Deer AHTD: Why does AR 10, section 7, end out in the middle of nowhere?

[bugo]

I was looking at the Pulaski County control section map, and noticed that AR 10 transitions from section 7 to section 8 out in the middle of nowhere, just west of the AR 300 intersection west of Little Rock near Pinnacle Mountain.  Why is this?  Was there once a major highway junction here?  It doesn't make sense.

BTW if I have been too hard on you I apologize.  I guess I've taken out my years of frustration with AHTD out and I come across as a bit of an ass sometimes.  I know none of the things that I'm complaining about are your fault, and correcting mistakes is a good thing because the truth needs to be out there.  You have been an asset to the forum, and have provided some great resources for the Arkansas highway enthusiast.  I appreciate you being here.

[AHTD]

This is a GREAT question!

Our system expert doesn't know either. "Welcome to my world," he said. Apparently there isn't any documentation to support the section number change, however the 1929 map shows the section changing at the Little Maumelle Creek, so we apparently have stuck with that since then.

The section transition happens at the trail end of the bridge crossing this creek. And if you think this doesn't make sense, our expert also noted that a part of State Highway 7 changes sections at the National Forest boundary.

We appreciate your kind words and totally realize there can be a lot of frustration when one doesn't have answers. Don't hesitate to question what we do, how we do it and why. You might not always like the answer, but at the very least we hope to advance an understanding.

Our thanks to the forum owner(s) for allowing us to participate!

[RBBrittain]

This is a GREAT question!

Our system expert doesn't know either. "Welcome to my world," he said. Apparently there isn't any documentation to support the section number change, however the 1929 map shows the section changing at the Little Maumelle Creek, so we apparently have stuck with that since then.

The section transition happens at the trail end of the bridge crossing this creek. And if you think this doesn't make sense, our expert also noted that a part of State Highway 7 changes sections at the National Forest boundary.

We appreciate your kind words and totally realize there can be a lot of frustration when one doesn't have answers. Don't hesitate to question what we do, how we do it and why. You might not always like the answer, but at the very least we hope to advance an understanding.

Our thanks to the forum owner(s) for allowing us to participate!

The transition *at* the forest boundary is actually on Highway 27 in Pope County; Highway 7 in Pope County transitions at a section line just south of the forest boundary.  Compare the regular Pope County map at http://www.arkansashighways.com/maps/Counties/County%20PDFs/PopeCounty.pdf , which shows the forest boundary, with the route & section map at http://www.arkansashighways.com/Maps/Counties/County%20RAS/RAS%20Maps%20PDF/mpope_ras.pdf .

It's very unusual indeed to see an AHTD section-number change anywhere other than at county lines, intersections or major cities.  Of course, I've noticed them ever since I was a kid riding with my parents along U.S. 65 (now I-530) between Little Rock & Redfield; back then the section numbers changed from 12 to 12A when entering Saline County between Bingham Road and the "Sheridan Split", then to 12B just past Woodson Lateral Rd. (now the Woodson exit) when it re-entered Pulaski County, then 13 where it clipped Grant County and 14 in Jefferson County.  (The letter suffixes were needed because U.S. 65 didn't go into Saline County before the mid-1960's; it was continuously Section 12 from Little Rock to the Grant County line, just like Highway 365 on the same route today.)