US Highway 412, also known as Congressionally-Designated High Priority Corridor 8, provides connectivity from Interstate 25 in New Mexico; through the Oklahoma Panhandle, Northern Arkansas, and the Missouri Bootheel; to Interstate 65 in Tennessee. In Arkansas, Highway 412 is the only continuous, principal-arterial facility parallel to, and north of, Interstate 40. The corridor is included in the Arkansas Four-Lane Grid System and is a part of the National Highway System. Regionally, Highway 412 connects communities and supports the movement of people and goods.

Numerous highway studies have been conducted along the route, some examining the regional needs of the corridor and others focusing on local needs. The most recent regional corridor study – US 412 Corridor Planning Study (1998) – examined the need for improvements to Highway 412 from Norfork Lake in Baxter County to the Missouri State Line. Since the adoption of that study and others, various segments of Highway 412 have been improved with passing lanes, four-lane cross-sections, or bypasses to provide enhanced mobility throughout the corridor. The FFY 2019-2022 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program includes $74 million in capital improvement projects and $36 million in pavement preservation projects on the corridor.

During the 2017 legislative session, the 91st Arkansas General Assembly expressed the need to expand the Highway 412 corridor through northern Arkansas to improve accessibility and economic prosperity. In October 2017, the Arkansas State Highway Commission authorized an update to the US 412 Corridor Planning Study and expanded the limits of that study from the Oklahoma State Line to the Missouri State Line. The major objectives of this study include:

	• Determining the need for highway safety and mobility improvements;
	• Identifying feasible alternatives for addressing identified needs;
	• Making recommendations for short-, interim- and long-range improvements; and
	• Engaging with stakeholders throughout the study process.

Reports and other documents related to this study are linked below. Updates to this page will be made periodically as the study progresses. Please use the registration form at the bottom of the page to join our mailing list.