Arkansas Highway 144
Highway 144 (AR 144, Ark. 144, and Hwy. 144) is a designation for two state highways in Southeast Arkansas. One route of 7.82 miles (12.59 km) begins at Big Bayou Meto Use Area and runs east to US Highway 165 (US 165), Highway 1, and the Great River Road (GRR). A second route of 20.50 miles (32.99 km) begins at US 165 near Jerome and runs east through Lake Village to a levee near the Mississippi River. Both routes are maintained by the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT). While overlapping US 65/US 278 in Chicot County, the route is part of the Great River Road, a national scenic byway following the Mississippi River.
Segments of Highway 144 in red | ||||
Route information | ||||
Maintained by ArDOT | ||||
Existed | c. January 1, 1932[1][2]–present | |||
Section 1 | ||||
Length | 4.16 mi[3] (6.69 km) | |||
West end | Big Bayou Meto Use Area | |||
East end | ||||
Section 2 | ||||
Length | 20.50 mi[3] (32.99 km) | |||
West end | ||||
East end | Mississippi River levee | |||
Location | ||||
Counties | Jefferson, Arkansas, Ashley, Chicot | |||
Highway system | ||||
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Route description
Bayou Meto
Highway 144 begins at Big Bayou Meto Use Area at the mouth of Bayou Meto at the Arkansas River in southeastern Jefferson County. It crosses the Bayou Meto into Arkansas County. The route runs east through agricultural land, becoming a section line road shortly before terminating at US 165/AR 1/GRR south of Gillett.[4] As of 2016, the route had an annual average daily traffic (AADT) of 340 vehicles per day (VPD).[5]
Lake Village
Highway 144 begins at US 165 near Jerome on the county line between Ashley and Drew County, where it runs east as a section line road into Chicot County.[6] The route crosses flat agriculture and aquaculture operations, intersecting Highway 293 in western Chicot County. Highway 144 intersects US 65/US 278/GRR at McMillan Corner, and a concurrency begins southbound. US 65/US 278/AR 144 run south into Lake Village, the county seat of Chicot County. Highway 144 breaks east from the concurrency toward downtown Lake Village at a junction with US 82, with US 65/US 82/US 278 continuing south toward Louisiana and Mississippi. Highway 144 enters the city as St. Mary's Street, passing the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery, Historic Section, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[7] The route continues east along the southern edge of downtown Lake Village toward Lake Chicot, where it turns north at an intersection with Highway 159. Highway 144 continues north along the lake, serving as the eastern boundary of the Lake Village Commercial Historic District before eviting the city limits. The route intersects two segments of Highway 257 before intersecting a Mississippi River levee, where the route terminates.[8]
History
Highway 144 was created by the Arkansas State Highway Commission (ASHC) between US 165 and McMillan Corner. It first appeared on the 1933 state highway map.[1][2] The route was extended east along former US 82 to Leland landing, the main ferry crossing on the Mississippi River in the area, on the 1940 state highway map.[9] US 82 had been rerouted onto the new Benjamin G. Humphreys Bridge, providing travelers with a bridge connection across the river.
The highway in Arkansas County was created March 28, 1973 pursuant to Act 9 of 1973 passed by the Arkansas General Assembly.[10] The act directed county judges and legislators to designate up to 12 miles (19 km) of county roads as state highways in each county.[11]
Major intersections
Mile markers reset at some concurrencies.
County | Location | mi[3] | km | Destinations | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arkansas | | 0.00 | 0.00 | Big Bayou Meto Use Area | Western terminus | ||
Crossett | 4.16 | 6.69 | Eastern terminus | ||||
Gap in route | |||||||
Drew–Ashley county line | | 0.00 | 0.00 | Western terminus | |||
Chicot | | 4.00 | 6.44 | ||||
McMillan Corner | 9.63 | 15.50 | Begin US 65/US 278/GRR overlap, AR 257 northern terminus | ||||
Lake Village | 0.00 | 0.00 | End US 65/US 278/GRR overlap | ||||
0.58 | 0.93 | AR 159 northern terminus | |||||
| 3.68 | 5.92 | AR 257 southern terminus | ||||
| 7.80 | 12.55 | AR 257 northern terminus | ||||
| 10.87 | 17.49 | End state maintenance | Eastern terminus | |||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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See also
References
- Arkansas State Highway Commission (January 1, 1932). Official Highway Service Map (TIF) (Map). Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
- Arkansas State Highway Commission (June 1933). Map of the State Highway System of Arkansas (TIF) (Map). Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
- System Information and Research Division (2014). "Arkansas Road Log Database" (MDB). Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
- Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (January 11, 2011). General Highway Map, Arkansas County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:62500. Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
- Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (2016). Annual Average Daily Traffic Estimates, Arkansas County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
- Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (October 29, 2008). General Highway Map, Ashley County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:62500. Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
- "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (May 25, 2010). General Highway Map, Chicot County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map). 1:62500. Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
- Arkansas State Highway Commission (1940). Map of the State Highway System of Arkansas (TIF) (Map). Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Commission. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
- "Minutes of the Meeting" (PDF). Arkansas State Highway Commission. 1970–1979. p. 1117. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
- Planning and Research Division, Policy Analysis Section (2010). Development of Highway and Transportation Legislation in Arkansas (PDF). A Review of the Acts Relative to Administering and Financing Highways and Transportation in Arkansas. Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. p. 13. Retrieved December 4, 2016.