U.S. Route 412 (abbreviated US-412) is a

U.S. highway The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these h ...

in the south-central portion of the United States, connecting

Springer, New Mexico Springer is a town in Colfax County, New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corn ...

Columbia, Tennessee Columbia is a city in and the county seat of Maury County, Tennessee. The population was 41,690 as of the 2020 United States census. Columbia is included in the Nashville metropolitan area. The self-proclaimed "mule capital of the world," Colu ...

. A section of the highway crosses the state of

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

, traversing the state from west to east. Entering the state southwest of Boise City, US-412 runs the length of the Oklahoma Panhandle and serves the northern portion of the state's main body, before leaving the state at West Siloam Springs. Along the way, the route serves many notable cities and towns, including Boise City, Guymon, Woodward, Enid, and the state's second-largest city,

Tulsa Tulsa ( ) is the second-most-populous city in the state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tul ...

. US-412 has two tolled sections, both of them in Oklahoma—the

Cimarron Turnpike The Cimarron Turnpike is a controlled-access toll road in north-central Oklahoma. The route travels , from an interchange with Interstate 35 (I-35) north of Perry, to Westport, just west of Tulsa. The route also consists of a spur which ...

and the

Cherokee Turnpike The Cherokee Turnpike is a controlled-access toll road in eastern Oklahoma. Opened in 1991, the route is a four-lane freeway carrying US-412 from east of Kansas, Oklahoma, to east of Chouteau, and has a total length of and a speed limit of ...

. The tolled portions of the highway are operated by the

Oklahoma Turnpike Authority The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (formerly Oklahoma Transportation Authority) is an agency of Oklahoma that deals with issues regarding the Turnpikes of Oklahoma, Oklahoma turnpike system. Along with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, th ...

(OTA), with the remainder of the route maintained by the

Oklahoma Department of Transportation The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) is an government agency, agency of the government of Oklahoma responsible for the construction and maintenance of the state's transportation infrastructure. Under the leadership of the Oklahoma Se ...

(ODOT). In addition to the

freeway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway, and expressway. Other similar terms ...

-grade turnpikes, a large amount of the highway has been upgraded to four-lane expressway facilities, although some portions remain two-lane, especially in the Panhandle. Much of US-412's route through Oklahoma either

overlap Overlap may refer to: * In set theory, an overlap of elements shared between sets is called an intersection, as in a Venn diagram. * In music theory, overlap is a synonym for reinterpretation of a chord at the boundary of two musical phrases * Ove ...

s or is in close proximity to that of US-64. US-412 was extended into Oklahoma in 1988 to encourage recreational travel and the resulting economic benefit to the state. This extension, in which the new designation replaced or overlapped several already existing highways, brought US-412's western terminus to Woodward. In 1993, it was extended west of Oklahoma, bringing it through the Panhandle and into New Mexico.

Route description

The Panhandle

U.S. Route 412 crosses the New Mexico–Oklahoma state line northeast of

Clayton, New Mexico Clayton is a town in and the county seat of Union County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,980. History Early history Native Americans were present in the area of Clayton for at least 10,000 years, ...

concurrent Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to: Law * Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea'' * Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...

with

US-56 U.S. Route 56 (US 56) is an east–west United States highway that runs for approximately in the Midwestern United States. US 56's western terminus is at Interstate 25 Business (I-25 Bus.), US 412 and New Mexico State Road 21 (NM 21) in Spri ...

and US-64. The three highways enter the state just north of the extreme southwest corner of

Cimarron County Cimarron County is the westernmost County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its county seat is Boise City, Oklahoma, Boise City. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2020 census, its population was 2,296, making it the le ...

, the westernmost tip of the Oklahoma Panhandle. The highways head northeast, passing through disconnected parcels of the Rita Blanca National Grassland. The first town US-56, US-64, and US-412 encounter in Oklahoma is unincorporated

Felt Felt is a textile that is produced by matting, condensing, and pressing fibers together. Felt can be made of natural fibers such as wool or animal fur, or from synthetic fibers such as petroleum-based acrylic fiber, acrylic or acrylonitrile or ...

