End of US highway 371 |
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The original US 371 existed for six months in 1930, in Oklahoma and Arkansas. Then from 1931 to 1971, the second US 371 connected Bemidji and Little Falls MN (today's MN hwy. 371 preserves its memory). In 1994, the 371 designation was resurrected and applied to a completely different road.
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From the outset, the south end was always intended to be at the I-49 interchange, but at the time US 371 was approved, the connection between Coushatta LA and I-49 was not yet complete... so for a short time the de facto south end of US 371 was at US 71 or US 84 in or near Coushatta. But by 2001, US 371 was actually signed on an overlap with LA hwy. 177 all the way to I-49's interchange 162, near Evelyn. The signage shown here was at the offramp from southbound I-49:
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Allen, May 2001
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US 371 begins to the left, along LA 177 (its marker is visible in the distance). These photos show exit signage from northbound and southbound I-49 (respectively):
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Field/Nitzman, Oct. 2003
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Ivy/Nitzman, Oct. 2021
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At the end of those offramps, the road forks, and US 371 traffic is directed north, towards Evelyn:
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Field/Nitzman, Oct. 2003 (similar sign on southbound offramp)
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Taking that right turn, we find that separate posts were used for the LA 177 and US 371 confirming markers:
Field/Nitzman, Oct. 2003
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These next two shots are closer views of the first US 371 marker:
Field/Nitzman, Oct. 2003
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Ivy/Nitzman, Oct. 2021
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The tiny locale known as Evelyn is about a mile in that direction. Heading the opposite way, there was no "End" sign posted; only one's options at I-49:
Field/Nitzman, Oct. 2003
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Ivy/Nitzman, Oct. 2021
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The north end of US 371 is in DeQueen. Heading west on Main Street in Lockesburg, northbound US 371 traffic is instructed to join with northbound US 59-71 (despite this sign assembly, it is actually US 59 that runs through this junction -- AR 59 is a different highway, up in the northwest corner of the state):
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Backlin, Dec. 2016
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Official maps show US 371 heading north with those routes for about five miles, to a junction with US 70. From there, all four highways are routed west for another eight miles on the same road to DeQueen. US 70 and US 59-71 continue out of DeQueen, but the US 371 designation ends there:
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Hamilton, 2000
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That was heading west on Colin Raye Drive, but that sign was already down by 2007. The sign assembly up ahead, at the actual intersection with Lakeside Drive, was more informative in terms of what other routes are at this junction:
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Backlin, Nov. 2007 (replaced by 2014)
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This photo was taken from northbound AR hwy. 41; this assembly contained another US 59 error:
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Backlin, Nov. 2007
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This photo was from the opposite direction (south on Lakeside):
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Backlin, Nov. 2007
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US 371 begins to the left on Colin Raye, with southbound US 59-71 and eastbound US 70. This shot was taken from eastbound Colin Raye (eastbound US 70):
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Backlin, Nov. 2007
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The "TO" tab there was extraneous, because US 371 begins at the light. But that was better than not having any reference to US 371 at all, which was the situation as of 2014. On the far side of the intersection was the first southbound marker:
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Hamilton, 2000
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Backlin, Nov. 2007
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As of 2014, there was a new assembly at that location, and there was no reference to either US 371 or US 59. In fact, now there is no US 371 signage anywhere north of Lockesburg. One could easily get the impression that AHTD is preparing to truncate the designation to that town. It is not at all impressive that AHTD pushed so hard for the US 371 designation -- even though the corridor was hardly deserving of US route status -- and yet, since it was approved, they have done a lousy job signing it.
Research and/or photo credits: James Allen; David Backlin; Andy Field; Alan Hamilton; Brent Ivy; Karin and Martin Karner; Alex Nitzman; Dale Sanderson
Page originally created 2000;
last updated Dec. 7, 2023.
last updated Dec. 7, 2023.
