Arkansas Highway 31
Encyclopedia
Arkansas Highway 31 is a north–south state highway in Central Arkansas. The route of 75.34 miles (121.2 km) runs from US Route 79 Business (US 79B) near Pine Bluff
north across US 165, US 70, Interstate 40
(I-40) and US 64
/US 67
/US 167 before terminating at Highway 5 near Romance
.
at US 78B and runs north to intersect Highway 15
near Sherrill
. Continuing north of this junction Highway 31 passes the Tucker Unit
and passes through farm fields before it enters Lonoke County. The route passes the Walls Farm Barn and Corn Crib, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
(NRHP) north of Tomberlin
before it has a short concurrency
with US 165 through Coy
(a rare officially designated exception). Highway 31 continues north through farmland, intersecting Highway 232 at Blakemore
before forming a concurrency with US 70 south of Lonoke
.
The US 70/AR 31 overlap continues into downtown Lonoke, ending when Highway 31 turns north along Center Street near the Rock Island Depot and Joe P. Eagle and D. R. Boone Building
. Highway 31 serves as the western border of the county courthouse square containing the Lonoke Confederate Monument and Lonoke County Courthouse. The highway continues north to a junction with Highway 89S (3rd Street) before an interchange with Interstate 40
in north Lonoke.
Now running as a major collector of rural routes Highway 31 has a junction with Highway 236
near Woodlawn and the Woodlawn School Building on the NRHP. Minor rural intersections with Highway 321S, Highway 38
, and Highway 267 are also south of Beebe
. Once the route enters Beebe a concurrency forms with US 67B as Main Street, an officially designated exception. US 67B/AR 31 passes NRPHP-listed properties Beebe Theater, Staggs-Huffaker Building, Powell Clothing Store, Laws-Jarvis House, and the Smith-Moore House as a narrow two-lane undivided road through Beebe. In north Beebe the concurrency ends at a junction with US 64
/US 67
/US 167, a fully controlled-access highway
.
Highway 31 exits Beebe to the northwest and has junction with Highway 321, Highway 321S, Highway 267 and Highway 267S before entering Antioch. Further northwest of Antioch the highway enters Floyd
and passes the NRHP-listed Ackins House, Cotton Gin, and L. D. Hutchinson House on its way to Romance
. In Romance Highway 31 intersects a road which leads to the Pence-Carmichael Farm, Barn and Root Cellar before terminating at Highway 5.
in 1926. The route ran from Sherrill north roughly along its current routing, terminating at Beebe.
|-
| rowspan=4 | Lonoke
| align=center colspan=3 | concurrency north, 2.2 miles (3.5 km)
|-
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Pine Bluff is the largest city and county seat of Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the principal city of the Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas Combined Statistical Area...
north across US 165, US 70, Interstate 40
Interstate 40 in Arkansas
Interstate 40 is an east–west Interstate Highway that has a section in the U.S. state of Arkansas connecting sections in Oklahoma to Tennessee. The route enters Arkansas from the west just north of the Arkansas River near Dora...
(I-40) and US 64
U.S. Route 64 in Arkansas
U.S. Route 64 is a U.S. highway running from Teec Nos Pos, Arizona east to Nags Head, North Carolina. In the U.S. state of Arkansas, the route runs from the Oklahoma border in Fort Smith east to the Tennessee border in Memphis. The route passes through several cities and towns, including Fort...
/US 67
U.S. Route 67 in Arkansas
U.S. Route 67 in Arkansas runs from Texarkana to the Missouri state line in Northeastern Arkansas.-Route description:U.S. Route 67 runs parallel to Interstate 30 from Texarkana to Benton, where it then runs concurrent with I-30 to North Little Rock. It then runs east, concurrent with I-40, for...
/US 167 before terminating at Highway 5 near Romance
Romance, Arkansas
Romance, Arkansas is an unincorporated community in west-central White County, Arkansas. The community is located approximately halfway between the town of Rose Bud to the north, and the unincorporated community of El Paso to the south...
.
Route description
The highway begins north of Pine BluffPine Bluff, Arkansas
Pine Bluff is the largest city and county seat of Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the principal city of the Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas Combined Statistical Area...
at US 78B and runs north to intersect Highway 15
Arkansas Highway 15
Arkansas Highway 15 is a designation for two state highways in Arkansas. The northern segment of runs from Altheimer north across Interstate 40 to Furlow. The southern segment of is entirely in Union County, and runs from Louisiana Highway 161 north to U.S...
near Sherrill
Sherrill, Arkansas
Sherrill is a town in Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. Its population was 126 at the 2000 U.S. census. It is included in the Pine Bluff, Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Sherrill is located at ....
. Continuing north of this junction Highway 31 passes the Tucker Unit
Tucker Unit
The Tucker Unit is a prison in Tucker, unincorporated Jefferson County, Arkansas, northeast of Pine Bluff. It is operated by the Arkansas Department of Correction...
and passes through farm fields before it enters Lonoke County. The route passes the Walls Farm Barn and Corn Crib, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
(NRHP) north of Tomberlin
Tomberlin, Arkansas
Tomberlin is an unincorporated community in Indian Bayou Township, Lonoke County, Arkansas, United States. It is located along Highway 31 at an intersection with Tar Bottom Road. Just north of Tomberlin is the Walls Farm Barn and Corn Crib, listed on the National Register of Historic Places....
before it has a short concurrency
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
with US 165 through Coy
Coy, Arkansas
Coy is a town in Lonoke County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 116 at the 2000 census, making it the smallest incorporated community within the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area, as well as one of the smallest in the state.The town is served...