, which they skirt the northern edge of. The highways then cross the Beaver River before intersecting US-385, which joins the other three highways in a concurrency as they approach Boise City, the county seat. In Boise City, the highways reach a traffic circle which surrounds the

Cimarron County Courthouse The Cimarron County Courthouse is the historic courthouse serving Cimarron County, Oklahoma, located in Boise City. The courthouse was designed by M.C. Parker in the Classical Revival and Neoclassical styles and built in red brick by Strong & Fr ...

. At this traffic circle, US-56, US-64, and US-412 all turn east, while US-385 splits away to the north. State Highway 3 (SH-3) enters the circle from the north and leaves from the east, following US-412, while SH-325 begins at the circle and heads west toward Kenton. East of town, US-56/US-64/US-412/SH-3 have an interchange with US-287, which bypasses Boise City to the east. northeast of here, US-56 splits away from the other highways; it continues northeast, while US-64/US-412/SH-3 turn onto a due east course. The routes intersect SH-171 east of the split. Approximately east of the SH-171 junction, US-64/US-412/SH-3 cross into Texas County. east of the county line, at unincorporated

Four Corners Four Corners is a region of the Southwestern United States consisting of the southwestern corner of Colorado, southeastern corner of Utah, northeastern corner of Arizona, and northwestern corner of New Mexico. Most of the Four Corners regio ...

, SH-95 joins the concurrency; it splits away after following the other three routes for . The next major highway junction lies to the east, where SH-136 joins with US-64/US-412/SH-3 as the highways turn south toward Guymon. The four highways cross the Beaver River once again before entering that city, Texas County's seat and the largest city in the Panhandle. In Guymon, US-64 splits away to the east, while US-412 and State Highways 3 and 136 continue south, turning back east along US-54 to form a short concurrency. A US-412 truck route follows US-64 and US-54 around the east side of the city, reuniting with mainline US-412 where it splits away from SH-136. Just east of the US-54 junction, SH-136 splits away to the south, leaving US-412 and SH-3 to continue east. Southwest of

Optima Lake Optima Lake was built to be a reservoir in Texas County, Oklahoma. The site is just north of Hardesty and east of Guymon in the Oklahoma Panhandle. The earthen Optima Lake Dam (National ID # OK20510) was completed in by the United States A ...

, the two highways serve as the southern terminus of SH-94. East of the highway junction, US-412/SH-3 enter

Optima National Wildlife Refuge Located in the middle of the Oklahoma panhandle, the Optima National Wildlife Refuge is made up of grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) an ...

, where they cross Coldwater Creek, one of the lake's tributaries. After leaving the refuge, the routes pass through the town of Hardesty. From Hardesty, the road continues due east, crossing Palo Duro Creek and Chiquita Creek, two tributaries of the Beaver River. The highways then leave Texas County. The third county US-412 and SH-3 enter is Beaver County, the panhandle's easternmost county. The highways' route across Beaver County is arrow-straight, proceeding due east with only a single curve at the extreme east edge of the county. At the unincorporated location of Bryan's Corner, approximately east of the county line, the highway intersects US-83. Near the county's east–west midpoint, at Elmwood, US-412 and SH-3 intersect US-270 and SH-23. While SH-23 passes through the intersection north to south, eastbound US-270, following southbound SH-23 from

Beaver Beavers (genus ''Castor'') are large, semiaquatic rodents of the Northern Hemisphere. There are two existing species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers are the second-large ...

, joins US-412/SH-3 heading east. The three highways continue on, passing through Slapout, before curving slightly to the north as they exit both Beaver County and the Oklahoma Panhandle.

Northwest Oklahoma

Upon entering the main body of Oklahoma, the first county US-270/US-412/SH-3 pass through is Harper County. Here, they intersect US-283 south of Laverne; east of US-283, in

May May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. May is a month of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Therefore, May in the Southern Hemisphere is the ...

