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Proposed reroutings of US 62 and US 71 in Benton County, Arkansas from 1963

Started by bugo, June 08, 2015, 11:00:45 AM

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bugo

The 1956 Benton County, Arkansas AHTD map with a revision date of 8-1-1963 shows some proposed reroutes of US 62 and US 71 that never happened. First, some background on the old Arkansas county maps: Most state highways and some county roads are marked "FAP" (Federal Aid Primary) or "FAS" (Federal Aid Secondary). Interstates are marked "FAI" (Federal Aid Interstate). Most US highways are marked FAP except for places where interstates parallel the older US highways and major state highways are also marked FAP. On the older maps, instead of "FAP" they are marked "FA". I've never seen "FAU" (Federal Aid Urban) marked on an AHTD county map. There are quite a few proposed routes marked with a dotted double line on many of these maps. Most of these proposed routes were never built (like a US 70/270 relocation in Hot Springs and a relocation of US 71 bypassing Mansfield.) When a proposed rerouting is shown on an FAP route, the proposed relocation is marked as FAP while the then-current signed highway is marked FAS (or unmarked) whether the proposed relocation follows existing roads or proposed highways.  On this particular map (the filename is "Benton_County_highwaymap_1956" on the Geostor FTP site) US 62 and US 71 enter Benton County from the south on modern US 71B (8th Street in Rogers), head north to Walnut Street where US 71 heads west and US 62 heads east. US 62 then turns north on 2nd Street and then heads northeast on Hudson Road (modern US 62). US 71 follows modern US 71B all the way to the current I-49/US 71/US 71B interchange then it follows US 71 to the Missouri line. There is also a US 71C serving downtown Bentonville along A Street and Central Avenue (AR 72) which is marked FAS. What was then US 62 along Walnut and 2nd is marked FAS while 8th Street from Walnut north to Hudson (modern US 62) is marked FAP (The northern part of 8th Street is shown as proposed.) The map doesn't have enough detail, but insinuates that modern US 62 (then AR 102) between 8th and 2nd is FAP. Then-US 71 (now 71B) from the corner of 8th and Walnut to the intersection of then-US 71 and AR 102 is marked FAS, while 71 north of AR 102 is marked FAP. AR 102 (shown as a gravel road) from US 71 to US 62 is shown as FAP. This all makes me conclude that they planned to reroute US 62 along 8th from Walnut to Hudson (which they did) but it doesn't show the sweeping curve from Hudson to 8th (8th from Hudson to Walnut is now AR 94.) It also insinuates that US 71 was intended to be rerouted off of Walnut onto Hudson (AR 102) between Rogers and Bentonville. I assume AR 12 was going to be left on Walnut. Incidentally, it shows AR 99 (modern AR 43) running from Siloam Springs  to the Oklahoma line where modern AR 43 meets OK 20. The point at the Oklahoma line is marked "End S.H. 99" (most times where state highways dead end are marked "End St. Hwy". No mention of OK 20 and apparently AR 99 was not 'plexed with OK 20 at this time (was AR 99 ever 'plexed with OK 20 or was the concurrency signed after AR 99 became AR 43?) On later Benton County maps, the AR 43/OK 20 piggyback is marked "Oklahoma St. Hwy. No. 20 (Dually Signed As Highway 43).



US71

I remember old US 62 through downtown Rogers. On the north side of town, it met AR 94 and AR 102 at a triangle where 62 Y'd off to the NE. The old Skelly station is still in the middle (albeit abandoned). Only reason I can think of 62 being FAS is it was originally AR 47.

It was the early 1980's before 62 was extended along 8th, taking out the jog at Walnut.


I think current county maps show AR 43 (former 99), with "cosigned as Oklahoma 20" written along the edge of the roadway.

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