(a rare officially designated exception). Highway 31 continues north through farmland, intersecting Highway 232 at Blakemore
Blakemore, Arkansas
Blakemore is an unincorporated community in Lonoke County, Arkansas, United States. On April 26, 2011, a tornado reportedly hit east of Blakemore in Prairie County ....
before forming a concurrency with US 70 south of Lonoke
Lonoke, Arkansas
Lonoke is the second most populous city in Lonoke County, Arkansas, United States, and serves as its county seat. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 4,553...
.
The US 70/AR 31 overlap continues into downtown Lonoke, ending when Highway 31 turns north along Center Street near the Rock Island Depot and Joe P. Eagle and D. R. Boone Building
Joe P. Eagle and D. R. Boone Building
The Joe P. Eagle and D. R. Boone Building in Lonoke, Arkansas was designed by architect Charles L. Thompson. It was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1994....
. Highway 31 serves as the western border of the county courthouse square containing the Lonoke Confederate Monument and Lonoke County Courthouse. The highway continues north to a junction with Highway 89S (3rd Street) before an interchange with Interstate 40
Interstate 40 in Arkansas
Interstate 40 is an east–west Interstate Highway that has a section in the U.S. state of Arkansas connecting sections in Oklahoma to Tennessee. The route enters Arkansas from the west just north of the Arkansas River near Dora...
in north Lonoke.
Now running as a major collector of rural routes Highway 31 has a junction with Highway 236
Arkansas Highway 236
Arkansas Highway 236 is a east–west state highway in Lonoke County. The route of connects Highway 89 and Highway 13 including a concurrency with Highway 31.-Route description:...
near Woodlawn and the Woodlawn School Building on the NRHP. Minor rural intersections with Highway 321S, Highway 38
Arkansas Highway 38
Arkansas Highway 38 is an Arkansas state highway of 51.8 miles in length. It connects the towns of Cabot, Des Arc, and Cotton Plant....
, and Highway 267 are also south of Beebe
Beebe, Arkansas
Beebe, Arkansas is a city in White County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 4,930 at the 2000 census, making it the second most populous in the county after Searcy. The city is home to a branch campus of Jonesboro-based Arkansas State University. It was named for Roswell Beebe, a...
. Once the route enters Beebe a concurrency forms with US 67B as Main Street, an officially designated exception. US 67B/AR 31 passes NRPHP-listed properties Beebe Theater, Staggs-Huffaker Building, Powell Clothing Store, Laws-Jarvis House, and the Smith-Moore House as a narrow two-lane undivided road through Beebe. In north Beebe the concurrency ends at a junction with US 64
U.S. Route 64 in Arkansas
U.S. Route 64 is a U.S. highway running from Teec Nos Pos, Arizona east to Nags Head, North Carolina. In the U.S. state of Arkansas, the route runs from the Oklahoma border in Fort Smith east to the Tennessee border in Memphis. The route passes through several cities and towns, including Fort...
/US 67
U.S. Route 67 in Arkansas
U.S. Route 67 in Arkansas runs from Texarkana to the Missouri state line in Northeastern Arkansas.-Route description:U.S. Route 67 runs parallel to Interstate 30 from Texarkana to Benton, where it then runs concurrent with I-30 to North Little Rock. It then runs east, concurrent with I-40, for...
/US 167, a fully controlled-access highway
Controlled-access highway
A controlled-access highway is a highway designed exclusively for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow and ingress/egress regulated...
.
Highway 31 exits Beebe to the northwest and has junction with Highway 321, Highway 321S, Highway 267 and Highway 267S before entering Antioch. Further northwest of Antioch the highway enters Floyd
Floyd, Arkansas
Floyd is an unincorporated community in western White County, Arkansas. The rural community is situated along Highways 31 and 305, in addition to the county-maintained El Paso Road...
and passes the NRHP-listed Ackins House, Cotton Gin, and L. D. Hutchinson House on its way to Romance
Romance, Arkansas
Romance, Arkansas is an unincorporated community in west-central White County, Arkansas. The community is located approximately halfway between the town of Rose Bud to the north, and the unincorporated community of El Paso to the south...
. In Romance Highway 31 intersects a road which leads to the Pence-Carmichael Farm, Barn and Root Cellar before terminating at Highway 5.
History
Highway 31 was one of the original Arkansas state highways when the system was first numbered1926 Arkansas state highway numbering
In 1926, Arkansas renumbered its highways into a more traditional format. The system to be replaced was established in 1924 as Arkansas' first comprehensive highway plan. Roads were designated as "primary federal aid roads", "secondary federal aid roads", or "connecting state roads"...
in 1926. The route ran from Sherrill north roughly along its current routing, terminating at Beebe.
Major intersections
Mile markers reset at concurrencies.|-
| rowspan=4 | Lonoke
Lonoke, Arkansas
Lonoke is the second most populous city in Lonoke County, Arkansas, United States, and serves as its county seat. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 4,553...
| align=center colspan=3 | concurrency north, 2.2 miles (3.5 km)
|-