Arkansas Highway 215

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Highway 215

AR 215 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by ArDOT
ExistedJuly 10, 1957[1]–present
Section 1
Length8.801 mi[2] (14.164 km)
South endEnd state maintenance at Nolan Road
North end AR 96
Section 2
Length15.860 mi[3][2] (25.524 km)
South end US 64 / AR 917 in Mulberry
North endEnd state maintenance at Trailer Camp Road
Section 3
Length16.405 mi[2][4] (26.401 km)
South end AR 23 at Cass
North endCR 5261 at Oark
Location
CountryUnited States
StateArkansas
CountiesFranklin, Crawford, Johnson
Highway system
← AR 214→ AR 216

Highway 215 (AR 215) is a designation for three north–south state highways in Arkansas. The most traveled route connects the small town of Mulberry with Interstate 40 (I-40) and Shores Lake Recreation Area. The longest route roughly parallels the Mulberry River, a part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. A third provides connectivity around the unincorporated community of Vesta. Each segment was created during periods of statewide system expansion, with the first created in 1957, followed by segments in 1965 and 1973.

All three routes are maintained by the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT).

Route description

The ArDOT maintains AR 215 like all other parts of the state highway system. As a part of these responsibilities, the department tracks the volume of traffic using its roads in surveys using a metric called average annual daily traffic (AADT). ArDOT estimates the traffic level for a segment of roadway for any average day of the year in these surveys. As of 2023, traffic ranged from 200-400 vehicles per day (VPD) around Vesta, and between 160-340 VPD on the Oark segment. The longer segment ranges from a peak of 1,400 VPD in Mulberry, dropping to 860 VPD north of I-40 and to 150 VPD at the Franklin County line.[5] For reference, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), classifies roads with fewer than 400 vehicles per day as a very low volume local road.[6]

No segment of AR 215 is part of the National Highway System (NHS),[7] a network of roads important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility.[8]

Franklin County

The AR 215 designation (and state maintenance) begin at a junction with Nolan Road in rural Franklin County. The roadway continues east as Franklin County Road 31 (CR 31, Peter Pender Lane), with AR 215 running west. The highway passes north of the H. E. Flanagan Prairie Natural Area before a junction with AR 217 at the unincorporated community of Vesta. AR 217 turns north at this junction, crossing Onion Creek and Turkey Creek before climbing Mill Creek Mountain.[9] AR 217 terminates at a junction with AR 96 near the Arkansas River.[10]

Mulberry to Shores Lake Recreation Area

AR 215 north of Mulberry

AR 215 begins in the small town of Mulberry in Crawford County. The southern terminus is a junction with US 64 (6th Street) and AR 917 (Main Street), with AR 215 running north from this junction as 6th Street.[11] AR 215 runs north through Mulberry past the Bryant-Lasater House, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).[12] Continuing north, AR 215 junctions with Interstate 40 (I-40) in northern Mulberry. North of this junction, AR 215 exits the municipal limits, passes the historic Mulberry River Bridge,[13] and enters Franklin County.[14]

The highway continues north, entering the Ozark National Forest and White Rock Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and roughly paralleling the Mulberry River, a part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, to the unincorporated community of Fern. Turning right, AR 215 winds through a series of curves to serve the Shores Lake Recreation Area. East of Shores Lake, state maintenance terminates at a junction with CR 102 (Trailer Camp Road), with the road continuing north as Forest Highway 5426 (FR 5426, Shores Lake Road).[10][9]

Cass to Oark

A third segment of AR 215 begins at AR 23 (Pig Trail Scenic Byway) in the Ozark National Forest/White Rock WMA. The route serves as a main east-west highway in a part of the forest containing several tourist destinations, roughly paralleling the Mulberry National Wild and Scenic River (including three put-in locations) and the Ozark Highlands Trail.[15][10] Continuing east, the route enters Johnson County and passes the Wolf Pen Recreation Area before serving as the northern terminus of AR 103. AR 215 briefly becomes the boundary between White Rock WMA and Ozark National Forest WMA before reaching the unincorporated community of Oark. At Oark, AR 215 passes Oark High School and the N.E. Dickerson Store (listed on the NRHP)[16] before state maintenance ends at Johnson CR 5261 just south of the historic Oark School-Methodist Church.[17] The roadway continues east as CR 5440.[18][19]

History

The Arkansas General Assembly passed the Act 148 of 1957, the Milum Road Act, creating 10–12 miles (16–19 km) of new state highways in each county.[20] The Arkansas State Highway Commission added a 4.4 mile (7.1 km) segment of county road to the state highway system from Mulberry north on July 10, 1957.[1] On March 7, 1961, the Commission extended the designation to Shores Lake.[21]

On October 27, 1965, the Commission created a second segment of AR 215 along a county road running 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east and west from the northern terminus of AR 103.[22] The Commission later jointly identified the route between Cass and Oark as an important tourist route for improvement with the United States Forest Service. Improvement projects were authorized on the 15 mile (24 km) route on May 31, 1989, with the completed highway to be added to the state highway system.[23] Following design and construction, most of the segments were accepted into the state highway system on June 25, 1997,[24] with the remainder added on May 21, 2003.[25]

In 1973, the Arkansas General Assembly passed Act 9 of 1973. The act directed county judges and legislators to designate up to 12 miles (19 km) of county roads as state highways in each county.[20] Under this act, the Commission created a third segment of AR 215 along a county road running north from Vesta on March 28, 1973.[26] This segment of AR 215 was extended southeast to the current terminus three months later,[27] and north to AR 96 on February 27, 1974.[28] On October 20, 1982, the Commission approved a request by the Franklin County judge to decommission AR 215 east of Vesta in exchange for designation of a new segment of AR 309 from Toney northward along Franklin CR 64 (Lone Elm Road).[29] However, this exchange was never finalized.

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[30][2][3][4]kmDestinationsNotes
Franklin​0.0000.000End state maintenance at Nolan Road, roadway continues as Peter Pender LaneSouthern terminus
Vesta4.387.05 AR 217
​8.80114.164 AR 96 – Lavaca, CecilNorthern terminus
Gap in route
CrawfordMulberry0.0000.000
 US 64 (6th Street) / AR 917 south (Main Street) – Ozark, Clarksville, Dyer, Alma		Southern terminus, AR 917 northern terminus
1.893.04 I-40 – Little Rock, Fort Smith
Franklin​15.86025.524End state maintenance at CR 102 (Trailer Camp Road), roadway continues as FR 5426 (Shores Lake Road)Northern terminus
Gap in route
Cass0.0000.000 AR 23 (Pig Trail Scenic Byway) – Ozark, HuntsvilleSouthern terminus
Johnson​14.8323.87
 AR 103 south – Clarksville		AR 103 northern terminus
Oark16.40526.401End state maintenance at CR 5261, roadway continues as CR 5440Northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  •       Route transition

References

  1. ^ a b "Minutes of the Meeting of the Arkansas State Highway Commission" (PDF). Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. 1953–1969. p. 1782. OCLC 21798861. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Transportation Planning and Policy Division (September 17, 2021). Route and Section Map, Franklin County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Transportation Planning and Policy Division (September 17, 2021). Route and Section Map, Crawford County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Transportation Planning and Policy Division (September 17, 2021). Route and Section Map, Johnson County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  5. ^ System Information & Research Division (2022). Annual Average Daily Traffic Estimates (GIS Map) (Map). Various. Arkansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  6. ^ Staff of AASHTO (2019). Guidelines for Geometric Design of Low-Volume Roads (2nd ed.). Washington D.C.: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. p. 2-8. ISBN 978-1-56051-726-9. OCLC 1140203768.
  7. ^ System Information and Research Division (2015). "Arkansas Road Log Database" (MDB). Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  8. ^ Natzke, Stefan; Neathery, Mike & Adderly, Kevin (June 29, 2017). "What is the National Highway System?". National Highway System. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  9. ^ a b Arkansas Atlas & Gazetteer (Map) (Fifth ed.). 1:127,000. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. 2018. p. 43. ISBN 9781946494207. OCLC 1066245581.
  10. ^ a b c Transportation Planning and Policy Division (April 18, 2011) [January 10, 2002]. General Highway Map, Franklin County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map) (Revised ed.). 1:62,500. Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. OCLC 911290506. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  11. ^ Transportation Planning and Policy Division (December 2019). Map of Dyer and Mulberry, Crawford County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:12,000. Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. §§ A7, B7. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  12. ^ "National Register Information System – Bryant-Lasater House (#07000958)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  13. ^ "National Register Information System – Mulberry River Bridge (#06001272)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  14. ^ Transportation Planning and Policy Division (May 24, 2018) [December 28, 2011]. General Highway Map, Crawford County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map) (Revised ed.). 1:62,500. Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. OCLC 910940269. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  15. ^ "DeLorme" (2018), pp. 43–44.
  16. ^ "National Register Information System – N.E. Dickerson Store (#95001124)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  17. ^ "National Register Information System – Oark School—Methodist Church (#95001142)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  18. ^ "DeLorme" (2018), p. 44.
  19. ^ Planning and Research Division (May 24, 2018) [April 10, 2002]. General Highway Map, Johnson County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map) (Revised ed.). 1:62,500. Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. OCLC 913579244. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  20. ^ a b Government Relations Office (2018). Development of Highway and Transportation Legislation in Arkansas (PDF). Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. p. 1. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  21. ^ "Minutes" (1953–1969), p. 1045.
  22. ^ "Minutes" (1953–1969), p. 739.
  23. ^ "Minutes of the Meeting of the Arkansas State Highway Commission" (PDF). Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. 1980–1989. pp. 1086–1087. OCLC 21798861. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  24. ^ "Minutes of the Meeting of the Arkansas State Highway Commission" (PDF). Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. 1990–1999. pp. 941–942. OCLC 21798861. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  25. ^ "Minutes of the Meeting of the Arkansas State Highway Commission" (PDF). Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. 2000–2009. p. 514. OCLC 21798861. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  26. ^ "Minutes of the Meeting of the Arkansas State Highway Commission" (PDF). Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. 1970–1979. p. 1118. OCLC 21798861. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  27. ^ "Minutes" (1970–1979), p. 1186.
  28. ^ "Minutes" (1970–1979), p. 935.
  29. ^ "Minutes" (1980–1989), pp. 283–284.
  30. ^ Arkansas Centerline File (GIS Map) (Map) (Updated ed.). Various. Arkansas GIS Office. January 22, 2024 [September 29, 2014]. Retrieved March 3, 2024.

External links

Media related to Arkansas Highway 215 at Wikimedia Commons

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