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 Route 76 | ||||
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained byMoDOT | ||||
| Length | 209.809 mi (337.655 km) | |||
| Existed | 1926–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end | E 240 Road at theOklahoma state line nearTiff City | |||
| Major intersections | ||||
| East end |    US 60 /US 63 /Route 137 atWillow Springs | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Missouri | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Route 76 is a highway in the west half of southern Missouri running betweenU.S. Route 60 andU.S. Route 63 atWillow Springs and theOklahoma state line nearTiff 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 MissouriOzarks, and is at times very hilly and curvy.
Route 76 begins at Willow Springs. Within a couple of miles, the highways enters theMark Twain National Forest, which it leaves after 17 miles (27 km). At theDouglas County line it begins a 5-mile (8.0 km)concurrency withRoute 181. North ofVanzant is an intersection withRoute 95, and 23 miles (37 km) further west is the northern junction withRoute 5. On the west side of Ava, Route 76/Route 5 has an intersection withRoute 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 withRoute 125. At Kissee Mills, the road turns west withU.S. Route 160 and the two are united to Forsyth. At Forsyth, Route 76 leaves US 160 and crossesBull Shoals Lake. At Branson, the road crossesLake Taneycomo and meetsU.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 withRoute 248. At the west end of the highroad, Route 76 returns to its original route at an incomplete interchange, connecting withRoute 376. On the west side of Branson, a concurrency withRoute 265 begins; at Branson West, a concurrency withRoute 13 begins. At Reeds Spring, Route 76 turns west towards Cape Fair. At Cape Fair is the southern terminus ofRoute 173.
At theBarry 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 withRoute 39. At the west limits of the national forest, Route 76 unites withRoute 86; they are concurrent for 16 miles (26 km). At Cassville is a short concurrency withRoute 112 and an intersection withRoute 37. The road becomes less winding and hilly in this area.
At Wheaton, Route 86 turns north. Route 76 continues west throughMcDonald County. At Anderson, Route 76 has an interchange withInterstate 49/U.S. Route 71, and just west is a two-mile (3 km) concurrency withRoute 59. Seven miles west of Anderson, the highway joinsRoute 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 ofOttawa County andDelaware County, Oklahoma.
Route 76 was initially designated in 1922, running from south ofSpokane toForsyth. The longerRoute 78 passed through Forsyth on its path betweenBranson and the northeast corner ofTaney County. In about 1929, Route 76 was extended west toReeds Spring, and in the early 1930s Route 78 was extended northeast toAva. With the extension ofRoute 80 west fromGainesville 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 toBranson. It later moved to Route 76 west of Forsyth, and Route 76 was extended west via Branson, replacing part ofRoute 148 and much ofRoute 44. Route 44 had been designated in 1922 fromAnderson toAbesville, and later extended west toTiff City and east toRockaway Beach. In the late 1950s, it was split up due toI-44, becoming Route 76 west ofCassville,Route 148 from Cassville toGalena, and a newRoute 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 toUS 60/US 63 atWillow Springs inHowell 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, replacingRoute 465. At the west end of the highroad, Route 76 returns to its original route, with its former routing through the interchange signed asRoute 376.[3]
All exits are unnumbered.
