Highway 318 begins at Highway 85 at Oneida southwest of Helena-West Helena. The route runs due east as a section line road, turning due north for approximately before turning east again. The route terminates at an intersection with Highway 44.
Highway 1 to Highway 20
Highway 318 begins at Highway 1 southwest of Marvell in the Arkansas Delta. The highway runs due south as a section line road to Cypert, where it passes through the Turner Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The route continues south to Watkins Corner, where it intersects Highway 318Y, a short connection providing access to Highway 316 for westbound traffic. Highway 318 intersects Highway 316 and the Great River Road, including a brief officially designated exception. After this short eastbound concurrency, Highway 318 continues due south again, now concurrent with the Great River Road, as a section line road, bridging Big Creek and crossing two levees before a junction with Highway 20 near Lambrook, where the route terminates. The Great River Road continues west along Highway 20 to Elaine.
History
The section between Oneida and Highway 44 was created by the Arkansas State Highway Commission on November 23, 1966. A new section was created near Watkins Corner south to a county road on June 28, 1973, pursuant to Act 9 of 1973 by the Arkansas General Assembly. The act directed county judges and legislators to designate up to of county roads as state highways in each county. The highway was extended south to Highway 20 on February 27, 1974. The route was extended north on August 28, 1974 during a renumbering of routes in the area to improve continuity. The Highway 318 extension supplanted Highway 243 north of Watkins Corner. In 1974, the AHTD temporarily used a Bailey bridge for over Big Creek following a bridge failure. The temporary structure was replaced with a permanent precast concrete bridge later that year.
Major intersections
Former route
Highway 318 is a former state highway of in Phillips County.
Route description
The route began at Highway 242 south of West Helena and ran southeast to an intersection with Highway 20 in Helena, near the Helena Bridge over the Mississippi River, which was a toll bridge during the lifespan of Highway 318.
History
The route was created by the Arkansas State Highway Commission as the first section of Highway 318 on June 23, 1965. Following construction of a US 49 bypass of Helena, including a partial replacement of Highway 318 by new US 49, the route was decommissioned on June 24, 1970.
