Arkansas Highway 309

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For the former highway in Franklin County, see Arkansas Highway 96.

Highway 309

Mount Magazine Scenic Byway[1]
AR 309 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by ArDOT
ExistedApril 24, 1963[2]–present
Section 1
Length5.120 mi[3] (8.240 km)
South end CR 28 at Blue Mountain Lake
North end AR 10 at Waveland
Section 2
Length42.750 mi[3][4][5] (68.799 km)
South end AR 10 in Havana
North end AR 23 at Webb City
Location
CountryUnited States
StateArkansas
CountiesYell, Logan, Franklin
Highway system
← AR 308→ AR 310

Highway 309 (AR 309) is a designation for two state highways in Western Arkansas. One segment is known as the Mount Magazine Scenic Byway, one of eleven Arkansas Scenic Byways. This route connects Mount Magazine State Park, which includes the highest point in Arkansas, to points north and south. The highway was created in 1963 and extended three times over 15 years to the current alignment. A second segment created in 1973 connects AR 10 to a campground on Blue Mountain Lake. Both routes are maintained by the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT).

Route description

The ArDOT maintains AR 309 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 2022, traffic ranged from 170 VPD south of Mount Magazine, 780 VPD south of Paris, and between 1,200-1,500 VPD north of Paris. The southern segment was estimated at 560 VPD.[6] 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.[7]

No segment of AR 309 is part of the National Highway System (NHS),[8] a network of roads important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility.[9]

Blue Mountain Lake to Waveland

Highway 309 begins at Yell County Route 28 (CR 28, Mountain Road) near Blue Mountain Lake in Yell County.[10] The route runs east and turns north to terminate at Highway 10, designated as part of the West–Northwest Scenic Byway. This alignment does not cross any other state highways.[11]

Mount Magazine Scenic Byway

AR 309 in Mount Magazine SP

A second, longer routing of AR 309 begins in Havana at Highway 10 (Railroad Avenue/West–Northwest Scenic Byway).[12] The route runs north as Main Street before exiting the town and entering the Ozark National Forest. The highway winds north and east before entering Logan County.[11] It continues to ascend Mount Magazine, which at 2,753 feet (839 m) is Arkansas's highest point,[13] including two switchbacks across the Logan-Yell county line. Now within Mount Magazine State Park, the highway passes the Benefield Picnic Area and Greenfield Picnic Area before intersecting Mount Magazine Road, the main park access road (unsigned AR 600) near the park's visitor center.[10]

AR 309 on the Cove Lake Spillway Dam-Bridge, built 1937

AR 309 continues north, exiting the park but remaining within the Ozark National Forest. AR 309 uses the Cove Creek Bridge, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)[14] before passing Burnett Springs, a historic resort area.[15] Continuing north, AR 309 passes the US Forest Service's Cove Lake Recreation Area, which includes the historic Cove Lake Bathhouse.[16] The highway continues over the historic Cove Lake Spillway Dam-Bridge, which creates the Cove Lake reservoir, and continues north.[17] The highway also passes over the Cove Creek Tributary Bridge[18] prior to exiting the forest northbound to Paris. All three roadway structures were completed by the Works Progress Administration and are listed on the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), in addition to the NRHP.

Upon entering the northern county seat of Logan County AR 309 forms a concurrency with AR 109 (Elm Street), continuing north to AR 22 (Walnut Street). This junction also contains Logan County Courthouse and the Paris Commercial Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. AR 309 continues north past the First United Methodist Church,[19] and Paris Post Office[20] to exit town heading north.[21] The route runs north, briefly along the Arkansas River before curving west. The route crosses Sixmile Canal, within the Dardanelle Wildlife Management Area (WMA) with a boat ramp at O'kane Park maintained by the US Army Corps of Engineeres giving access to the Arkansas River.[22] AR 309 serves as the eastern terminus of AR 288 at the unincorporated community of Roseville before it enters Franklin County.[23] The route runs almost due north to Webb City, where it terminates at a junction with AR 23[24] and Franklin County Route 42 (CR 42, Plantation Road).[22]

History

The Arkansas State Highway Commission created AR 309 on April 24, 1963 between Paris and Webb City as part of a statewide system expansion.[2] Two years later, the Commission created a second segment of AR 309, following a county road between Havana and the Logan County line, and along a Forest Highway to Mount Magazine.[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.[26] Under this act, new segments of AR 309 were created between Paris and the Ozark National Forest on April 25, 1973,[27] and between Lick Creek Recreational Area on Blue Mountain Lake and Waveland on May 23, 1973.[28] The gap in AR 309 was closed by accepting Forest Service Highway 704 in the state highway system on July 26, 1978, following completion of road improvement by the US Forest Service.[29]

Proposed routes

The Commission proposed creation of a third segment of AR 309 for a short industrial access road to serve a new industrial facility in Ozark on May 28, 1976.[30] The segment was never created.

