Editing Great River Road (section)

===Western route===
;Louisiana
Few if any signs are present in [[Louisiana]],<ref name=Goog/> but the route has been defined by state law. It begins at [[Venice, LA|Venice]] on the west bank, following [[LA 23]] into [[Gretna, LA|Gretna]], where the eastern route splits. The western route, historically part of the National Route here, turns west on [[Louisiana Highway 18|LA 18]], which it follows all the way to [[Donaldsonville, LA|Donaldsonville]] except for a detour on [[LA 541]] from [[Harvey, LA|Harvey]] to [[Bridge City, LA|Bridge City]]. A short piece of [[Louisiana Highway 1|LA 1]] connects the Great River Road to [[Louisiana Highway 405|LA 405]], which hugs the river to another junction with LA 1 in [[Plaquemine, LA|Plaquemine]]<!--GRR southbound uses a block of LA 75 to get from LA 1 to LA 405-->. [[Louisiana Highway 988|LA 988]] loops off LA 1 from northern Plaquemine back to yet another junction south of [[Port Allen, LA|Port Allen]], where the route leaves LA 1 again on Oaks Avenue<!--via the obvious connection on Avenue G and Alexander Avenue-->, which becomes [[Louisiana Highway 987-5|LA 987-5]] and turns north along the river on River Road. [[Louisiana Highway 987-4|LA 987-4]] (Court Street) leads back west to Jefferson Avenue, which the Great River Road follows north to [[Louisiana Highway 986|LA 986]] along the river and under the [[Huey P. Long Bridge (Baton Rouge)|Huey P. Long Bridge]] ([[US 190 (LA)|US 190]]),<ref name=LA>{{cite web |url= http://www.legis.state.la.us/lss/newWin.asp?doc=207049 |title= §1950.2: Route of the Louisiana Great River Road |work= Louisiana Revised Statutes |author= Staff |publisher= [[Louisiana State Legislature]] |access-date= June 21, 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120710142410/http://www.legis.state.la.us/lss/newWin.asp?doc=207049 |archive-date= July 10, 2012 |url-status= dead }}</ref> which carries the National Route to the east bank (with access via [[Louisiana Highway 987-1|LA 987-1]]).

A state alternate route begins along LA 986, becoming [[LA 415]] near [[Lobdell, Louisiana|Lobdell]] and continuing along the river to [[Hermitage, LA|Hermitage]]. [[LA 416]] takes the route inland along the [[False River (Louisiana)|False River]], an [[oxbow lake]], to [[Louisiana Highway 1|LA 1]] near [[Knapp, Louisiana|Knapp]]. LA 1 is followed through [[New Roads, LA|New Roads]] to [[Keller, Louisiana|Keller]], where [[Louisiana Highway 15|LA 15]] splits to continue along the river to southwest of [[Vidalia, LA|Vidalia]]. [[LA 131]] leads northeast to Vidalia, from which [[US 425 (LA)|US 425]] and [[US 65 (LA)|US 65]] take the Great River Road to Arkansas.<ref name=LA/>

;Arkansas
[[File:Great River Road Arkansas Phillips County AR 001.jpg|thumb|right|Great River Road sign in Arkansas]]
The Great River Road enters [[Arkansas]] from Louisiana on [[US 65 (AR)|US 65]], which it follows to [[Dumas, AR|Dumas]]. The National Route enters the state on the [[Greenville Bridge]] (originally the [[Benjamin G. Humphreys Bridge]] from 1940 to its replacement in 2010 by the current bridge), following [[US 82 (AR)|US 82]] to join US 65 near [[Lake Village, AR|Lake Village]].<!--the reassurance on US 82 east of US 65 south is from this--> There it turns northeast on [[US 165 (AR)|US 165]], splitting onto [[Highway 1 (Arkansas)|Highway 1]] in [[DeWitt, AR|DeWitt]] until an intersection near [[Turner, Phillips County, Arkansas|Turner]]. The route follows a sequence of minor state highways: [[Arkansas Highway 316|Highway 316]] east, [[Arkansas Highway 318|Highway 318]] south, and [[Highway 20 (Arkansas)|Highway 20]] east to [[Elaine, AR|Elaine]], and [[Arkansas Highway 44|Highway 44]] northeast to [[Helena, AR|Helena]]. It then uses short segments of Highway 20 and [[US 49 (AR)|US 49]] to reach [[U.S. Route 49B (Helena, Arkansas)|US 49B]] into downtown Helena, where it leaves the state highway system, following Columbia, McDonough, and Holly Streets through a residential area. Between Helena and [[Bear Creek Lake (Arkansas)|Bear Creek Lake]], the Great River Road runs along County Road 239, a partially unpaved roadway hugging the east side of [[Crowley's Ridge]] through the [[St. Francis National Forest]].<ref>{{cite web |author= Staff |publisher= [[U.S. Forest Service]] |url= http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsm8_042875.pdf |title= Recreation Area Directory: Ozark-St. Francis National Forests |date= 2003 |page= 3}}</ref> [[Arkansas Highway 44|Highway 44]] begins again at Bear Creek Lake and takes the route northwest across Crowley's Ridge into [[Marianna, AR|Marianna]], where it turns north on Poplar Street, west on Chestnut Street, and north on [[US 79 (AR)|US 79]]. At [[Hughes, AR|Hughes]], the Great River Road leaves US 79 and turns east on [[Arkansas Highway 38|Highway 38]], then north on [[Highway 147 (Arkansas)|Highway 147]] around the north shore of [[Horseshoe Lake (Arkansas)|Horseshoe Lake]] and on to [[US 70 (AR)|US 70]] at [[Lehi, Arkansas|Lehi]]. US 70 leads east into [[West Memphis, AR|West Memphis]], where the National Route historically crossed the [[Memphis & Arkansas Bridge]]. The final leg of Arkansas's Great River Road turns north at West Memphis and uses [[Highway 77 (Arkansas)|Highway 77]] and [[US 61 (AR)|US 61]] north into Missouri.<ref name=Goog/>
<!--is there an alternate route from McGehee to Back Gate via 4 and 1? I don't see any signage, but the photos are several years old-->

;Missouri
The Great River Road is marked entirely along state-maintained highways in [[Missouri]], with more than half along [[US 61 (MO)|US 61]]. Although plates for the National Route are not used in the state, it can be identified based on signage in Illinois.<ref name=Goog/>

A state alternate route enters the state from Arkansas and follows US 61, including two overlaps with [[I-55 (MO)|I-55]], all the way to [[Perryville, MO|Perryville]]. The National Route crosses the Mississippi from Illinois on the [[Chester Bridge]], following [[Route 51 (Missouri)|Route 51]] south to Perryville and then turning north along US 61. At exit 170 south of [[Festus, MO|Festus]], the Great River Road joins I-55, following that highway into [[St. Louis, MO|St. Louis]] and using [[I-44 (MO)|I-44]] and [[I-70 (MO)|I-70]] to exit 220 on the [[St. Peters, MO|St. Peters]]-[[O'Fallon, MO|O'Fallon]] border. From there the National Route follows the entire length of [[Route 79 (Missouri)|Route 79]] to [[I-72 (MO)|I-72]] in [[Hannibal, MO|Hannibal]], where it crosses the [[Mark Twain Memorial Bridge]] back to Illinois. A second state alternate begins in Hannibal by running west on I-72 to its end at US 61, then turning north on US 61. It follows [[Route 168 (Missouri)|Route 168]] to [[Palmyra, MO|Palmyra]], rejoining US 61 for the rest of its path to Iowa, except for the portion through [[La Grange, MO|La Grange]] and [[Canton, MO|Canton]], where the Great River Road uses the former alignment of US 61, now Route B.<ref name=Goog/>

;Iowa
As with Missouri, the National Route in [[Iowa]] can mostly be inferred by Illinois signage. On the other hand, the Great River Road uses a number of county and local roads in Iowa.<ref name=Goog/>

