US 65 in Arkansas

According to foodezine, US 65 is a US Highway in the US state of Arkansas. The road forms a north-south route through the center of the state, from the Louisiana border at Readland through Pine Bluff and Little Rock to the Missouri border at Omaha. The route is 505 kilometers long.

Travel directions

US 65/165 at Dumas.

US 62, 65 and 412 in Harrison.

US 65 in Louisiana enters Arkansas from Tallulah and then heads north parallel to the Mississippi River. The first major town on the route is Eudora, but at Fairview it crosses US 82. The road has 2×2 lanes from Lake Village and is then double numbered with US 278. One comes through the wide Mississippi Valley. The road slowly curves slightly to the northwest, further away from the river. At Dermott, US 165 merges from Monroe, and a few miles away, at the village of McGehee, US 278 joinsoff. The US 165 is then double numbered for another 30 kilometers with the US 65 until the town of Dumas, where the US 165 exits. The road then follows the course of the Arkansas River, one of the major tributaries of the Mississippi. US 65 has mostly 2×2 lanes here, except for a bit between Dumas and Grady. After about 60 kilometers you reach Pine Bluff, a regional town with more than 50,000 inhabitants. From here begins Interstate 530, where US 65 merges into and doubles up to Little Rock. In Pine Bluff you first cross the US 63. Shortly afterwards you cross the US 79, after which the connection with the US 270 follows.

Through Little Rock, the road is double-numbered with several Interstate Highways. I-530 becomes Interstate 30 in the south of the city. At the end of I-30, US 65 continues west on Interstate 40 and exits from I-40 at Conway. One then crosses the US 64. From Conway, the road has 2×2 lanes for about 30 kilometers, after which the road narrows from Damascus to one lane in each direction. One then passes through the Ozark Mountains, the most important mountain region in the middle of the United States. The road runs through hilly area and you sometimes have views. You pass the large Greers Ferry Lake, through which the Little Red River flows. It then takes about 160 kilometers without crossings with other US Highways, a fairly long distance by Arkansas standards. However, the landscape is varied and you pass through the Buffalo National River Natural Park. This area consists of shallow canyons and forests and is a popular nature reserve. US 65 then continues to Harrison, a regional town in northern Arkansas. Here the road is briefly double-numbered with US 62 and US 412. Around Harrison the road also has 2×2 lanes again. After Harrison, the last kilometers to the border with Missouriwhich is reached at the village of Omaha. US 65 in Missouri then continues to Springfield.

History

According to bittranslators, US 65 was created in 1926 and the route has not been extensively modified in Arkansas since then, but parts have been upgraded to freeway. US 63 has been routed on highways around Little Rock since the 1960s. The highway between Little Rock and Pine Bluff was built later. The first phase of the highway around Pine Bluff opened in the mid-1990s, and the second phase followed in the late 1990s, so that Pine Bluff could be avoided entirely. As of August 2, 1999, US 65 between Pine Bluff and Arkansas was upgraded to Interstate Highway, namely Interstate 530. Since US 65 is a fairly important north-south route for through traffic, much of US 65 between the Louisiana border and Pine Bluff has been widened to 2×2 lanes. Some single-lane sections still remain, such as around Gould and south of Lake Village. Also, a portion of US 65 north of Conway has been widened to 2×2 lanes to Damascus, as well as from Valley Springs to the Missouri border in northern Arkansas.

Traffic intensities

1,700 vehicles drive daily near the Louisiana border, increasing to 5,300 vehicles north of Lake Village and 6,000 vehicles north of Dumas. 6,700 vehicles drove south of Pine Bluff. The Pine Bluff bypass has 25,000 vehicles and 19,000 to 38,000 vehicles travel from Pine Bluff to Little rock on I-530.

26,000 vehicles pass through Conway, dropping to 10,000 vehicles near Damascus and about 5,000 vehicles halfway between Conway and Harrison. There are 19,000 vehicles through Harrison, and 10,000 vehicles between Harrison and the Missouri border.

Helena Bridge

The Helena Bridge is a cantilever truss bridge in the United States, located on the border of the states of Arkansas and Mississippi. The bridge spans the Mississippi River at Helena.

Characteristics

The Helena Bridge is a total of 1,586 meters long, with a main span of 245 meters. The bridge deck is 36 meters above the river and is 9 meters wide. The two-lane US 49 runs across the bridge from Clarksdale to Helena. The bridge is toll-free and mainly of regional importance. It is one of the least used bridges between New Orleans and Memphis.

History

The bridge was built for regional traffic in the early 1960s and opened to traffic on July 27, 1961. The use of the bridge was disappointing because there are no larger towns, especially on the Mississippi side. In addition, US 49 is not a logical through east-west and north-south connection.

Traffic intensities

In 2012, 5,500 vehicles crossed the bridge every day. The Helena Bridge is the quietest bridge between New Orleans and Memphis.