Arkansas Highway 23

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Highway 23

Pig Trail Scenic Byway
AR 23 highlighted in red, AR 23W in blue
Route information
Maintained by ArDOT
Length132.152 mi[2][3][4][5][6] (212.678 km)
ExistedApril 1, 1926[1]–present
Major junctions
South end US 71 near Elm Park
Major intersections AR 10 in Booneville
US 64 in Ozark
I-40 in Ozark
US 412 in Huntsville
US 62 in Eureka Springs
North end Route P at the Missouri state line
Location
CountryUnited States
StateArkansas
CountiesScott, Logan, Franklin, Madison, Carroll
Highway system
← AR 22→ AR 24

Highway 23 (AR 23) is a north–south state highway in Arkansas. The route runs 129.88 miles (209.02 km) from U.S. Route 71 (US 71) near Elm Park north to the Missouri state line through Ozark and Eureka Springs.

For 19.0 miles [30.6 km] between Interstate 40 (I-40) in Ozark and AR 16 at Brashears, AR 23 winds through the Ozark National Forest and is designated as the Pig Trail Scenic Byway due to its steep hills and hairpin turns. The route has a strong connection with the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, historically serving as the primary highway connection for fans in Central Arkansas to Fayetteville.[7]

The highways was designated in 1926 and saw some re-routings in the 1930s, but is largely similar to the original alignment. AR 23 has two auxiliary routes: a short, unsigned city route designation in Huntsville, and a western alternate route known as AR 23W serving Withrow Springs State Park. All three routes are maintained by the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT).

Route description

The ArDOT maintains AR 23 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 generally ranged between 2,000-4,000 VPD, but reached as high as 6,600 VPD south of Ozark, 5,000 VPD in Huntsville, and 5,800 VPD in Eureka Springs, while getting as low as 660 VPD south of Brashears.[8]

AR 23 passes through the Booneville Commercial Historic District as Broadway Avenue

AR 23 begins at US 71 near the unincorporated community of Elm Park in Scott County, within the Arkansas River Valley region. The highway runs east across the Petit Jean River to enter Logan County.[9] AR 23 runs northeast along a rural area south of the Cherokee Wildlife Management Area (WMA) through the unincorporated communities of Ione and Carolan, where it intersects a former alignment, before winding east to a junction with AR 116 south of Booneville. Now running north, AR 23 again crosses the Petit Jean River before entering Booneville. AR 23 runs north as Sharpe Avenue, passing the Logan County Fairgrounds and serving as the northern terminus for AR 217 (Magazine Street) before shifting one block west to Broadway Avenue. The highway passes through the Booneville Commercial Historic District[10] and the Farmers and Merchants Bank-Masonic Lodge,[11] both listed on the National Register of Historic Places, before a junction with AR 10 (Main Street) in downtown Booneville.[12]

Continuing north, AR 23 passes the Bank of Booneville Building,[13] Booneville Methodist Episcopal Church South,[14] and the Logan County Courthouse (Logan County has two county seats).[15] It exits Booneville to the north, serving as the western terminus for another segment of AR 116 before passing through the unincorporated community of Brownsville. Continuing north to Chismville, AR 23 passes the historic Dr. Stephen H. Chism House[16] and serves as a terminus for another segment of AR 127 and AR 41 before entering Franklin County.[17] The route runs only briefly in Franklin County before returning to Logan County, where it enters the small town of Caulksville.[18] AR 23 serves as a terminus for AR 398 before intersecting AR 22 an exiting Caulksville northbound back into Franklin County.[17]

Ozark Bridge over the Arkansas River

The highway continues northbound, intersecting AR 288 south of Etna, serving as the eastern terminus for AR 96, and serving as the northern terminus for AR 309 (Mount Magazine Scenic Byway) at Webb City. North of Webb City, AR 23 crosses the Arkansas River on a 1930 concrete arch bridge known as the "Ozark Bridge" to enter the city of Ozark.[19] This segment of the Arkansas River is included in the Ozark Lake WMA.

After the bridge, highway runs north as 7th Street for two blocks before an intersection with US 64 (Commercial Street), and a concurrency forms westbound. The concurrency ends when AR 23 turns north onto 18th Street, running north past the Arkansas Tech University–Ozark Campus to a junction with AR 96 (Airport Road) near the Ozark-Franklin County Airport. Continuing north, AR 23 meets I-40 before exiting the city limits.[20][18] AR 23 passes through a rural area, serving as the western terminus of AR 352 at White Oak and passing through Felker Town before entering the Ozark National Forest, where the highway adopts the Pig Trail Scenic Byway designation. The highway becomes winding and steep, passing through the White Rock WMA and crossing the Mulberry River (one of the nation's National Wild and Scenic Rivers) on the historic Mulberry River Bridge at Turner's Bend, with nearby access for float trips and camping. The highway continues north to Cass, where it serves as the northern terminus of AR 215 near another access point on the Mulberry River. The Ozark Highlands Trail hiking trail also crosses AR 23 at the Cherry Bend Recreation Area in the forest.[21] AR 23 runs north into Madison County to an intersection with AR 16 at Brashears, with a concurrency forming northeasterly through the small town of St. Paul.[18] The scenic byway designation ends at Brashears.