, they intersect SH-46. US-270/US-412/SH-3 only cross the southwest part of Harper County before curving southeast into Ellis County. The routes, however, only clip the northeast corner of the county, traversing only of it before passing into Woodward County. Shortly after entering Woodward County, US-270/US-412/SH-3 enter the town of Fort Supply. There, the routes junction with US-183, which joins the other routes as they make their way southeast. southeast of Fort Supply, the four highways enter the city of Woodward, the largest city within a nine-county area and the commercial hub of northwest Oklahoma. On the west edge of town, the four highways serve as the eastern terminus of the western segment of SH-15, a route made discontinuous by the establishment of US-412 (see

history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

). US-270/US-183/US-412/SH-3 proceed east through Woodward. In downtown, they meet with SH-34; here, US-412 leaves the four-way concurrency, as it continues east by itself while the other three highways it has followed since Fort Supply turn south to overlap SH-34 instead. For the first time since its western terminus in New Mexico, where it began concurrent with

, US-412 is the sole highway designation on the road it follows. As US-412 leaves town, it passes south of

Boiling Springs State Park Boiling Springs State Park is a park built northeast of Woodward, Oklahoma, USA. It was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. History The park originated in the 1930s and was named for its springs.SH-34C and SH-50B, both of which serve the park. Along this stretch, it crosses the Beaver River for the third and final time, though this time it has since become the

North Canadian River The North Canadian River is a river, long, in Oklahoma in the United States. It is a tributary of the Canadian River, draining an area of U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset/Watershed Boundary Dataset, area data covering Nor ...

. SH-50 forms a concurrency with US-412 for before splitting off again in Mooreland. The highway passes just south of

Curtis Curtis or Curtiss is a common English given name and surname of Anglo-Norman origin, deriving from the Old French ''curteis'' (Modern French">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of Fren ...

as it continues east out of Woodward County. The next northwestern Oklahoma county that US-412 serves is Major County. The first intersection with another highway that US-412 comes to is with US-281 at Bouse Junction. East of here, US-412 skirts the northern edge of the

Glass Mountains The Glass Mountains (also known as Gloss Mountains or Gloss Hills) are not actually mountains, but a series of mesas and buttes that are part of the Blaine Escarpment that extends from the Permian red beds of northwestern Oklahoma in Major Cou ...

(also known as the Gloss Mountains), turning southeast before returning to a due east course. At Orienta, the highway begins a concurrency with US-60 and SH-8; the three highways turn north and together cross the Cimarron River. South of Cleo Springs, US-60 and US-412 turn east, while SH-8 splits away to the north. From here, it is a straight shot into Enid along US-60/US-412; there are no curves along the highway for over . US-60 and US-412 continue to the east, meeting up with SH-58 on the north edge of Ringwood. The two US highways pass through

Meno ''Meno'' (; , ''Ménōn'') is a Socratic dialogue written by Plato around 385 BC., but set at an earlier date around 402 BC. Meno begins the dialogue by asking Socrates whether virtue (in , '' aretē'') can be taught, acquired by practice, o ...

before coming to the Major–

Garfield County Garfield County is the name of several counties in the United States: * Garfield County, Colorado *Garfield County, Montana *Garfield County, Nebraska *Garfield County, Oklahoma * Garfield County, Utah *Garfield County, Washington Garfie ...

line. Soon after entering Garfield County, US-60/US-412 run through Lahoma. east of there, they share a brief concurrency with SH-132. The two highways enter the county seat of Garfield County, the city of Enid, along Owen K. Garriott Road, named in honor of the astronaut. In downtown Enid, the routes intersect

US-81 U.S. Route 81 or U.S. Highway 81 (US 81) is a major north–south U.S. highway that extends for in the central United States and is one of the original United States Numbered Highways established in 1926 by the American Association of Sta ...

; US-60 breaks away from US-412 to turn north along US-81, while US-412 continues east along Garriott Road. On the east side of Enid, US-412 reunites with US-64; the two form a concurrency as Garriott Road becomes an expressway heading east out of town. The next highway junction is an interchange with SH-74; this interchange also serves as the western terminus of the eastern segment of SH-15. From here, US-64/US-412 proceed due east into Noble County to a

cloverleaf interchange A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange (road), interchange in which all turns are handled by slip roads. To go left (in right-hand traffic; reverse directions in left-driving regions), vehicles first continue as one road passe ...

with

Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican bo ...

(I-35). US-64 follows I-35 south toward

Perry Perry or pear cider is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally in England (particularly Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire), parts of South Wales, France (especially Normandy and Anjou), Canada, Austral ...