| County | Location | mi[4] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDonald | Tiff City | 0.000 | 0.000 | E 240 Road | Continuation intoOklahoma |
| | 0.665 | 1.070 |   Route 43 north –Seneca | West end of Route 43 overlap | |
| | 3.408 | 5.485 |  Route 43 south –Southwest City | East end of Route 43 overlap | |
| Anderson | 10.559 | 16.993 |  Route 59 south –Lanagan | West end of Route 59 overlap | |
| 11.729 | 18.876 |   US 71 Bus. north /Route 59 north –Goodman,Neosho | East end of Route 59 overlap; west end of US 71 Bus. overlap | ||
| | 12.707 | 20.450 | US 71 Bus. south | East end of US 71 Bus. overlap | |
| | 13.439 | 21.628 |  I-49 /US 71 –Joplin,Fort Smith AR | I-49 exit 10 | |
| Barry | | 38.686 | 62.259 |   Route 86 west –Wheaton | West end of Route 86 overlap |
| Cassville | 51.878 | 83.490 |    Route 37 /Route 112 north /Route 37 Bus. begins –Purdy,Washburn,Seligman | West end of Route 112 / Route 37 Bus. overlap | |
| 53.046 | 85.369 | Route 37 Bus. north (Main Street) –Monett | East end of Route 37 Bus. overlap | ||
| 53.245 | 85.690 |   Route 248 east | |||
| Hilltop | 54.802 | 88.195 | Route 112 south –Seligman,Roaring River State Park | East end of Route 112 overlap | |
| Bates Corner | 57.466 | 92.483 | Route 86 east –Eagle Rock | East end of Route 86 overlap | |
| | 65.624 | 105.612 |   Route 39 north toRoute 248 –Aurora | West end of Route 39 overlap | |
| Hill City | 66.794 | 107.495 | Route 39 south –Shell Knob | East end of Route 39 overlap | |
| Stone | Cape Fair | 79.389 | 127.764 |  Route 173 north toRoute 248 | |
| Reeds Spring | 88.204 | 141.951 |   Route 265 /Route 413 –Galena,Kimberling City | ||
| 88.681 | 142.718 |  Route 13 north –Reeds Spring Junction | West end of Route 13 overlap | ||
| Branson West | 90.478 | 145.610 | Route 265 /Route 413 north /Business 13 south –Reeds Spring | West end of Route 265 overlap; southern terminus of Route 413 | |
| 91.335 | 146.989 | Route 13 south –Kimberling City | East end of Route 13 overlap | ||
| 91.741 | 147.643 | Business 13 | |||
| | 95.422 | 153.567 |  Route 265 south toRoute 165 –Branson,Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery,Table Rock Dam and Visitor Center,Table Rock State Park | East end of Route 265 overlap | |
| | 96.059 | 154.592 |  Route 376 east (Seventy-six Country Boulevard) | West end of freeway; south end of Ozark Mountain Highroad (formerRoute 465); northern terminus of Route 376; former Route 76 east | |
| | Ozark Mountain Highroad south | Unbuilt interchange | |||
| Taney | | 100.733 | 162.114 | Route 248 | |
| | West Outer Road (Adair Road) | At-grade intersection; east end of freeway | |||
| | 103.722 | 166.924 |   US 65 north / Route F –Springfield | North end of Ozark Mountain Highroad; west end of freeway; west end of US 65 overlap; western terminus of Route F | |
| Branson | 106.362 | 171.173 | Branson Hills Parkway / Bee Creek Road | ||
| 107.196 | 172.515 |     Route 248 / Red Route west /CR 165 south (Shepherd of the Hills Expressway) Red Route east (Branson Landing Boulevard) | Diverging diamond interchange | ||
| 108.162 | 174.070 | US 65 south –SpringfieldUS 65 Bus. (Main Street) begins / Seventy-six Country Boulevard | East end of freeway; east end of US 65 overlap; west end of US 65 Bus. overlap; Seventy-six Country Blvd. is former Route 76 west | ||
| 109.062 | 175.518 | Red Route west (Veterans Boulevard north) | Eastern terminus of the Red Route | ||
| Hollister | 109.817 | 176.733 | US 65 Bus. south / Branson Landing Boulevard –Hollister | Roundabout; east end of US 65 Bus. overlap | |
| Forsyth | 121.887 | 196.158 |  US 160 west –Forsyth | West end of US 160 overlap | |
| | 124.792 | 200.833 | US 160 east –Kissee Mills,Gainesville | East end of US 160 overlap | |
| Bradleyville | 137.560 | 221.381 |  Route 125 north –Garrison | West end of Route 125 overlap | |
| | 138.226 | 222.453 | Route 125 south –Rueter | East end of Route 125 overlap | |
| Douglas | Ava | 161.697 | 260.226 |  Route 5 Bus. north (Jefferson Street) /Route 5 south –Gainesville | West end of Route 5 overlap |
| 163.510 | 263.144 |  Route 5 Bus. south /Route 14 (Springfield Avenue) –Sparta | |||
| | 165.823 | 266.866 |  Route 5 north / Route B north –Mansfield,Mount Zion | East end of Route 5 overlap | |
| | 189.147 | 304.403 |  Route 95 toRoute 14 –Mountain Grove | ||
| | 198.934 | 320.153 |  Route 181 north –Cabool | West end of Route 181 overlap | |
| | 202.456 | 325.821 | Route 181 south | East end of Route 181 overlap | |
| Howell | Willow Springs | 209.618– 209.809 | 337.347– 337.655 | Route 137 north (Harris Street) /US 60 /US 63 –Cabool,West Plains | Interchange; eastern terminus; highway continues north as Route 137 (Harris St.) |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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