Branson protests ‘bottleneck’ designation

Community leaders have developed an awareness campaign to dispel the traffic jam stereotype and prove that Branson can accommodate its estimated 7 million annual visitors.

The AAA study focused on the unavoidable congestion on Highway 76 at peak times and didn’t account for alternate routes, said Mike Right, vice president of AAA Missouri, in a news release.

About $40 million has been spent on 17 miles of alternate roads in Branson in the last 10 years, and Missouri Department of Transportation has invested more than $200 million in the construction of the 18-mile Ozark Mountain Highroad and the widening of 45 miles of Highway 65 corridor.

“We realize that while millions of dollars have been spent on new roads, many visitors don’t yet know about them,” said Ross Summers, president and CEO of Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce in a news release.

To raise awareness of the improvements, the city will standardize area maps and produce a video of traffic relief routes to be shown in Branson’s live theaters. AAA also has agreed to distribute updated Time-Saver maps throughout the region.