling segment was listed in May 2007,[16] and the Yell County segment was listed in 2008.[17] All three listings are contained within the Arkansas Highway History and Architecture Multiple Property Submission, which preserves history from Arkansas's highway building era between 1910 and 1965.[18]

Barling

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KML file (edit • help)
Template:Attached KML/Old Arkansas 22, Barling Segment
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The Old Arkansas 22, Barling Segment is a historic section of roadway in Barling, Arkansas. Now named Mayo Drive, it consists of a 0.5-mile (0.80 km) stretch of concrete pavement, two lanes wide, in the northwestern part of the city. It extends north from the current alignment of Highway 22 until it reaches a sharp curve, where the pavement narrows significantly, before continuing westward to rejoin the highway. This stretch of pavement was constructed in 1928 by the Koss Construction Company, and is longest section of surviving pavement of the early alignment of Highway 22.[19]

New Blaine

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Old Arkansas Highway 22 is a historic roadway section in New Blaine, Arkansas. It consists of an S-shaped section asphalt, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) in length, built in 1930 by Cook & Ransom and the Schultz Construction Company to carry Highway 22. This section was bypassed by the present alignment in the 1960s. It is now designated as part of Highway 197, the Highway 197 Loop, and Rainbow Loop, and continues to provide the primary access to the town center.[20]

Yell County

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One surviving element of the original alignment survives in Yell County west of Dardanelle; it consists of County Road 906 (CR 906), a 0.25-mile (0.40 km) stretch of concrete pavement 18 feet (5.5 m) wide. This segment was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.[21]

Major intersections

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CountyLocationmi[22]kmDestinationsNotes
SebastianFort Smith0.000.00 US 64 / US 71B – National Historic Site, National CemeteryWestern terminus
3.675.91
 I-540 (US 71) to I-40 – Van Buren		Exits 8B-A on I-540
Barling7.0711.38
 AR 253 south		Northern terminus of AR 253
8.0712.99
 AR 255 north		Southern terminus of AR 255
8.3813.49
 AR 59 north – Van Buren, Trimble Lock & Dam, Springhill Park		Southern terminus of AR 59
8.6513.92
 AR 549 south		Interchange; current northern terminus and exit 193 on AR 549; future I-49
Central City11.0017.70
 AR 255 south – Vache Grasse Park		Northern terminus of AR 255
Diamond Grove14.0422.60 AR 96 – Lavaca, Greenwood
​16.3326.28
 AR 255 north – Lavaca		Southern terminus of AR 255
​20.2032.51
 AR 252 west		Eastern terminus of AR 252
FranklinCharleston23.5837.95
 AR 217 north (Greenwood Street) – Vesta		Southern terminus of AR 217
24.3339.16
 AR 217 south (South Rattlesnake Road)		Northern terminus of AR 217
Branch29.2147.01
 AR 41 west – Chismville		West end of AR 41 overlap
29.8147.97
 AR 41 east – Cecil		East end of AR 41 overlap
LoganRatcliff32.6152.48
 AR 398 west		Eastern terminus of AR 398
Caulksville33.8154.41 AR 23 – Ozark, Booneville
Paris39.6963.87
 AR 369 south (South Charcoal Plant Road)		Northern terminus of AR 369
41.4066.63
 AR 109 south / AR 309 (Elm Street) – Mount Magazine State Park		Northern terminus of AR 109
Subiaco46.7975.30
 AR 197 north – Scranton		Southern terminus of AR 197
Midway52.9985.28
 AR 109 north – Clarksville, Cane Creek Recreation Area, Dublin Recreation Area		Southern terminus of AR 109
New Blaine59.6996.06
 AR 197 north – Shoal Bay Recreation Area		Southern terminus of AR 197
Delaware66.00106.22
 AR 393 north – Delaware Recreation Area		Southern terminus of AR 393
YellDardanelle75.29121.17
 AR 155 west – Mount Nebo State Park		Eastern terminus of AR 155
75.60121.67
 AR 7 / AR 27 south – Ola, Danville, Russellville		Eastern terminus; northern terminus of AR 27
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

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References

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  1. ^ System Information and Research Division (2014). "Arkansas Road Log Database". Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Archived from the original (MDB) on August 29, 2017. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  2. ^ Aric Mitchell (April 26, 2018). "ArDOT 'dusts off' $600 million future I-49 Barling to Alma stretch". Talk Business & Politics. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  3. ^ "Arkansas Trail of Tears". Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism. 2020. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Butterfield Trail". Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism. 2020. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  5. ^ "AHTD Sebastian County map" (PDF). Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 13, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2009.
  6. ^ "AHSAA School Directory - County Line High School". Arkansas Activities Association. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  7. ^ "AHTD Franklin County map" (PDF). Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 22, 2010. Retrieved October 5, 2009.
  8. ^ "AHTD Logan County map" (PDF). Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 22, 2010. Retrieved October 5, 2009.
  9. ^ "AHTD Yell County map" (PDF). Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Retrieved October 5, 2009.
  10. ^ "Map of State of Arkansas Showing System of State Highways". Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. 1926. Archived from the original on March 13, 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  11. ^ Marney, Meridith (July 14, 2015). "Leaders Dedicate Highway 549 At Chaffee Crossing". KFSM-TV. KFSM-TV. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  12. ^ John Lovett (June 18, 2019). "I-49, Greenwood, Charleston road projects make CAP-2 list". Southwest Times Record. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  13. ^ Lovett, John (April 1, 2019). "Monday Matters: Highway 22 designated True Grit Trail". Southwest Times Record. Archived from the original on July 10, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2023 – via Wayback Machine.
  14. ^ "Arkansas DOT Officially Establishes 'True Grit Trail'". AASHTO Journal. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. November 22, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  15. ^ "National Register Information System – Old Arkansas Highway 22 (#03000950)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  16. ^ "National Register Information System – Old Arkansas 22, Barling Segment (#07000439)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  17. ^ "National Register Information System – Old Arkansas 22-Dardanelle Segment (#07001438)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  18. ^ "National Register Information System – Arkansas Highway History and Architecture Multiple Property Submission (#64500014)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  19. ^ "NRHP nomination for Old Arkansas 22, Barling Segment" (PDF). Arkansas Preservation. Retrieved April 25, 2015.[permanent dead link]
  20. ^ "NRHP nomination for Old Arkansas Highway 22" (PDF). Arkansas Preservation. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  21. ^ "NRHP nomination for Old Arkansas 22-Dardanelle Segment" (PDF). Arkansas Preservation. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  22. ^ "Arkansas Highway 22" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
[edit]
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Media related to Arkansas Highway 22 at Wikimedia Commons

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