AR 23 meets AR 23W and AR 127 at Forum

The highway breaks from AR 16 and passes the historic Williams House and Farmstead[22] before entering a rural, forested area. AR 23 serves the community of Witter before serving as the northern terminus of AR 127 at Aurora, and later as the western terminus for a segment of AR 74 before entering Huntsville, the county seat of Madison County.[23] Running north as Harris Street, the highway passes Huntsville High School before a junction with the unsigned Highway 23 City (AR 23C, Harris Street), where AR 23 curves right and becomes Lee Street. One block later, AR 23 intersects US 412 Business (US 412B) and an unsigned AR 23C, running as a one-way pair, near the Huntsville Commercial Historic District. AR 23 and US 412B form a concurrecny north as Main Street for one block before the one-way pair ends and the road becomes Parrott Drive. The two roads later split, with AR 23 continuing north to meets US 412 in northern Huntsville at an interchange before exiting the town northbound.[24] AR 23 crosses War Eagle Creek and junctions with an unsigned AR 23W in Withrow Springs State Park. The highway passes through the park to the community of Forum, where it again meets AR 23W (and Madison County Route 8440 [Madison 8440]) and serves as the northern terminus of AR 127. The highway continues north along the western edge of the McIlroy WMA to a junction with AR 12 before entering Carroll County.[18]

AR 23 runs north past the Bear Hollow Natural Area, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge,[25] and Quigley's Castle,[26] to Eureka Springs, one of two Carroll County seats. The route runs north as Huntsville Road to a junction with US 62. The two highways form a concurrency as Van Buren Street for 0.7 miles (1.1 km) before AR 23 turns onto Main Street and passes through the Eureka Springs Historic District.[27][28] Winding north, AR 23 exits Eureka Springs, passing the north side of Lake Leatherwood Park before a junction with AR 187.[27] AR 23 turns right and passes through the southern side of Holiday Island before terminating at SSR-P at the Missouri state line.[25]

History

AR 23 was created during the 1926 Arkansas state highway numbering between US 71 and Missouri on a similar alignment to the present-day routing.[29] On the September 1928 map, the southern end between Elm Park and Booneville was shifted west to Boothe and now included a concurrency with AR 10. The route was also extended along US 71 south to AR 45 in Hartford.[30] The following year, the segment between Branch and Webb City was rerouted over AR 22 to Caulksville.[31] In 1930, the segment between Caulksville and Webb City was redesignated AR 109, splitting AR 23 into two discontinuous segments: Hartford to Branch (with a 7.2-mile (11.6 km) overlap of US 71), and from Ozark to Missouri.[32] In 1930, the AR 109 segment between Caulksville and Webb City was restored as AR 23, the segment between US 71 and Booneville had now been decommissioned, and the segment between Chismville and Branch was rerouted to Caulksville, removing the overlap with AR 22.[33] In 1937, the connection between US 71 at Elm Park and Booneville was restored by supplanting AR 116, restoring the route's continuity as a single highway.[34] The segment between Hartford and US 71 was redesignated AR 96 in 1940.[35][36]

The Highway Commission approved a request by the Booneville City Council for a reconstruction project that would have resulted in the realignment of AR 23 in downtown Booneville along Sharpe Street between Venable Street and Main Street on February 23, 1972. [37] However, the construction and rerouting never took place.

Major intersections

Mile markers reset at concurrencies.

