Branson is notorious for the traffic jams that occur on Hwy. 76, a/k/a Country Music Boulevard, or known in local parlance as the Strip. The Strip is the main thoroughfare in Branson and many theaters and lodging places are located on the Strip. Traffic jams before and after 8 PM shows can go on for miles, so if you get a bad case of road rage when you're stuck in a traffic jam, you definitely don't want to be driving on the Strip during these times.
There are alternate routes to ease the traffic congestion. There are three roads known as Time Saver Routes that bypass the Strip to make it easier for you to get around. The three routes are called the Red Route, the Blue Route and the Yellow Route. All of these routes are clearly marked with road signs.
The Red Route and the Blue Route are located north of the Strip. The Red Route (a/k/a Hwy. 248 or Shepherd of the Hills Expressway) starts at Hwy. 65 and ends next to the RFD Theater. The Blue Route is south of the Red Route and starts on the Strip as you turn right onto Roark Valley Road, then left on Gretna Road. The Blue Route ends at the Strip next to the Titanic museum.
The Yellow Route is located south of the Strip. It starts at the Strip when you turn left on Fall Creek Road, turn right on Wildwood Drive, and then left on Green Mountain Drive. The Yellow Route ends at Hwy. 376. Since you end up on Green Mountain Drive anyway, in my mind, it's better just to go down the Strip and turn left on Green Mountain Drive. Several of the theaters on the south side of the Strip have parking lots that can be accessed from Green Mountain Drive, so you can avoid the traffic on the Strip that way as well.
There are some other roads that will help you get around Branson. Gretna Road (which is also part of the Blue Route) starts at Hwy. 248, goes west and south to the Strip, where it turns into Hwy. 165. The Ozark Mountain Highroad starts at Hwy. 65 north of Branson. It bypasses Branson all together. It ends at Hwy. 76 a couple of miles east of Indian Point Road. If you're lodging on Indian Point or points west and you''re traveling to Branson from the north on Hwy. 65, the Highroad will help you avoid all the Branson traffic. It is also a lovely scenic route, since there are no billboards on the Highroad. If you travel to Branson on MO Hwy. 44, you can always tell when you're getting close to the Hwy. 65 exit when you see all the billboards for Branson and Springfield attractions.
On your first trip to Branson, you will want to bring a couple of Branson maps with you to help you get your bearings. Rand McNally published a very nice map of Branson with all the streets and roads on it that also includes other local cities such as Kimberling City, Branson West, etc. However, this map is no longer published and it isn't updated as to theaters and restaurants, so you may not want to depend on it to find your destination. Branson Tourism Center has a very nice full color map of Branson on their website. Click here to find the map. I would recommend printing this in color so you can see where the Time Saver routes are. If you have a GPS, you don't need a map. If you have a smartphone, map apps can be downloaded to help you find your way.
That's all for today! Thanks for reading and until next time -
Happy travels!
Diane
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