Missouri Route 76

Route 76 is a highway in the west half of southern Missouri running between U.S. Route 60 and U.S. Route 63 at Willow Springs and the Oklahoma state line near Tiff City where it continues as a county road. It bypasses Branson on the Ozark Mountain High Road and is the namesake of the Branson strip, 76 Country Blvd. The road runs for its entirety through the Missouri Ozarks, and is at times very hilly and curvy.

Route 76
Route information
Maintained by MoDOT
Length209.809 mi (337.655 km)
Existed1926–present
Major junctions
West endE 240 Road at the Oklahoma state line near Tiff City
East end US 60 / US 63 / Route 137 at Willow Springs
Highway system
Route 75 Route 77

Route description

Route 76 begins at Willow Springs. Within a couple of miles, the highways enters the Mark Twain National Forest, which it leaves after 17 miles (27 km). At the Douglas County line it begins a 5-mile (8.0 km) concurrency with Route 181. North of Vanzant is an intersection with Route 95, and 23 miles (37 km) further west is the northern junction with Route 5. On the west side of Ava, Route 76/Route 5 has an intersection with Route 14, and south of Ava, Route 76 will turn west off Route 5.

At Brownbranch, the highway enters another part of the Mark Twain National Forest, and at Bradleyville, it has a short concurrency with Route 125. At Kissee Mills, the road turns west with U.S. Route 160 and the two are united to Forsyth. At Forsyth, Route 76 leaves US 160 and crosses Bull Shoals Lake. At Branson, the road crosses Lake Taneycomo and meets U.S. Route 65.

Route 76 runs concurrent with US 65 for 4.7 miles (7.6 km) before exiting onto the Ozark Mountain Highroad Freeway. While on the freeway, Route 76 has an interchange with Route 248. At the west end of the highroad, Route 76 returns to its original route at an incomplete interchange, connecting with Route 376. On the west side of Branson, a concurrency with Route 265 begins; at Branson West, a concurrency with Route 13 begins. At Reeds Spring, Route 76 turns west towards Cape Fair. At Cape Fair is the southern terminus of Route 173.

At the Barry County line, Route 76 enters the Mark Twain National Forest for a third time. Eight miles (13 km) into the forest is a short, one-mile (1.6 km) concurrency with Route 39. At the west limits of the national forest, Route 76 unites with Route 86; they are concurrent for 16 miles (26 km). At Cassville is a short concurrency with Route 112 and an intersection with Route 37. The road becomes less winding and hilly in this area.

At Wheaton, Route 86 turns north. Route 76 continues west through McDonald County. At Anderson, Route 76 has an interchange with Interstate 49/U.S. Route 71, and just west is a two-mile (3 km) concurrency with Route 59. Seven miles west of Anderson, the highway joins Route 43, turning north with that highway three miles. At the northwest junction, Route 76 turns west for one mile (1.6 km) and enters Tiff City. The western limit of Tiff City is the Oklahoma state line, where Route 76 becomes a county road on the county line of Ottawa County and Delaware County, Oklahoma.

History

Route 76 was initially designated in 1922, running from south of Spokane to Forsyth. The longer Route 78 passed through Forsyth on its path between Branson and the northeast corner of Taney County. In about 1929, Route 76 was extended west to Reeds Spring, and in the early 1930s Route 78 was extended northeast to Ava. With the extension of Route 80 west from Gainesville in the 1930s or 1940s, Route 78 west of Forsyth became part of Route 80, and the rest was absorbed into Route 76, which now connected Reeds Spring to Ava. US 160, designated in Missouri in the mid-1950s, initially followed Route 80 to Branson. It later moved to Route 76 west of Forsyth, and Route 76 was extended west via Branson, replacing part of Route 148 and much of Route 44. Route 44 had been designated in 1922 from Anderson to Abesville, and later extended west to Tiff City and east to Rockaway Beach. In the late 1950s, it was split up due to I-44, becoming Route 76 west of Cassville, Route 148 from Cassville to Galena, and a new Route 176 from Galena to Rockaway Beach.

In 1967-68 Route 76 was extended from Route 5 two miles north of Ava east along former State Route F through northeast Douglas County and other county roads to US 60/US 63 at Willow Springs in Howell County.[1][2] This added approximately 53 miles plus a four-mile concurrence with Missouri Route 5 west of Ava.

Prior to January 2020, Route 76 ran along 76 Country Boulevard through Branson, where many of the entertainment theaters for which Branson is famous can be found. This alignment was plagued with traffic during much of the day and especially towards show start and end times (usually around 6-8 PM and 9-10PM). Now, Route 76 runs concurrent with US 65 for 4.7 miles (7.6 km) to the Ozark Mountain High Road, replacing Route 465. At the west end of the highroad, Route 76 returns to its original route, with its former routing through the interchange signed as Route 376.[3]

Major intersections

All exits are unnumbered.

