Crowley's Ridge Parkway
Crowley's Ridge Parkway is a 212.0-mile-long (341.2 km) National Scenic Byway in northeast Arkansas and the Missouri Bootheel along Crowley's Ridge in the United States. Motorists can access the parkway from US Route 49 (US 49) at its southern terminus near the Helena Bridge over the Mississippi River outside Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, or from Missouri Route 25 (Route 25) near Kennett, Missouri. The parkway runs along Crowley's Ridge, a unique geological formation, and also parts of the St. Francis National Forest, the Mississippi River and the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. Along the route are many National Register of Historic Places properties, Civil War battlefields, parks, and other archeological and culturally significant points.
Crowley's Ridge Parkway | |
|---|---|
| Route information | |
| Maintained by National Park Service | |
| Length | 212.0 mi (341.2 km) |
| Existed | 1997–present |
| Major junctions | |
| South end | US 49 in Helena-West Helena, AR |
| |
| North end | Route 25 Bus. in Malden, MO |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| States | Arkansas, Missouri |
| Counties | |
| Highway system | |
Crowley's Ridge Parkway is not a separately designated route, but a collection of United States highways, Arkansas state highways, Missouri state routes, Missouri supplemental routes, Arkansas state highway business routes, county roads, and city streets. The route also briefly overlaps the Great River Road in Arkansas. The parkway was designated as an Arkansas Scenic Byway in 1997 as a motor route which allowed the traveler to experience the Southern heritage of the area. The National Scenic Byway designation came the following year, with an extension into Missouri in 2000.[1]
Route description
Arkansas
The majority of the route is in Arkansas, and the parkway begins in Phillips County, Arkansas, in Helena-West Helena very near the Helena Bridge over the Mississippi River.[2] Beginning at US Route 49 (US 49) and running north with US 49 Business (US 49B), the route passes historic properties including the Delta Cultural Center, the Jerome Bonaparte Pillow House, the Perry Street Historic District and the site of the Battle of Helena, an American Civil War battle fought in 1863. Upon entering the center of Helena, the byway splits from US 49B and winds along city streets before again following US 49B to West Helena. The parkway turns onto Highway 242 (AR 242) headed north out of town into the St. Francis National Forest, where it turns onto Storm Creek Road (County Route 217, CR 217). Winding through the forest as a narrow two-lane road, the parkway passes Storm Creek Lake and enters Lee County (now following CR 217).[3]
The route continues north onto CR 221 and later CR 239 when it meets Highway 44 near Bear Creek Lake. Following Highway 44 northwest into Marianna, Crowley's Ridge Parkway continues along Highway 44 (Martin Luther King Jr. Drive) until Poplar Street, where it turns north onto Chestnut Street. Near this intersection the byway passes the Marianna Commercial Historic District, the Lee County Courthouse, and a monument for Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Chestnut Street becomes Highway 1 Business before turning north onto US 79/AR 1.[3] Crowley's Ridge Parkway follows Highway 1 north into Haynes and St. Francis County. Just south of Forrest City, the parkway turns onto Highway 1B to downtown Forrest City.[4] The route turns onto Front Street at the St. Francis County Museum, then onto Izard Street as it passes the First United Methodist Church and has a junction with US 70. Crowley's Ridge Parkway follows US 70 for two blocks before turning left onto Forrest Street. Now facing north, the parkway passes the historic Campbell House and the Stuart Springs before joining with Highway 284 and crossing over Interstate 40/US 63 (I-40/US 63). Continuing north, Crowley's Ridge Parkway passes East Arkansas Community College before forming the western boundary of Village Creek State Park and entering Cross County.
The parkway travels among many different unique species of animals and plants, and meets historical sites such as the Parkin Archeological State Park, Chalk Bluff Battlefield and the Battle of Helena Battlefields.[5] The Parkway also runs through Lake Poinsett State Park, which offers numerous campgrounds to travelers.[6] The parkway runs through numerous parks, including Chalk Bluff Battlefield Park, Crowley's Ridge State Park, Delta Cultural Center, Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center, Lake Frierson State Park, Lake Poinsett State Park, Louisiana Purchase State Park, Parker Pioneer Homestead, Parkin Archeological State Park, Southland Greyhound Park, and the Village Creek State Park. In Missouri the route runs past Morris State Park.
Cities along the Arkansas portion of the route include Piggott, Paragould, Jonesboro, Wynne, Forrest City, Marianna, West Helena and Helena.