, while US-412 continues straight ahead, where it will form the

Northeast Oklahoma

The Cimarron Turnpike, carrying US-412, passes through Noble, Payne, and

Pawnee Pawnee initially refers to a Native American people and its language: * Pawnee people * Pawnee language Pawnee is also the name of several places in the United States: * Pawnee, Illinois * Pawnee, Kansas * Pawnee, Missouri * Pawnee City, Nebraska * ...

Counties. The highway heads east from I-35 to its first interchange, Exit 3, which provides access to

US-77 U.S. Route 77 (US 77) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway which extends for in the central United States. As of 2005, Its southern terminus is in Brownsville, Texas, at Veteran's International Bridge on the Mexican border, ...

. The first mainline toll plaza is just west of Exit 15, a

with no straight-line ramps (forcing all traffic getting on or off to pass through the toll plaza) connecting the turnpike to US-177. East of the US-177 interchange, the highway curves to the south, crossing

Black Bear Creek Black Bear Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 31, 2011 creek in northern Oklahoma. Black Bear Creek drains an area of

. US-412 then meets US-64 once again, interchanging with it at Exit 23 east of

Morrison Morrison may refer to: People * Morrison (surname), people with the Scottish surname Morrison * Morrison Heady (1829–1915), American poet * Morrison Mann MacBride (1877–1938), Canadian merchant Places in the United States * Morrison, Colorad ...

. The turnpike then turns back east, with a spur route (accessible only from the westbound turnpike) branching off to the southwest toward Stillwater. The Lone Chimney service plaza, a twenty-four-hour concession area, is located in the median of the turnpike east of the interchange with the spur. South of

lies an interchange (Exit 37) with SH-18. Just south of Hallett, a second mainline toll plaza sits just west of the SH-99 interchange; again, this interchange is a cloverleaf interchange with only loop ramps. The turnpike's final exit is Exit 60, a partial interchange with SH-48 southeast of

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

. The missing movements are provided by US-64, the northern terminus of SH-48, which merges with US-412 as the Cimarron Turnpike ends. The two routes continue east as a freeway. The US-64/US-412 freeway, known locally as the Keystone Expressway, serves the western outlying areas of the

Tulsa metropolitan area The Tulsa metropolitan area, officially defined as the Tulsa Metropolitan Statistical Area, metropolitan statistical area is a metropolis in northeastern Oklahoma centered around the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Tulsa and encompassing Tulsa County, O ...

. Passing south of Westport, the freeway is routed along a peninsula in extreme southeastern Pawnee County, before crossing

Keystone Lake Keystone Lake is a reservoir in northeastern Oklahoma on the Arkansas and Cimarron rivers. It is located upstream about from Tulsa. It was created in 1968 when the Keystone Dam was completed. The primary purposes are: flood control, hydroelec ...

, formed by the impounded

Arkansas River The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in Colorado, specifically ...

, into far southern

Osage County Osage County is the name of several counties in the United States: * Osage County, Kansas * Osage County, Missouri * Osage County, Oklahoma Osage County () is the largest county by area in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Created in 1907 when Ok ...

. US-64 and US-412 only traverse a short distance in the county, however; after the two routes pass into

Tulsa County Tulsa County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 669,279, making it the second-most populous county in the state, behind only Oklahoma C ...

. Just south of the county line, the freeway has an interchange with SH-151, a short connector route that runs across Lake Keystone's dam. At this interchange the Keystone Expressway ends. The Sand Springs Expressway continues from here, through Sand Springs, where it includes an interchange with SH-97 and SH-51, the latter of which joins US-64/US-412 on the freeway. The three routes then continue east into

proper. The Sand Springs Expressway comes to an end at the northwest corner of the Inner Disperal Loop (IDL), a ring of freeways surrounding

Downtown Tulsa Downtown Tulsa is an area of approximately surrounded by an inner-dispersal loop created by Interstate 244, U.S. Route 64 in Oklahoma, US 64 and U.S. Route 75 in Oklahoma, US 75. The area serves as Tulsa, Oklahoma, Tulsa's financial and business ...

. At a

stack interchange A directional interchange, colloquially known as a stack interchange, is a type of grade-separated junction between two controlled-access highways that allows for free-flowing movement to and from all directions of traffic. These interchanges e ...

there, US-64 and SH-51 split away to the south along

I-244 Interstate 244 (I-244), also known as the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Expressway (in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.) since 1984, the Crosstown Expressway, and the Red Fork Expressway, is a east–west Interstate Highway bypass route ...

; this will be the final intersection US-412 and US-64 will have in Oklahoma. US-412 continues east along I-244. This interchange is also the southern terminus of L.L. Tisdale Parkway. I-244 and US-412 form the north side of the IDL; at its northeast corner, they interchange with US-75, the east side of the loop; south of the interchange, US-75 also carries the

I-444 Interstate 444 (I-444) is an unsigned auxiliary route of Interstate 44 located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is part of the Interstate Highway System and makes up half of Tulsa's Inner Dispersal Loop (IDL), forming a partial beltway around Down ...

designation. I-244/US-412 continue east, with exit ramps to local streets, as well as SH-11 and US-169. I-244 ends at

I-44 Interstate 44 (I-44) is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Although it is nominally an east–west road as it is even-numbered, it follows a more southwest–northeast alignment. Its western terminus is in Wichita Falls, T ...

/ SH-66; US-412 forms a concurrency with the latter two routes as they continue east into

Rogers County Rogers County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 95,240, making it the sixth-most populous county in Oklahoma. The county seat is Claremore. Rogers County is ...

. Upon entering Rogers County, I-44/US-412/SH-66 parallel the southern boundary of the county, staying just north of the Rogers–Tulsa and, further east, Rogers– Wagoner county lines. In Rogers County, the three highways enter the city of Catoosa, one of Tulsa's eastern suburbs. In Catoosa, the freeway serves as the southern terminus of SH-167, which serves the city's port, and SH-66 splits off toward Claremore. I-44 and US-412 continue east for a short distance before going separate directions; I-44 exits from US-412 and joins the

Will Rogers Turnpike The Will Rogers Turnpike is a controlled-access toll road in the northeast portion of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The highway begins as a continuation of the Creek Turnpike in Tulsa, continuing northward from the I-44/ US-412 interchange there ...

. This interchange is also the northern terminus of the

Creek Turnpike The Creek Turnpike, also designated State Highway 364 (SH-364), is a controlled-access highway, controlled-access toll road that lies entirely in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The turnpike forms a partial beltway around the south and east side ...

. US-412 becomes an expressway, and continues east of the interchange, passing through Fair Oaks on its way out of the Tulsa metro. In rural south-central Rogers County, it connects to SH-412P, a state highway spur to Port 33, before crossing the

Verdigris River The Verdigris River is a tributary of the Arkansas River in southeastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma in the United States. It is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map ...

, a component of the

McClellan–Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System The McClellan–Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) is part of the Inland waterways of the United States, United States inland waterway system originating at the Tulsa Port of Catoosa and running southeast through Oklahoma and Arka ...

. US-412 continues east through unincorporated territory before reaching Inola, where it has an interchange with SH-88, north of that highway's southern terminus. US-412 then heads eastward out of Rogers County. After leaving Rogers County, the next county along US-412 is Mayes County. South of

Chouteau Chouteau was the name of a highly-successful ethnically-French furtrading family based in Saint Louis, Missouri, which they helped found. Their ancestors Chouteau and Laclède initially settled in New Orleans. They then moved up the Mississippi ...

, the route provides access to US-69 via an interchange. Just west of US-412's crossing of the Grand River, the highway intersects SH-412B, which connects US-412 to SH-69A. After crossing the river, US-412 comes to a fork in the road; one half of the fork is the

, which mainline US-412 follows, while the other is US-412 Alternate, which runs parallel to the turnpike on an old alignment of US-412. The first interchange on the Cherokee Turnpike is with SH-82 in Locust Grove. The turnpike continues east, passing into Delaware County, to intersect US-412 Alternate again between

Rose A rose is either a woody perennial plant, perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred Rose species, species and Garden roses, tens of thousands of cultivar ...

and

Leach Leach may refer to: People * Leach (surname) Places * Leach, Oklahoma, United States, an unincorporated community and census-designated place * Leach, Tennessee, United States, an unincorporated community * Leach Range, a mountain range in Ne ...

. East of this interchange, a service area lies in the median of the roadway; east of there, the highway passes through the Cherokee Turnpike's only mainline toll plaza. The turnpike's final interchange is with US-59 and SH-10 in

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

. The Cherokee Turnpike then ends, merging with US-59; at this junction, US-412 Alternate, which was concurrent with US-59, also ends. US-59 and US-412 continue southeast through

Flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Historically, flint was widely used to make stone tools and start ...

, before turning due east to West Siloam Springs. There, US-59 splits away from US-412, while US-412 remains on an easterly trajectory, crossing the state line into

Siloam Springs, Arkansas Siloam Springs is a city in Benton County, Arkansas, Benton County, Arkansas, United States, and located on the western edge of the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers metropolitan area, Northwest Arkansas metropolitan area. As of the 2020 Unite ...

History

US-412 initially connected

Walnut Ridge, Arkansas Walnut Ridge is a city in and the county seat of Lawrence County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 5,098 at the United States Census's 2019 estimate. Walnut Ridge lies immediately north of Hoxie. The two towns form a contiguous urban ...

Jackson, Tennessee Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Tennessee, United States. Located east of Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis and 130 Miles Southwest of Nashville, it is a regional center of trade for West Tennessee. Its total population wa ...

. Mr. Murphy, deputy director of ODOT, recommended to the Transportation Commission that US-412 be extended into Oklahoma on February 1, 1988. ODOT hoped that establishing US-412 in Oklahoma would generate new recreational traffic, thus benefiting the state economically. The new western terminus was to become the US-183/US-270 junction in Woodward; from there, the highway extended for to the east, exiting the state in West Siloam Springs. The Transportation Commission approved the recommendation unanimously. The US-412 designation was applied to preexisting Oklahoma highways. From Woodward to just east of Enid, US-412 replaced SH-15. From there to the I-35 junction, it was overlaid on US-64; east of I-35, the designation was applied to the Cimarron Turnpike. US-412 continued east from the end of the turnpike along US-64. From there, it was routed through the Tulsa metropolitan freeway system along I-244 and I-44. East of Tulsa, the highway replaced SH-33 to the Arkansas line. The highway designations made redundant by US-412 were removed, effective December 12, 1988. The first major change to US-412 occurred on November 4, 1991, when US-412 was rerouted onto the newly built Cherokee Turnpike. US-412 Scenic, which was later redesignated US-412 Alternate, was established along the old highway, allowing the highway system to retain a free alternate to the new toll road. US-412 was extended west on May 5, 1993; like its initial extension into Oklahoma, this new portion of US-412 followed existing highways: US-56, US-64, US-270, and SH-3. Subsequent changes to US-412 have been more minor. On March 7, 1994, the highway was relocated near Chouteau. Finally, on October 4, 2004, the Transportation Commission approved the realignment of US-60, US-412, and SH-8 at their junction near Orienta. Other than routine maintenance, there have been no further changes to the highway since then.

Tolls

, passengers of two-axle vehicles (such as cars and motorcycles) pay a total of $3.00 to travel the entire length of the Cimarron Turnpike and $2.50 to travel the entire length of the Cherokee Turnpike. Tolls vary based on the entrance and exit used. Both turnpikes accept OTA's

Pikepass Oklahoma has an extensive turnpike system, maintained by the state government through the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority. All of Oklahoma's turnpikes are controlled-access highways with at least four lanes, although the Chickasaw Turnpike only has ...

transponder system as an alternative to cash payment. Pikepass customers receive discounted toll rates; the Pikepass rate for the full length of the Cimarron is $2.85, and the discounted rate for the Cherokee is $2.40. Toll revenues from the two turnpikes US-412 uses are not necessarily used to maintain those highways. Under a practice known as ''cross-pledging'', all OTA toll revenue is pledged against the sum of OTA's indebtedness, including bonds financing the state's other turnpikes.

Future

On May 20, 2021,

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

Jim Inhofe James Mountain Inhofe (; ; November 17, 1934 – July 9, 2024) was an American politician who served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Oklahoma from 1994 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

, Republican of Oklahoma, introduced legislation to designate the portion of US-412 between I-35 in Noble County and

I-49 Interstate 49 (I-49) is a north–south Interstate Highway with multiple segments. The original portion is entirely within Louisiana with an additional signed portion extending from I-220 in Shreveport to the Arkansas state line, three ne ...

