Mississippi Highway 76

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, part of the Appalachian Development Highway System, connecting with Alabama's SR 24 section at the state line.

Mississippi Highway 76

Corridor V
Route information
Maintained by MDOT
Length2.4 mi[1] (3.9 km)
8.3 miles (13.4 km) western extension to MS 25 under construction[2]
Existed2013–present
Major junctions
West end MS 23 near Red Bay
East end SR 24 at the Alabama state line
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMississippi
CountiesItawamba
Highway system
← US 72→ US 78

Though proposed as a 4-lane connection for SR 24 (and all of northeast Alabama) to Fulton, Tupelo, and I-22, it currently only extends 2.4 miles (3.9 km) from the state line to MS 23.[3]

Route description
MS 76 westbound at the state line

MS 76 currently begins at a T-intersection with MS 23 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Belmont in rural eastern Itawamba County, and heads east a 4-lane divided highway without outside shoulders. The highway travels through wooded hilly terrain, passing by a couple farms and crossing a small creek (Ray Branch), before continuing into Franklin County, Alabama as SR 24[3][4][5]

History

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 between 1996 until the designation was dropped when the rest of the highway was finished all the way to Tupelo at US 45 in 2014. It too was a 4-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.[6][7][8][9][5][10]

Future
Early morning shot of the current western terminus of MS 76

Currently, construction is underway on the western 8.3 miles (13.4 km) extension of MS 76 to MS 25 near Fulton, approximately 7 miles (11 km) from that highway's interchange with I-22/US 78 (Exit 108). The highway will be a four-lane divided highway with grassy median, just like the current section, and is being entirely built on near terrain, though it does roughly follow the path of Fairview Banner Road. This will fill the final gap in Corridor V and complete the highway. It was originally scheduled to start in 2011, but was delayed due to funding concerns.[11] The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.[2]

Major intersections

The entire route is in Itawamba County.

LocationmikmDestinationsNotes
​

 MS 25 to I-22 / US 78 – Fulton, Belmont		Future western terminus; expected to open by end of 2023; Corridor V follows SR 25 south
​0.00.0

 MS 23 to I-22 / US 78 – Tremont, Red Bay		Current western terminus
​2.43.9
 SR 24 east – Russellville		Alabama state line; eastern terminus; Corridor V follows SR 24 east
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  •       Unopened

References
  1. 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.
  2. Mississippi Department of Transportation (November 23, 2021). "MDOT projects continue in northeast Mississippi". Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  3. Google (October 2, 2022). "Map of Mississippi Highway 76" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  4. Mississippi Department of Transportation (2013). Official Highway Map of Mississippi (PDF) (Map). Jackson: Mississippi Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  5. Mississippi Department of Transportation (2014). Official Highway Map of Mississippi (PDF) (Map). Jackson: Mississippi Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  6. Mississippi Department of Transportation. "Map of state of Mississippi 1995" (PDF). Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  7. Mississippi Department of Transportation. "Map of state of Mississippi 1996" (PDF). Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  8. Mississippi Department of Transportation. "Map of state of Mississippi 1998" (PDF). Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  9. Mississippi Department of Transportation. "Map of state of Mississippi 2000" (PDF). Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  10. Franklin County Times (May 11, 2013). "New stretch of Alabama 24 opens". Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  11. The Red Bay News (July 23, 2019). "Grant issued to finish four-laning of Hwy. 76 in Itawamba County". Retrieved October 2, 2022.
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