End of US highway 412

Note: since I don't have access to a comprehensive collection of historical road atlases, much of the info below is based on the research of Robert Droz; click here to view his site. Photo credits: Robert Brooks; Steven Nelson; Chris Patriarca; Eric Stuve; me

US 412 was commissioned in 1982. It's one of a handful of recently-commissioned routes whose number completely defies the logic of the rest of the system. Specifically, the number "412" implies a branch off US 12. But this route doesn't come anywhere close to US 12, and couldn't possibly be considered a branch of it. Some of these recent "US 4xx" designations were given to Congressional High-Priority Corridors; you can read more about the US 412 corridor here.

The east terminus of the original route was on the outskirts of Dyersburg TN, at what was then (and still is now) the east end of I-155 (exit 15). As such, this interchange is well-covered on aaroads.com, but I've reproduced one of the photos below:

Patriarca, July 2003

That's looking north on US 51, which is also westbound US 412 now. Today the two routes split here, but this used to be the east beginning of US 412, and the signs back in 1982 probably looked much the same as the ones shown in that photo.

From there, US 412 ran west about 100 miles to Walnut Ridge AR. This was before the US 67 bypass had been built there, so US 412 would've ended at old US 67, which is now Business 67. The photo below is looking north on Front Street:

Nelson, Jan. 2006

Old US 67 went left on Main Street (as Business 67 does today), and the west beginning of US 412 was to the right on Main.

Two years later the designation was extended east to Jackson TN. David Rigsby recalls that it continued south of I-40 and south of its present route (North Parkway), to end at the US 45 (Keith Short) Bypass:

Nelson, June 2006

In 1989, US 412 was extended further east, this time to I-65's interchange 46 at Columbia TN:

Patriarca, July 2003

That's on northbound I-65. From the offramp, US 412 heads left, skirting downtown Columbia about 7 miles to the west. If 412 were a "classic" US route, it would also extend east (right) from here about 6 miles to end at US 431. But it's not a classic route, so it's almost appropriate that it ends at an interstate; the road east is designated TN hwy. 99.

That same year, US 412 was also extended west to Woodward OK, presumably ending at its junction with US 183/US 270. The shot below is looking east on Oklahoma Avenue:

Stuve, Jan. 2003

Besides US 183 and 270 (which continue to the right on 9th Street), this is now also eastbound US 412 (which continues straight ahead). But in 1989, straight ahead was the west beginning of US 412.

In 1994, US 412 was extended west again, this time to its current terminus in Springer NM; you can view photos from there on this page.