Missouri
Crowley's Ridge Parkway continues through unique countryside and American Civil War era battlefields in the Missouri Bootheel. It terminates at Business Route 25 in Malden after 14.2 miles (22.9 km) in the state.[7]
History
The route was designated a state scenic byway in Arkansas in 1997 and a National Scenic Byway in 1998. The Missouri scenic byway designation was granted in 2000.[8]
Major intersections
| County | Location | mi[9][10] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River | 0.00 | 0.00 | Southern end of the National Scenic Byway at the Helena Bridge; US 49 continues southward | ||
| Phillips | Helena-West Helena | 0.56 | 0.90 | US 49 north (Martin Luther King Jr Drive) / US 49B (Biscoe Street) | US 49 departs the byway northward, begin concurrency with US 49B |
| 2.19 | 3.52 | US 49B north (Columbia Street) | US 49B departs the byway northward | ||
| 3.25 | 5.23 | US 49B north (Porter Street/Perry Street) | begin concurrency with US 49B, separate one-ways | ||
| 3.80 | 6.12 | AR 185 south (Perry Street) | |||
| 6.64 | 10.69 | US 49B north (Plaza Avenue) / AR 242 | US 49B departs the byway northward, begin concurrency with AR 242 | ||
| St. Francis National Forest | 8.39 | 13.50 | AR 185 south | ||
| 8.83 | 14.21 | AR 242 west (Storm Creek Road) / AR 242S | AR 242 departs the byway eastward, begin concurrency with AR 242S | ||
| 8.94 | 14.39 | AR 242S east (Storm Creek Road) / CR 217 | AR 242S ends, route continues along Phillips CR 217 | ||
| Lee | 25.2 | 40.6 | AR 44 | Begin concurrency at eastern terminus of AR 44 | |
| Marianna | 32.1 | 51.7 | AR 44 west (Martin Luther King Drive) | AR 44 departs the byway westward | |
| 33.1 | 53.3 | AR 1B south (Alabama Street) | Begin concurrency with AR 1B | ||
| 33.4 | 53.8 | US 79 south / AR 1 south (Forrest Avenue) | AR 1B ends, Begin concurrency with US 79/AR 1 | ||
| 33.6 | 54.1 | US 79 north | US 79 departs the byway northward | ||
| Felton | 36.3 | 58.4 | AR 121 north | ||
| Haynes | 42.0 | 67.6 | AR 131 north | ||
| St. Francis | | 46.3 | 74.5 | AR 1 north / AR 1B | AR 1 departs the byway northward, begin concurrency with AR 1B |
| | 46.6 | 75.0 | AR 980 east – Forest City Municipal Airport | ||
| Forrest City | 49.8 | 80.1 | AR 334 east (Linden Road) | ||
| 50.6 | 81.4 | AR 1B north (Washington Street) | AR 1B departs the byway northward | ||
| 50.7 | 81.6 | US 70 west (Broadway Avenue) | Begin concurrency with US 70 | ||
| 50.8 | 81.8 | US 70 east (Broadway Avenue) | US 70 departs the byway eastward | ||
| 51.5 | 82.9 | AR 284 west (Arkansas Avenue) | Begin concurrency with AR 284 | ||
| 53.0 | 85.3 | I-40 / US 63 – West Memphis, Little Rock | |||
| Colt | 61.9 | 99.6 | AR 306 west | ||
| Cross | | 68.2 | 109.8 | AR 284 west / CR 734 | AR 284 departs the byway westward, route continues along Cross CR 734 |
| Wynne | 70.7 | 113.8 | AR 1 south (Falls Boulevard) | Begin concurrency with AR 1 | |
| 71.2 | 114.6 | AR 284 west (Union Avenue) | |||
| 71.3 | 114.7 | AR 1B north (Falls Boulevard) | AR 1B departs the byway northward | ||
| 72.1 | 116.0 | US 64B / AR 1B (Falls Boulevard) | Begin concurrency at western terminus of US 64B | ||
| | 74.0 | 119.1 | AR 284 east | ||
| | 76.5 | 123.1 | US 64 west | US 64B ends, begin concurrency with US 64 | |
| Levesque | 77.1 | 124.1 | AR 163 south | Begin concurrency with AR 163, continue concurrency with US 64 | |
| 77.2 | 124.2 | US 64 east | US 64 departs the byway eastward, continue concurrency with AR 163 | ||
| | 84.1 | 135.3 | AR 364 west | ||
| Birdeye | 86.2 | 138.7 | AR 42 | ||
| Poinsett | | 92.7 | 149.2 | AR 373 north | |
| | 100.4 | 161.6 | AR 14 east | Begin concurrency with AR 14, continue concurrency with AR 163 | |
| | 100.9 | 162.4 | AR 163 north | AR 163 departs the byway northward | |
| Harrisburg | 101.4 | 163.2 | AR 14 west (Jackson Street) | AR 14 departs the byway westward | |
| | 102.1 | 164.3 | AR 14 / AR 163 south | Begin concurrency with AR 163 | |
| | 107.0 | 172.2 | AR 214 east | ||
| | 110.1 | 177.2 | AR 158 west | ||
| | 112.2 | 180.6 | AR 69 north | ||
| Craighead | | 117.1 | 188.5 | AR 158 east | |
| Jonesboro | 119.0 | 191.5 | AR 163S north (Apt Drive) | ||
| 119.2 | 191.8 | AR 1 (Stadium Boulevard) / AR 1B (Harrisburg Road) | AR 163 ends, begin concurrency at AR 1B southern terminus | ||
| 122.1 | 196.5 | I-555 / US 49 / US 63 (Joe N. Martin Expressway) | Interchange | ||
| 123.2 | 198.3 | AR 18 west (Highland Drive) | Begin concurrency with AR 18 | ||
| 123.4 | 198.6 | AR 18 east (Southwest Drive) | AR 18 departs the parkway westward | ||
| 127.8 | 205.7 | US 49 / AR 1 south (Stadium Boulevard) | Begin concurrency with US 49/AR 1 | ||
| 128.8 | 207.3 | AR 91 south (Johnson Avenue) | |||
