Arkansas Highway 22

Highway 22 (AR 22, Ark. 22, and Hwy. 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 highway 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 highway is one of the original 1926 state highways. It is designated by the AHTD as the True Grit Trail.

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
  I-540 / US 71 in Fort Smith
AR 549 / Future I-49 in Barling
AR 23 in Caulksville
East end AR 7 in Dardanelle
Location
CountiesSebastian, Franklin, Logan, Yell
Highway system
← AR 21→ AR 23

Route description

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 AR 255 where the historic route follows AR 255 heading north.[3] From the junction with AR 255, AR 22 concurs with AR 255 through Fort Chaffee and intersects AR 96 east of the installation. The route next enters Charleston where it meets AR 217 and the historic Butterfield Trail. The historic route continues along AR 22 to its eastern terminus in Dardanelle.[4] Continuing east into Branch the highway crosses AR 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 AR 22 has a junction with AR 23. Continuing east into the city of Paris the highway has junctions with AR 109, AR 288, and AR 309. AR 22/AR 109/AR 288 run together until Subiaco, when the route loses AR 288 but crosses AR 197.[7] AR 109 leaves AR 22 in Midway, heading north towards Clarksville. AR 22 continues alone to Dardanelle, passing through the communities of New Blaine and Delaware along the way.[8] In Dardanelle, the route terminates at AR 7 after a very brief concurrency with AR 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.

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

The precursor to today's AR 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, AR 22 was one of the original 1926 Arkansas state highways. AR 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 AR 22 between Fort Smith and Charleston.[12] on November 14 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 where the protagonist, Mattie Ross, travels along Highway 22 from Dardanelle to Fort Smith.[13]

National Register of Historic Places

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,[14] the Barling segment was listed in May 2007,[15] and the Yell County segment was listed in 2008.[16] 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.[17]

Barling

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.[18]

New Blaine

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 Arkansas Highway 197, the AR 197 Loop, and Rainbow Loop, and continues to provide the primary access to the town center.[19]

Yell County

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.[20]

Major intersections
CountyLocationmi[21]kmDestinationsNotes
SebastianFort Smith0.000.00 US 64 / US 71B (Garrison Avenue / Towson Avenue / North 11th Street) – National Historic Site, National Cemetery
3.675.91 I-540 to I-49 / I-40 / US 71 – Van BurenI-540/I-49 exit 8
Barling7.0711.38 AR 253 south
8.0712.99 AR 255 north
8.3813.49 AR 59 north – Van Buren, Trimble Lock & Dam, Springhill Park
8.6513.92 AR 549 / Future I-49 south to US 71Opened to traffic and signed as AR 549, northbound segment into Crawford County unbuilt; future I-49 exit 193
Central City11.0017.70 AR 255 south – Vache Grasse Park
Diamond Grove14.0422.60 AR 96 – Lavaca, Greenwood
​16.3326.28 AR 255 north – Lavaca
​20.2032.51 AR 252 west
FranklinCharleston23.5837.95 AR 217 north (Greenwood Street) – Vesta
24.3339.16 AR 217 south (South Rattlesnake Road)
Branch29.21–
29.81		47.01–
47.97		 AR 41 – Chismville, CecilOfficially designated exception
LoganRatcliff32.6152.48 AR 398 west
Caulksville33.8154.41 AR 23 – Ozark, Booneville
Paris39.6963.87 AR 369 south (South Charcoal Plant Road)
41.4066.63 AR 109 south / AR 309 (Elm Street) – Mount Magazine State ParkWestern end of AR 109 concurrency
Subiaco46.7975.30 AR 197 north – Scranton
Midway52.9985.28 AR 109 north – Clarksville, Cane Creek Recreation Area, Dublin Recreation AreaEastern end of AR 109 concurrency
New Blaine59.6996.06 AR 197 north – Shoal Bay Recreation Area
Delaware66.00106.22 AR 393 north – Delaware Recreation Area
YellDardanelle75.29121.17 AR 155 west – Mount Nebo State Park
75.60121.67 AR 7 to AR 27 south – Ola, Danville, Russellville
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References
  1. System Information and Research Division (2014). "Arkansas Road Log Database" (MDB). Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. 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. "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. 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. Retrieved October 5, 2009.
  8. "AHTD Logan County map" (PDF). Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. 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. "Arkansas DOT Officially Establishes 'True Grit Trail'". AASHTO Journal. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. November 22, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  14. "National Register Information System – Old Arkansas Highway 22 (#03000950)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  15. "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.
  16. "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.
  17. "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.
  18. "NRHP nomination for Old Arkansas 22, Barling Segment" (PDF). Arkansas Preservation. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  19. "NRHP nomination for Old Arkansas Highway 22" (PDF). Arkansas Preservation. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  20. "NRHP nomination for Old Arkansas 22-Dardanelle Segment" (PDF). Arkansas Preservation. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  21. Google (September 8, 2020). "Arkansas Highway 22" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved September 8, 2020.

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