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| Great River Road (U.S. Route 67) | |
|---|---|
| Name | U.S. Route 67 (Great River Road segment) |
| Route type | U.S. Highway |
| Route number | 67 |
| Length mi | Approximately 1,560 |
| Established | 1926 |
| Direction | A South |
| Terminus A | Presidio, Texas |
| Terminus B | Sabula, Iowa |
| States | Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa |
Great River Road (U.S. Route 67) is a designated segment of U.S. Route 67 that parallels the Mississippi River across multiple United States states, connecting river towns, historic sites, and transportation hubs. The alignment links border crossings, federal waterways, and urban centers while intersecting major federal and state routes that serve freight, passenger, and tourism traffic. As part of the broader Great River Road system, this corridor traverses landscapes shaped by exploration, commerce, and conflict from New Spain era waterways to contemporary interstate commerce.
U.S. Route 67 follows a corridor that begins near Presidio County, Texas and proceeds northeast through Laredo, Texas, San Antonio, and Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex suburbs before turning toward the Mississippi Delta region. In Arkansas the route passes near Texarkana, Arkansas, Hot Springs National Park, and Little Rock, then continues into St. Louis, Missouri where it crosses the Mississippi River adjacent to the Gateway Arch National Park and the Missouri River confluence. North of St. Louis the highway traverses the Ozarks near Cape Girardeau, Missouri and enters Illinois passing through Alton, Illinois and Springfield, Illinois before reaching the quad-state corridor near Muscatine, Iowa and terminating near Sabula, Iowa. Along its length Route 67 intersects with Interstate 10, Interstate 20, Interstate 30, Interstate 40, Interstate 55, and Interstate 70, and it links to river ports at Port of New Orleans, Port of St. Louis, and Port of Memphis.
The corridor that became U.S. Route 67 traces routes used by Spanish Empire explorers, Lewis and Clark Expedition-era pathways, and 19th-century steamboat landings such as Vicksburg National Military Park and Natchez Trace. Designated in the 1926 U.S. Highway System, U.S. 67 later integrated into regional plans like the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 and the Interstate Highway System development. The highway has seen military mobilization during World War II and industrial freight expansion tied to the Mississippi River barge trade, affecting river towns like Hannibal, Missouri, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Memphis, Tennessee. Historic alignments evolved with bypasses at Little Rock and St. Louis; preservation efforts invoked organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Scenic Byways to retain cultural landscapes.
Key southern terminus and junctions include the connection near Presidio, Texas to U.S. Route 67 feeders and border crossings toward Ojinaga, Chihuahua; major urban interchanges occur at Fort Worth Stockyards approaches with Interstate 35W and Interstate 30 in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Central intersections include the Interstate 55 interchange in West Memphis, Arkansas and the junction with U.S. Route 61 and U.S. Route 50 in St. Louis, Missouri. Northern termini and connections include linkages to U.S. Route 52 in Muscatine, Iowa and crossing points near Sabula, Iowa that connect to river island transport and Iowa Highway 64. The route also interfaces with state highways such as Arkansas Highway 7, Missouri Route 72, and Illinois Route 3.
The corridor provides access to numerous attractions: Hot Springs National Park, Peabody Duck March attractions in Memphis, historic riverfront districts in Natchez, Mississippi and Vicksburg, Mississippi, and literary landmarks associated with Mark Twain in Hannibal, Missouri. Architectural and commemorative sites include Gateway Arch National Park, Old Courthouse (St. Louis), Old State Capitol (Springfield, Illinois), and plantation-era sites along the Natchez Trace Parkway. Cultural institutions accessible from the route include the National Civil Rights Museum, St. Louis Art Museum, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, and music venues in Clarksdale, Mississippi tied to the Delta blues tradition. Festivals and events along the corridor draw visitors to Mardi Gras-styled celebrations in New Orleans, Riverfest events in Little Rock, and jazz festivals in St. Louis and Memphis.
Maintenance responsibility is divided among state departments: Texas Department of Transportation, Arkansas Department of Transportation, Missouri Department of Transportation, Illinois Department of Transportation, and Iowa Department of Transportation. Federal roles include funding via the Federal Highway Administration and coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard for river crossings and navigational clearances. Freight movement along the corridor is coordinated with inland ports such as Port of New Orleans and rail junctions operated by Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway, and Norfolk Southern Railway. Safety and environmental oversight involve agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency regarding wetland impacts and the National Park Service for protected areas adjacent to the route.
Planned projects include corridor upgrades tied to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, multimodal improvements linking to Amtrak services at stations in St. Louis and Little Rock, and bridge rehabilitation programs overseen by the Federal Highway Administration and state DOTs. Urban renewal and economic development initiatives coordinate with regional planning organizations such as the Metropolitan Planning Organization networks in Dallas–Fort Worth and St. Louis. Climate resilience work addresses floodplain management with collaborations involving the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for Mississippi River levee systems and ecosystem restoration projects associated with the Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee.