Mandalay. Many of you can probably remember that word which sparked a popular song many years ago. It's amazing how a word can lurk in the back of the mind and, with little reason, can pop up.
I hadn't thought of "Mandalay" for many years until I sat down to write this 'cuff' concerning a certain road/highway in Benton County.
It is a road that hasn't been the subject of a song, but it is a road which Westside residents travel every day, or at least occasionally: good old Highway 59. Because we use it, we are aware of it. But, in reality, Highway 59 bears many of the characteristics of a "forgotten" highway. At least partially forgotten.
The road has quite a history, most of which I will not delve into except to note the portion of the road south from the Missouri line to Gravette was first paved in the 1920s. It was then part of U.S. Highway 71 and was called the "Prize Drive of the Ozarks," from Joplin, through Gravette, east to Bentonville, then south to Fort Smith. It must have been one of the first scenic drives in the state.
Several years later, in the mid-1930s, one story told around Gravette is that a rural property owner stood with a shotgun trying to keep the road from being moved from its then-existing route south toward Decatur. True or not, it is a neat story, one of many which could probably be told as the route was extended south through Decatur and Gentry to Siloam Springs.
Today it is heavily traveled by trucks which avoid the congestion in the eastern part of the county. Dozens of gravel trucks use the route every day, which takes a heavy toll on the road surface.
The highway has received some improvements in recent years, including the welcomed five-lane segment from Siloam Springs north through Gentry. Other noted improvements include replacing two narrow bridges north of Sulphur Springs. Earlier, a creeper lane was added on the hill south of Gravette and the Spavinaw bridge was widened. There have been occasional overlays and, in a few selective spots, the shoulders have been widened slightly -- all of which are welcomed by local residents and no doubt are appreciated by out-of-state motorists.
So, why refer to 59 as a "forgotten" or at least partially forgotten road? Let me explain: While sorting through an accumulation of papers from the past 25 to 50 years, I came upon an interesting document which reads, in part: "A Minute Order issued by the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department, Minute Order dated Feb. 15, 1959."
Signed by the five State Highway Commission members, the document reads: "In Benton County on Highway 59, Sections 1 and 2, from the Missouri State Line to the Washington County line (south of Siloam Springs), a distance of approximately 32 miles, the Director is authorized to proceed with plans to widen and reconstruct the highway."
David Matthews, the area's state representative at the time, forwarded the Minute Order information to the mayors of Sulphur Springs, Gravette, Decatur and Gentry with these words: "This is an important first step toward making our goal of a wider and safer Highway 59 a reality."
Of course, there were caveats like "as funds become available, approved by the Federal Highway Administration and furnishing of right of way."
Let's see. That's 25 years ago, isn't it? I guess the road is only "partially forgotten" -- north of Gentry to the Missouri state line.
Widening five lanes north to the state line is probably too much to expect, but improvements such as widening the shoulders, which would also benefit the increasing number of bikers, could be considered; the steep hill north of Gravette could benefit with a creeper lane; the highway through Gravette could be widened to include a much-needed turning lane; and the 102 intersection in Decatur could receive attention.
Surface maintenance from Sulphur Springs to Decatur is needed, especially the heavily damaged highway inside the city of Gravette. Repairing the patched/potted surface should be considered a priority before the upcoming winter months.
As an aside, it was in July, 1970, when a group of Gravette businessmen appeared before the State Highway Commission seeking improvement of Highway 72 from Gravette to Bentonville. It was 16 years later, in the summer of 1986, when work on the first of three segments of that project began. The 18-mile project was completed almost 10 years later.
Some projects move slowly, some more slowly than others. Residents along Highway 59 hope the remaining 21-mile segment of that 25-year-old minute order will someday be completed.
Dodie Evans is the editor emeritus of the Gravette News Herald. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 10/15/2014