CountyLocationmi[38]kmDestinationsNotes
Scott​0.0000.000 US 71 – Waldron, Fort Smith
LoganCarolanCarolan Road eastFormer AR 23
​13.41921.596 AR 116 – Booneville Human Development Center
BoonevilleCarolan Road westFormer AR 23
15.524.9
 AR 217 south (Magazine Street) – Hise Hill Rec Area, Blue Mountain Wildlife Demonstration Area
15.925.6 AR 10 (Main Street) – Mount Magazine State Park
​17.027.4
 AR 116 east
Chismville22.736.5
 AR 217 north – Charleston
​23.137.2
 AR 41 north – Branch
FranklinNo major intersections
LoganCaulksville29.747.8 AR 398
31.150.1 AR 22 – Fort Smith, Paris
Franklin​35.457.0
 AR 288 to AR 41 – Roseville
​41.767.1
 AR 96 west – Cecil
Webb City
 AR 309 south (Mount Magazine Scenic Byway) / CR 42 west (Plantation Road) – Mount Magazine State Park
​42.74768.795Ozark Bridge over Arkansas River
Ozark43.189–
0.000		69.506–
0.000		 US 64 (Commercial Street) – Clarksville, Alma
1.11.8
 AR 96 east (Airport Road) – Airport
3.25.1 I-40 – Fort Smith, Little RockI-40 exit 35
White Oak4.87.7
 AR 352 east
Cass17.227.7
 AR 215 north
MadisonBrashears27.744.6
 AR 16 west – Fayetteville		South end of AR 16 overlap
​31.550.7
 AR 16 east – Pettigrew		South end of AR 16 overlap
Aurora45.072.4
 AR 127 south
​47.876.9
 AR 74 east – Kingston
Huntsville52.284.0AR 23C north (Harris Street)
52.249–
0.000		84.087–
0.000
 US 412B north / AR 23C (War Eagle Avenue / Main Street) – Huntsville Business District, Alpena
​1.93.1 US 412 – Springdale, HarrisonInterchange
​4.26.8Withrow Springs State Park (AR 23W north)
Forum

File:CR 8440 jct.svg AR 23W south / CR 8440 west (Madison 8440) – Withrow Springs State Park

 AR 127 south – Alabam
​15.725.3

 AR 12 west to AR 127 – Clifty
CarrollEureka Springs25.72541.400
 US 62 east – Harrison		South end of US 62 overlap
0.0000.000
 US 62 west – Beaver Dam, Rogers, Bentonville		North end of US 62 overlap
Spring StreetFormer US 62B west
​4.67.4
 AR 187 south – Beaver
​10.98917.685 Route PMissouri state line
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Huntsville city route

Highway 23C

LocationHuntsville
Length0.224 mi[38] (360 m)
Existedc. 1953–present

Highway 23C (AR 23C) is an unsigned city route in Huntsville.[38]

Route description

The route is 0.224 miles (0.360 km) beginning at AR 23. It travels north and turns east, continuing west as U.S. Route 412B (US 412B). After briefly traveling to the east, the highway terminates at AR 23 near the beginning of a concurrency with US 412.

History

The highway first appears on the 1953 Madison County state highway map.[39][40]

Major intersections

Mile markers reset at concurrencies. The entire route is in Huntsville, Madison County.

mi[38]kmDestinationsNotes
0.0000.000 AR 23 (Harris Street / Lee Street)Southern terminus
0.2240.360
 US 412B west (Main Street)		Begin US 412B overlap
0.0000.000
 US 412B east / AR 23 (Parrott Drive / Lee Street) – Eureka Springs, Huntsville, Ozark		AR 23C northern terminus, End US 412B overlap
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Highway 23W

Highway 23W

LocationWithrow Springs State Park
Length2.703 mi[5] (4.350 km)
ExistedNovember 22, 1966[41]–present

Highway 23W (AR 23W) is a 2.703-mile (4.350 km) long alternate route of AR 23 in Madison County, Arkansas serving Withrow Springs State Park.

Route description

The southern terminus of AR 23W is at AR 23 south of Withrow Springs State Park. Its northern terminus is at an intersection with AR 23 and Madison County Road 8440 (CR 8440) just south of AR 127 at Forum, 7 miles (11 km) north of Huntsville. The highway serves as the primary north–south access road to the state park.[23]

History

The route was created by the Arkansas State Highway Commission on November 22, 1966.[41]

Major intersections

The entire route is in Madison County.

Locationmi[5]kmDestinationsNotes
​0.0000.000 AR 23 – Forum, HuntsvilleSouthern terminus
Forum2.7034.350