CountyLocationmi[4]kmDestinationsNotes
McDonaldTiff City0.0000.000E 240 RoadContinuation into Oklahoma
0.6651.070 Route 43 north SenecaWest end of Route 43 overlap
3.4085.485 Route 43 south Southwest CityEast end of Route 43 overlap
Anderson10.55916.993 Route 59 south LanaganWest end of Route 59 overlap
11.72918.876
US 71 Bus. north / Route 59 north Goodman, Neosho
East end of Route 59 overlap; west end of US 71 Bus. overlap
12.70720.450
US 71 Bus. south
East end of US 71 Bus. overlap
13.43921.628 I-49 / US 71 Joplin, Fort Smith ARI-49 exit 10
Barry38.68662.259 Route 86 west WheatonWest end of Route 86 overlap
Cassville51.87883.490
Route 37 / Route 112 north / Route 37 Bus. begins Purdy, Washburn, Seligman
West end of Route 112 / Route 37 Bus. overlap
53.04685.369
Route 37 Bus. north (Main Street) Monett
East end of Route 37 Bus. overlap
53.24585.690 Route 248 east
Hilltop54.80288.195 Route 112 south Seligman, Roaring River State ParkEast end of Route 112 overlap
Bates Corner57.46692.483 Route 86 east Eagle RockEast end of Route 86 overlap
65.624105.612 Route 39 north to Route 248 AuroraWest end of Route 39 overlap
Hill City66.794107.495 Route 39 south Shell KnobEast end of Route 39 overlap
StoneCape Fair79.389127.764 Route 173 north to Route 248
Reeds Spring88.204141.951 Route 265 / Route 413 Galena, Kimberling City
88.681142.718 Route 13 north Reeds Spring JunctionWest end of Route 13 overlap
Branson West90.478145.610 Route 265 / Route 413 north / Business 13 south Reeds SpringWest end of Route 265 overlap; southern terminus of Route 413
91.335146.989 Route 13 south Kimberling CityEast end of Route 13 overlap
91.741147.643Business 13
95.422153.567 Route 265 south to Route 165 Branson, Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery, Table Rock Dam and Visitor Center, Table Rock State ParkEast end of Route 265 overlap
96.059154.592 Route 376 east (Seventy-six Country Boulevard)West end of freeway; south end of Ozark Mountain Highroad (former Route 465); northern terminus of Route 376; former Route 76 east
Ozark Mountain Highroad southUnbuilt interchange
Taney100.733162.114 Route 248
103.722166.924 US 65 north / Route F SpringfieldNorth end of Ozark Mountain Highroad; west end of freeway; west end of US 65 overlap; western terminus of Route F
Branson106.362171.173Branson Hills Parkway / Bee Creek Road
107.196172.515 Route 248 / Red Route west / CR 165 south (Shepherd of the Hills Expressway)
Red Route east (Branson Landing Boulevard)
Diverging diamond interchange
108.162174.070 US 65 south Springfield

US 65 Bus. (Main Street) begins / 76 Country Boulevard
East end of US 65 overlap; west end of US 65 Bus. overlap; 76 Country Blvd. is former Route 76 west
109.062175.518 Red Route west (Veterans Boulevard north)Eastern terminus of the Red Route
Hollister109.817176.733
US 65 Bus. south / Branson Landing Boulevard Hollister
Roundabout; east end of US 65 Bus. overlap
Forsyth121.887196.158 US 160 west ForsythWest end of US 160 overlap
124.792200.833 US 160 east Kissee Mills, GainesvilleEast end of US 160 overlap
Bradleyville137.560221.381 Route 125 north GarrisonWest end of Route 125 overlap
138.226222.453 Route 125 south RueterEast end of Route 125 overlap
DouglasAva161.697260.226
Route 5 Bus. north (Jefferson Street) / Route 5 south Gainesville
West end of Route 5 overlap
163.510263.144
Route 5 Bus. south / Route 14 (Springfield Avenue) Sparta
165.823266.866 Route 5 north / Route B north Mansfield, Mount ZionEast end of Route 5 overlap
189.147304.403 Route 95 to Route 14 Mountain Grove
198.934320.153 Route 181 north CaboolWest end of Route 181 overlap
202.456325.821 Route 181 southEast end of Route 181 overlap
HowellWillow Springs209.618–
209.809
337.347–
337.655
Route 137 north (Harris Street) / US 60 / US 63 Cabool, West PlainsInterchange; eastern terminus; highway continues north as Route 137 (Harris St.)
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. Missouri State Highway Map, 1967
  2. Missouri State Highway Map, 1968
  3. https://www.modot.org/node/17349
  4. Missouri Department of Transportation (December 17, 2020). MoDOT HPMAPS (Map). Missouri Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
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