U.S. Route 63 in Arkansas


U.S. Route 63 is a north-south U.S. highway that begins in Ruston, LA. In the US state of Arkansas the highway enters the state from Louisiana concurrent with US 167 in Junction City. The highway zigzags through the state serving the major cities of Pine Bluff, West Memphis and Jonesboro. The highway exits the state at Mammoth Spring traveling into Missouri.
US 63 shares many overlaps with other highways in Arkansas. This includes I-40 and I-55. Once the freeway section was extended further south to I-55 at Turrell, US 63 from there to Jonesboro became I-555.

Route description

U.S. 63 enters into Arkansas from Louisiana concurrent with US 167 in Junction City. Just a few miles into the state, the two highways run on the eastern edge of El Dorado as an expressway. US 167 splits here, traveling towards Hampton. US 63 bypasses the town of Warren, crossing US 270. US 63 passes through the rural Cleveland County, then enters into Jefferson County.
In Jefferson County, US 63 serves the city of Pine Bluff. US 63 bypasses the city, running on the last 3 miles of I-530. Also in Pine Bluff, the highway overlaps with US 65 and US 79. US 63 runs northeast with US 79 until Stuttgart, where the highway runs north to Hazen. Just north of Hazen, US 63 overlaps with I-40 to West Memphis. In West Memphis, US 63 runs north with I-55.
U.S. 63 runs with I-55 until Turrell, where it leaves the interstate and runs concurrent with I-555 until Jonesboro, until I-555 terminates. US 49 overlaps the two roadways for two miles in central Jonesboro. US 63/I-555 serves as a by-pass for southern Jonesboro. In Hoxie, US 63 intersects with US 67. Northwest of here near Portia the highway overlaps with US 412.
In Imboden US 62 joins this overlap. In Hardy, US 63 leaves the two highways. In Mammoth Spring, US 63 crosses into Missouri, traveling to West Plains.

History

Portions of U.S. 63 in northern Arkansas have their origins in the work of the Ozark Trails Association, which established a network of roads in northern Arkansas and southern Missouri beginning in the 1910s. A portion of roadway was mapped out in Arkansas between Mammoth Spring and Memphis, Tennessee, and built c. 1918-22. This roadway was eventually designated Highway A-7, and was later designated U.S. 63. Some of the original infrastructure of this early construction has survived the 1927 Mississippi flood and the realignment of U.S. 63 in 1967. Northwest of Tyronza, Old U.S. 63 runs for about 1-1/4 miles of original concrete pavement; it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. Four bridges built in the 1920s (three before the 1927 flood and one after, are also on the National Register; three southeast of Marked Tree, and one southeast of Tyronza.

Major intersections