File:CR 8440 jct.svg AR 23 to AR 127 south / CR 8440 west (Madison 8440)		Northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ^ Arkansas State Highway Department (April 1, 1926). State of Arkansas Showing System of State Highways (TIF) (Map). 1:500,000. Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Arkansas GIS Office.
  2. ^ Planning Division (April 30, 2024). State Highway Route and Section Map, Scott County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  3. ^ Planning Division (April 30, 2024). State Highway Route and Section Map, Logan County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  4. ^ Planning Division (April 30, 2024). State Highway Route and Section Map, Franklin County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Planning Division (April 30, 2024). State Highway Route and Section Map, Madison County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  6. ^ Planning Division (April 30, 2024). State Highway Route and Section Map, Carroll County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  7. ^ "Pig Trail Scenic Byway Overview." America's Byways. United States Department of Transportation. Overview Archived 2013-09-10 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  8. ^ System Information & Research Division (2023). Annual Average Daily Traffic Estimates (GIS Map) (Map). Various. Arkansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  9. ^ Planning and Research Division (n.d.). General Highway Map, Scott County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:62,500. Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  10. ^ "National Register Information System – Booneville Commercial Historic District (#13000351)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  11. ^ "National Register Information System – Farmers and Merchants Bank-Masonic Lodge (#93001257)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  12. ^ Transportation Planning and Policy Division (September 2020). Map of Booneville, Logan County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:12,000. Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. §§ C3–C4, D3–D4. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  13. ^ "National Register Information System – Bank of Booneville Building (#78000608)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  14. ^ "National Register Information System – Booneville Methodist Episcopal Church South (#11000301)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  15. ^ "National Register Information System – Logan County Courthouse, Southern Judicial District (#97000207)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  16. ^ "National Register Information System – Dr. Stephen H. Chism House (#94000853)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  17. ^ a b Planning and Research Division (n.d.). General Highway Map, Logan County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:62,500. Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  18. ^ a b c d Planning and Research Division (n.d.). General Highway Map, Franklin County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:62,500. Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  19. ^ Varnell, Curtis (June 23, 2021). "Bridges to the past". Southwest Times Record. Fort Smith, AR: Gannett. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  20. ^ Planning and Research Division (August 2024). Map of Ozark, Franklin County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:12,000. Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. §§ A2, C4, D4–D5. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  21. ^ Arkansas Atlas & Gazetteer (Map) (Fifth ed.). 1:127,000. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. 2018. pp. 7, 30, 44. ISBN 9781946494207. OCLC 1066245581.
  22. ^ "National Register Information System – Williams House and Associated Farmstead (#01000508)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  23. ^ a b Planning and Research Division (n.d.). General Highway Map, Madison County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:62,500. Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  24. ^ Transportation Planning and Policy Division (October 2018). Map of Huntsville, Madison County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:12,000. Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. §§ A4–E4. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  25. ^ a b Planning and Research Division (September 7, 2017) [November 4, 2005]. General Highway Map, Carroll County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:62,500. Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
  26. ^ "National Register Information System – Quigley's Castle (#03000467)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
  27. ^ a b Planning and Research Division (April 2010). Map of Eureka Springs, Carroll County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:12,000. Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. §§ A2, D3, E3. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
  28. ^ "National Register Information System – Eureka Springs Historic District (#79003730)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
  29. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named fou
  30. ^ Arkansas State Highway Department (September 1, 1928). State of Arkansas Showing System of State Highways (TIF) (Map). Scale not given. Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Arkansas GIS Office.
  31. ^ Arkansas State Highway Commission (September 1, 1929). State of Arkansas Showing Types of Roads (TIF) (Map). Scale not given. Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Arkansas GIS Office.
  32. ^ Arkansas State Highway Commission (May 1930). Official Highway Service Map (TIF) (Map). Scale not given. Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Arkansas GIS Office.
  33. ^ Arkansas State Highway Commission (June 1, 1931). Official Highway Service Map (TIF) (Revised). Scale not given. Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Arkansas GIS Office.
  34. ^ Arkansas State Highway Commission (1937). Official Highway Service Map (TIF) (Map). Scale not given. Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Arkansas GIS Office.
  35. ^ Arkansas State Highway Commission (1940). Map of the State Highway System of Arkansas (TIF) (Map). Scale not given. Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Arkansas GIS Office.
  36. ^ Arkansas State Highway Commission (1941). Map of the State Highway System of Arkansas (TIF) (Map). Scale not given. Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Arkansas GIS Office.
  37. ^ "Minutes of the Meeting of the Arkansas State Highway Commission" (PDF). Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. 1970–1979. p. 1298. OCLC 21798861. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  38. ^ a b c d "[Arkansas] State Highways 2009 (Database)." April 2010. AHTD: Planning and Research Division. Database. Archived 2011-07-07 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved May 28, 2011.
  39. ^ [Arkansas] State Highway Department (July 1, 1935) [January 1925]. Madison County showing Arkansas System of State Highways (PDF) (Map) (Revised ed.). 1:62,500. Little Rock. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  40. ^ Division of Statistics and Analyses (May 1, 1953) [1949]. General Highway Map, Madison County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map) (Revised ed.). 1:62,500. Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  41. ^ a b "Minutes of the Meeting of the Arkansas State Highway Commission" (PDF). Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. 1953–1969. p. 563. OCLC 21798861. Retrieved January 27, 2013.

External links

Media related to Arkansas Highway 23 at Wikimedia Commons

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