A state alternate route crosses the [[Des Moines River]] from Missouri into [[Keokuk, IA|Keokuk]], following [[US 136 (IA)|US 136]] into downtown. It follows a convoluted alignment, turning southeast on Main Street (still US 136), northeast on 4th Street, northwest on Orleans Avenue, northeast on 7th Street<!--no signs at this intersection, and the only one for 7th is pointing left at the other end; thus it may have been moved from 7th to the more sensible route-->, northwest on Grand Avenue, and northeast on Rand Park Terrace, curving northwest onto the river-hugging Mississippi River Road ([[County Road X28 (Iowa)|CR X28]] and [[County Road X21 (Iowa)|CR X21]]<!--former IA 924-->) through [[Montrose, IA|Montrose]] to [[US 61 (IA)|US 61]]. US 61 and [[U.S. Route 61 Business (Fort Madison, Iowa)|US 61 Business]] lead through [[Fort Madison, IA|Fort Madison]] to the [[Fort Madison Bridge]] and the entrance of the National Route into Iowa.<ref name=Goog/>
[[File:Great-River-Road-US-stamp-1966.jpg|thumb|right|US Post Office stamp issued in 1966.]]
The National Route returns to US 61 via US 61 Business, splitting to follow [[County Road X62 (Iowa)|CR X62]] and Madison Avenue into [[Burlington, IA|Burlington]]. It turns east onto Main Drive through [[Crapo Park]] and curves back north on Main Street<!--but the bridge is out?-->, which leads to [[County Road X99 (Iowa)|CR X99]] (former [[Iowa 99]]) to north of [[Toolesboro, IA|Toolesboro]] and [[County Road X61 (Iowa)|CR X61]] into [[Muscatine, IA|Muscatine]]. After turning onto [[U.S. Route 61 Business (Muscatine, Iowa)|US 61 Business]], the National Route leaves the state on the [[Norbert F. Beckey Bridge]] ([[Iowa 92]]).<ref name=Goog/>

A second state alternate route continues on US 61 Business, turning east to follow [[Iowa 22]] along the river to [[Davenport, IA|Davenport]]. It follows another [[U.S. Route 61 Business (Davenport, Iowa)|US 61 Business]] through that city and [[US 67 (IA)|US 67]] through [[Bettendorf, IA|Bettendorf]], remaining on that highway until [[Sabula, IA|Sabula]] where it then follows [[US 52 (IA)|US 52]] north. After passing over the [[Great River Road Bridge]] in [[Bellevue, IA|Bellevue]] the route reaches [[US 20 (IA)|US 20]] in [[Dubuque, IA|Dubuque]].<ref name=Goog/>

The National Route reenters Iowa on the [[Julien Dubuque Bridge]] ([[US 20 (IA)|US 20]]), turning north onto [[Iowa 946]] to reach US 52<!--not clear if it uses US 52 on 9th/11th or the more direct White/Central-->. In northern [[Sageville, IA|Sageville]], the Great River Road turns north on [[County Road C9Y (Iowa)|CR C9Y]], soon splitting onto Mud Lake Road, which, along with Circle Ridge Road, forms a loop back to CR C9Y in [[Sherrill, IA|Sherrill]]. In [[Millville, IA|Millville]], the county road returns to US 52, which is followed into [[Guttenberg, IA|Guttenberg]]. As of 2012, the route through that city leaves US 52 east on Koerner Street, turning north on River Park Drive, west on Broadway Street, north on 2nd Street, west on Kosciusko Street, north on 3rd Street and through the municipal marina to [[County Road X56 (Iowa)|CR X56]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.cityofguttenberg.com/vertical/sites/%7B0E02710E-67AE-467D-88F3-79488A6A0CBF%7D/uploads/8-6-2012_Agenda.PDF |publisher= City of Guttenberg |title= Meeting Agenda |date= August 6, 2012 |page= 73 }}{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The Great River Road follows the entire length of CR X56 (including former [[Iowa 340]]) to [[McGregor, IA|McGregor]], and then continues north on [[Iowa 76]] and [[County Road X52 (Iowa)|CR X52]] (partly former [[Iowa Highway 364|Iowa 364]]) to [[Lansing, IA|Lansing]], where the National Route crosses the [[Black Hawk Bridge]] ([[Iowa 9]]) to Wisconsin.<ref name=Goog/>

Finally, [[Iowa 26]] carries a state alternate from Lansing north to the Minnesota state line at [[New Albin, IA|New Albin]].<ref name=Goog/>

;Minnesota
The Great River Road enters [[Minnesota]] on [[MN 26]], connecting to [[US 61 (MN)|US 61]] in [[La Crescent, MN|La Crescent]] via a short piece of [[Minnesota State Highway 16|MN 16]]. Except for a detour onto [[MN 316]], US 61 carries this state alternate route to its junction with the National Route in [[Hastings, MN|Hastings]].<ref name=Goog/>