Missouri Route 76
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Route 76 |
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| Maintained by MoDOT | |||||||||
| Length: | 189 mi (304 km) | ||||||||
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| East end: | Willow Springs | ||||||||
| West end: | Tiff City | ||||||||
| Major cities: | Willow Springs Brushyknob Ava Brownbranch Bradleyville Taneyville Kirbyville Branson Branson West Cape Fair Cassville Exeter Rocky Comfort Anderson Tiff City |
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Route 76 is a highway in the west half of southern Missouri running between U.S. Highway 60 at Willow Springs and the Oklahoma state line near Tiff City where it continues as a county road. It is the most famous road in Branson where it is known as "76 Country Boulevard" and is lined with music theaters. The road runs for its entirety through the Missouri Ozarks, and is at times very hilly and curvy.
[edit] Route of the highway
Missouri 76 begins at Willow Springs. Within a couple of miles, the highways enters the Mark Twain National Forest, which it leaves after seventeen miles. At the Douglas County line it begins five mile concurrency with Route 181. North of Vanzant is an intersection with Route 95, and 23 miles further west is the northern junction with Route 5. On the west side of Ava, Missouri 76/Missouri 5 has an intersection with Route 14, and south of Ava, Missouri 76 will turn west off Missouri 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, Missouri 76 leaves US 160 and crosses Lake Taneycomo. At Branson, the road crosses Lake Taneycomo again and crosses over U.S. Route 65.
West of US 65, the road is known as 76 Country Music Boulevard. 76 Country Music Boulevard is a long strip of music theaters, motels, outlet malls, and other tourist stops[citation needed]. It is a long, wide road (three-lanes including a non passable center lane) which can be plagued with traffic during much of the day and especially towards show times (usually from 6-8 PM) and after they get out (around 9-10PM). Several beltways (including Route 165 and Route 465) have been built to help divert traffic off this highway.[citation needed] In the theater area, Missouri 76 intersects Route 165, Route 376, and Route 465. On the west side of Branson, a concurrency with Route 265 begins; at Branson West, a concurrency with Route 13 begins. At Reeds Spring, Missouri 76 turns west towards Cape Fair. At Cape Fair is the southern terminus of Route 173.
At the Barry County line, Missouri 76 enters the Mark Twain National Forest for a third time. Eight miles into the forest is a short, one-mile concurrency with Route 39. At the west limits of the national forest, Missouri 76 unites with Route 86; they are concurrent for sixteen miles. 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, Missouri 86 turns north. Missouri 76 continues west through McDonald County. At Anderson, Missouri 76 has an interchange with U.S. Route 71, and just west is a two mile 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, Missouri 76 turns west for one mile and enters Tiff City. The western limit of Tiff City is the Oklahoma state line, where Missouri 76 becomes a county road on the county line of Ottawa County and Delaware County, Oklahoma.