Springdale, Arkansas Springdale is a city in Washington County, Arkansas, Washington and Benton County, Arkansas, Benton counties in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The city had a population of 84,161 at the 2020 census, making it the List of cities and towns in Arkan ...

as future Interstate 42. (I-42) The bill, titled the "Future Interstate in Oklahoma and Arkansas Act" (), was cosponsored by senators

John Boozman John Nichols Boozman ( ; born December 10, 1950) is an American politician and former optometrist serving as the senior United States senator from Arkansas, a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he was the U.S. repre ...

and

Tom Cotton Thomas Bryant Cotton (born May 13, 1977) is an American politician and United States Army, Army veteran serving since 2015 as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from Arkansas. A memb ...

, both Republicans of Arkansas. The senators' stated reasons for seeking an Interstate designation along the US-412 included encouraging economic development, expanding opportunities for employment in the region, making travel safer and shipping easier, attracting new businesses, and better connecting rural and urban communities. Other supporters of the measure include the

mayor of Tulsa This is a list of mayors of Tulsa, a city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Mayors of Tulsa are elected for four year terms. Mayors of Tulsa Notes See also * Timeline of Tulsa, Oklahoma References ;General Political Graveyard–Mayors of T ...

G. T. Bynum George Theron Bynum IV (born August 28, 1977) is an American politician and lobbyist who served as the 40th mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma, from 2016 to 2024. Bynum was first elected to the Tulsa City Council, representing the ninth district in 2008 a ...

, and the heads of both ODOT and the

Arkansas Department of Transportation The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT), formerly the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department, is a government department in the U.S. state of Arkansas. Its mission is to provide a safe, efficient, aesthetically pleasing and env ...

(ArDOT). The language of the bill was later included in the

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL),H.R. 3684 is a United States federal statute enacted by the 117th United States Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on Nov ...

(). Interstate 42 (I-42) was the proposed designation but was withdrawn. ArDOT and ODOT later resubmitted the application to the Spring 2024 meeting; AASHTO approved the route as Interstate 42, conditional on it being upgraded to

Interstate standards Standards for Interstate Highways in the United States are defined by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in the publication ''A Policy on Design Standards: Interstate System''. For a certain highway t ...

Junction list

Spur routes

US-412 anchors three state highway spur routes in Oklahoma. These three routes all bear the number "412" with a letter suffix, on an Oklahoma state highway shield.

SH-412A

State Highway 412A is the only US-412 spur route to not directly connect to mainline US-412. SH-412A has a total length of . SH-412A begins at the

Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...

–Delaware county line in the town of Oaks. The route proceeds north through town. After leaving Oaks, the highway enters unincorporated territory before ending at US-412 Alternate at the unincorporated location of Twin Oaks. SH-412A existed prior to the extension of US-412 in Oklahoma. As the adjacent section of highway was part of SH-33 prior to becoming US-412, what would become SH-412A was originally designated as SH-33C. SH-33C was first shown on the Oklahoma state highway map in 1958. At the time of the highway's designation, it was a gravel highway; by 1959, however, it had been paved. The first revision of the state highway map to reflect the renumbering of SH-33 to US-412 was the 1989 edition; this was also the first to show SH-33C redesignated as SH-412A.

SH-412B

State Highway 412B is a spur route of US-412 lying entirely within Mayes County. It is long. SH-412B begins at US-412 just west of the Grand River bridge and the western terminus of the Cherokee Turnpike. From there, the highway follows a winding path to the north, passing east of Chouteau, before ending at SH-69A between

MidAmerica Industrial Park MidAmerica Industrial Park (MAIP), which is Oklahoma's largest industrial park, the third-largest industrial park in the United States, and the eighth-largest industrial park in the world, is located in Pryor, Oklahoma. In 2023, over 80 firms were ...

to the west and Sportsmen Acres to the east. The highway that is currently SH-412B was first shown on the official state map in 1987 as SH-33G, connecting to SH-33 at its southern terminus. By 1989, the first edition of the map to show US-412 in Oklahoma, SH-33G had been renumbered to SH-412B.

SH-412P

State Highway 412P is a spur of US-412 in Rogers County. SH-412P begins at US-412 heading south, then turns east. It then ends at Port 33 of the McClellan–Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, along the Verdigris River. SH-412P is long. The highway does not appear on the official state map.

References

External links