Mississippi Highway 76

Mississippi Highway 76 marker
Mississippi Highway 76
Corridor V
Map
MS 76 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MDOT
Length10.7 mi[3][4] (17.2 km)
Existed2013–present
HistoryCompleted on April 11, 2023[1][2]
Major junctions
West end MS 25 near Fulton
Major intersections MS 23 near Belmont
East end SR 24 at the Alabama state line near Red Bay, Alabama
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMississippi
CountiesItawamba
Highway system
← US 72→ US 78

Mississippi Highway 76 (MS 76) is an east-west state highway in Itawamba County, Mississippi. It is a section of Mississippi's portion of Corridor V of the Appalachian Development Highway System. It extends from MS 25 northeast of Fulton to the state line, where it connects with Alabama's SR 24 near Red Bay, Alabama.

MS 76 was proposed as a four-lane connection for SR 24 (and all of northeast Alabama) to Fulton, Tupelo, and I-22. Before 2023, it only extended 2.4 miles (3.9 km) from the state line to MS 23.[5] The remaining 8.3-mile (13.4 km) stretch from MS 23 to MS 25 opened on April 11, 2023, and was the final segment on Corridor V to open, making the trip between I-55 in Batesville to I-24 west of Chattanooga, Tennessee entirely a four-lane divided highway.[1][2]

Route description

Early morning shot of the former western terminus of MS 76 at MS 23
MS 76 westbound at the state line

MS 76 begins at a T-intersection with MS 25 approximately 7 miles (11 km) from that highway's interchange with I-22/US 78 (Exit 108), and 9 miles (14 km) northeast of Fulton, in rural northeastern Itawamba County. It heads east as a four-lane divided highway with a grassy median without outside shoulders and follows an entirely new right-of-way. However, it roughly follows the path of Fairview Banner Road. After heading northeast for 8.3 miles (13.4 km), it then has a T-intersection with MS 23 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Belmont. The highway travels through wooded, hilly terrain, passing by some farms and crossing some small creeks before continuing into Franklin County, Alabama as SR 24.[5][6][7]

History

Mississippi Highway 76 marker
Mississippi Highway 76
LocationPontotoc
Length9.1 mi (14.6 km)
Existed1996–2014

The MS 76 designation originated as a temporary designation for the 9.1-mile-long (14.6 km) western portion of the MS 6/US 278 Pontotoc bypass (also known as the Pontotoc Parkway) in Pontotoc, more specifically the section between MS 6/US 278 and the interchange at MS 9. It existed from 1996, until the designation was dropped when the rest of the highway was finished to Tupelo at US 45 in 2014. It, too, was a four-lane divided highway and is also a section of Corridor V. The 5.8-mile-long (9.3 km) section between MS 6/US 278 on the west side of town to MS 15 was the first to open, with a 3.3-mile-long (5.3 km) extension to MS 9 opening in 1998. This MS 76 designation remained unsigned until the year 2000. The current MS 76 was opened in 2013 alongside the opening of SR 24's Red Bay, Alabama bypass.[8][9][10][11][7][12]

Construction on the 8.3 miles (13.4 km) segment between MS 23 and MS 25 was originally scheduled to start in 2011 but was delayed due to funding concerns.[13] The project was expected to be completed by the end of 2023,[4] and it ultimately opened to traffic on April 11, 2023.[1][2]

Major intersections

The entire route is in Itawamba County.

LocationmikmDestinationsNotes
​0.00.0

 MS 25 to I-22 / US 78 – Fulton, Belmont		Western terminus; segment between here and MS 23 opened to traffic on April 11, 2023,[1][2] Corridor V follows SR 25 south
​8.313.4

 MS 23 to I-22 / US 78 – Tremont		Former western terminus until April 11, 2023[1][2]
​10.717.2
 SR 24 east – Red Bay, Russellville		Alabama state line; eastern terminus; Corridor V follows SR 24 east
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Carlisle, Zac (April 10, 2023). "Highway 76 extension opens Tuesday morning in Itawamba County". WTVA and WLOV-TV. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e Reed, Winston (April 11, 2023). "New stretch of highway opens in Itawamba County". WCBI-TV. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  3. ^ Mississippi Department of Transportation Planning Division (December 31, 2010). Mississippi Public Roads Selected Statistics Extent, Travel, and Designation (PDF) (Report). Mississippi Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Mississippi Department of Transportation (November 23, 2021). "MDOT projects continue in northeast Mississippi" (Press release). Mississippi Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Map of Mississippi Highway 76" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  6. ^ Mississippi Department of Transportation (2013). Official Highway Map of Mississippi (PDF) (Map). Jackson: Mississippi Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  7. ^ a b Mississippi Department of Transportation (2014). Official Highway Map of Mississippi (PDF) (Map). Jackson: Mississippi Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  8. ^ Mississippi Department of Transportation (1994). Official Highway Map of Mississippi (PDF) (Map) (1994–1995 ed.). Jackson: Mississippi Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  9. ^ Mississippi Department of Transportation (1996). Official Highway Map of Mississippi (PDF) (Map) (1996–1997 ed.). Jackson: Mississippi Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  10. ^ Mississippi Department of Transportation (1998). Official Highway Map of Mississippi (PDF) (Map). Jackson: Mississippi Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  11. ^ Mississippi Department of Transportation (2000). Official Highway Map of Mississippi (PDF) (Map). Jackson: Mississippi Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  12. ^ Willis, Jonathan (May 11, 2013). "New Stretch of Alabama 24 Opens". Franklin County Times. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  13. ^ "Grant issued to finish four-laning of Hwy. 76 in Itawamba County". The Red Bay News. July 23, 2019. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
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