On October 20, 1982, the Commission approved a request by the Franklin County Judge to create a new AR 309 designation along a county road running north from US Route 64 (US 64) at Toney, in exchange for decommissioning the Franklin County segment of AR 215.[31] The exchange never took place.

Major intersections

Mile markers reset at concurrencies.

CountyLocationmi[3][4][5]kmDestinationsNotes
YellBlue Mountain Lake0.0000.000End state maintenance, road continues as CR 28 (Mountain Road)Southern terminus
Waveland5.1208.240 AR 10 (West–Northwest Scenic Byway) – Booneville, DanvilleNorthern terminus
Gap in route
Havana0.0000.000 AR 10 (Railroad Avenue / West–Northwest Scenic Byway) – Danville, BoonevilleSouthern terminus
LoganNo major intersections
YellNo major intersections
LoganMount Magazine State ParkAR 600 west (Mount Magazine Road)
​15.2624.56Cove Creek Bridge
Cove Lake Recreation Area19.1130.75Cove Lake Spillway Dam-Bridge
​20.0332.24Cove Creek Triburary Bridge
Paris26.78943.113
 AR 109 south (Elm Street) – Magazine		Southern end of AR 109 concurrency
AR 109 concurrency north, 1.0 mile (1.6 km)
0.0000.000 AR 22 (Walnut Street) – Charleston, Fort SmithNorthern end of AR 109 concurrency, AR 109 northern terminus
Roseville7.4311.96
 AR 288 west
FranklinWebb City15.96125.687 AR 23 / CR 42 west (Plantation Road) – Caulksville, OzarkNorthern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. ^ "Mount Magazine Scenic Byway/Highway 309." Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department, Scenic Byways Program. Link Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  2. ^ a b "Minutes of the Meeting of the Arkansas State Highway Commission" (PDF). Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. 1953–1969. pp. 913–916. OCLC 21798861. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Transportation Planning and Policy Division (September 17, 2021). Route and Section Map, Yell County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Transportation Planning and Policy Division (September 17, 2021). Route and Section Map, Logan County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Transportation Planning and Policy Division (September 17, 2021). Route and Section Map, Franklin County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  6. ^ System Information & Research Division (2022). Annual Average Daily Traffic Estimates (GIS Map) (Map). Various. Arkansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ System Information and Research Division (2015). "Arkansas Road Log Database" (MDB). Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ a b Arkansas Atlas & Gazetteer (Map) (Fifth ed.). 1:127,000. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. 2018. p. 44. ISBN 9781946494207. OCLC 1066245581.
  11. ^ a b Transportation Planning and Policy Division (October 25, 2016) [November 27, 2002]. General Highway Map, Yell County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map) (Revised ed.). 1:62,500. Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. OCLC 911290506. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  12. ^ Transportation Planning and Policy Division (April 2018). Map of Havana, Yell County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:12,000. Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. §§ A2, B2. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  13. ^ "Magazine Mountain." U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Arkansas Highway 309 United States Geological Survey. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  14. ^ "National Register Information System – Cove Creek Bridge (#95000645)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  15. ^ "National Register Information System – Burnett Springs (#95001126)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  16. ^ "National Register Information System – Cove Lake Bathhouse (#94001617)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  17. ^ "National Register Information System – Cove Lake Spillway Dam-Bridge (#94001618)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  18. ^ "National Register Information System – Cove Creek Tributary Bridge (#95000644)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  19. ^ "National Register Information System – Methodist Episcopal Church, South (#95000757)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  20. ^ "National Register Information System – Paris Post Office (#98000923)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  21. ^ Transportation Planning and Policy Division (February 2020). Map of Paris, Logan County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:12,000. Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. §§ A4–D4. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  22. ^ a b "DeLorme" (2018), p. 44.
  23. ^ Planning and Research Division (September 11, 2002). General Highway Map, Logan County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:62,500. Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. OCLC 914233699. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  24. ^ 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 January 27, 2024.
  25. ^ "Minutes" (1953–1969), pp. 668, 672, 674.
  26. ^ 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.
  27. ^ "Minutes of the Meeting of the Arkansas State Highway Commission" (PDF). Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. 1970–1979. p. 1141. OCLC 21798861. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  28. ^ "Minutes" (1970–1979), p. 1173.
  29. ^ "Minutes" (1970–1979), pp. 327–328.
  30. ^ "Minutes" (1970–1979), pp. 652–653.
  31. ^ "Minutes of the Meeting of the Arkansas State Highway Commission" (PDF). Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. 1980–1989. pp. 283–284. OCLC 21798861. Retrieved January 27, 2024.

External links

Media related to Arkansas Highway 309 at Wikimedia Commons

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