| 129.4 | 208.2 | US 49 / AR 1 north / AR 351 south (Johnson Avenue) | US 49/AR 1 departs the parkway northward, begin concurrency with AR 351 | ||
| | 133.6 | 215.0 | AR 351 north / CR 766 (New Haven Church Road) | AR 351 departs the parkway northward, route continues along Craighead CR 766 | |
| | 137.1 | 220.6 | AR 141 south | CR 766 ends, begin concurrency with AR 141 | |
| Greene | Lorado | 140.0 | 225.3 | AR 168 west | Begin concurrency with AR 168, continue concurrency with AR 141 |
| | 140.6 | 226.3 | AR 358 east (Finch Road) | ||
| Walcott | 144.5 | 232.6 | AR 141 north | AR 141 departs the byway northward, continue concurrency with AR 168 | |
| | 147.0 | 236.6 | US 412 west | AR 168 ends, begin concurrency with US 412 | |
| Paragould | 150.9 | 242.9 | US 412 east | End concurrency with US 412; begin concurrency with US 412B | |
| 155.6 | 250.4 | US 49 / AR 1 (Linwood Drive) | |||
| 156.2 | 251.4 | US 412B east (King's Highway) | US 412B departs the parkway eastward | ||
| 156.7 | 252.2 | US 49B (2nd Street) | |||
| 157.0 | 252.7 | US 49B (2nd Street) | |||
| 157.9 | 254.1 | US 49 / AR 1 south (Linwood Drive) | Begin concurrency with US 49/AR 1 | ||
| 159.1 | 256.0 | US 49 / AR 1 north (Linwood Drive) / AR 135 south | US 49/AR 1 departs the parkway northbound, begin concurrency with AR 135 | ||
| Oak Grove Heights | 164.3 | 264.4 | AR 34 west | ||
| Lafe | 168.5 | 271.2 | AR 34 east | ||
| Hooker | 170.6 | 274.6 | AR 135 north / AR 141 south | AR 135 departs the parkway northbound, begin concurrency with AR 141 | |
| Clay | | 181.9 | 292.7 | AR 90 west | Begin concurrency with AR 90, continue concurrency with AR 141 |
| Boydsville | 185.2 | 298.1 | AR 90 east | AR 90 departs the parkway eastward, continue concurrency with AR 141 | |
| McDougal | 192.4 | 309.6 | US 62 west | AR 141 ends, begin concurrency with US 62 | |
| Pollard | 199.5 | 321.1 | AR 139 north | ||
| Piggott | 199.5 | 321.1 | US 62 east (12th Avenue) | US 62 departs the byway eastward | |
| 200.5 | 322.7 | US 62 west (3rd Avenue) | Begin concurrency with US 62 | ||
| 200.9 | 323.3 | US 49 / AR 1 south (Thornton Avenue) | Begin concurrency with AR 1, continue concurrency with US 62 | ||
| Trinnon | 202.6 | 326.1 | AR 139 south | ||
| 202.9 | 326.5 | AR 1 north | AR 1 departs the byway northward | ||
| St. Francis River | 197.8 | 318.3 | Arkansas–Missouri state line | ||
| Dunklin | Campbell | 202.7 | 326.2 | US 62 east / Route 53 south (Allen Road) / Route WW | US 62 departs the byway eastward, begin concurrency with SSR-WW |
| | 207.5 | 333.9 | Route J east | SSR-WW ends, begin concurrency with SSR-J | |
| Malden | 212.0 | 341.2 | Route 25 Bus. (Douglas Street) | Northern terminus | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| |||||
See also
References
- ^ Staff. . America's Byways. Federal Highway Administration. Archived from the original on March 21, 2007. Retrieved December 14, 2011.
- ^ General Highway Map, Phillips County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:62500. Cartography by Planning and Research Division. Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. 2009. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
- ^ a b General Highway Map, Lee County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:62500. Cartography by Planning and Research Division. Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. 2008. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
- ^ General Highway Map, St. Francis County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:62500. Cartography by Planning and Research Division. Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. 2007. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
- ^ Staff. . America's Byways. Federal Highway Administration. Archived from the original on June 30, 2009. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
- ^ Staff. "Lake Poinsett State Park". Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
- ^ Staff. . America's Byways. Federal Highway Administration. Archived from the original on August 7, 2009. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
- ^ Staff. . America's Byways. Federal Highway Administration. Archived from the original on June 8, 2007. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
- ^ Planning and Research Division (2010). . Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Archived from the original (Database) on June 23, 2011. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
- ^ Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department; U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (2015). General Highway Map - Greene County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). [1:62500]. Retrieved February 22, 2021.