“The announced renovation of Highway 65 in Springfield is scheduled to start on July 10,” said Preston Garrison, Director of Operations for the Branson Tourism Center. “The southbound Highway 65 exits, from both the east and west are scheduled to be closed the weeks of July 10 and July 17. There will be no impact on the northbound lanes during that period, he added.

Angela Eden, Senior Communications Specialist for the Southwest District of the Missouri Department of Transportation said that it’s a major $10.8 million project. It includes rebuilding the outside two lanes in each direction between Kearney and Sunshine Streets and other work.

In addition to the southbound exit closures, Highway 65 will be closed, one direction and location at a time, at various times, between Kearney and Sunshine Streets in Springfield. The northbound lanes will be open through the Week of July 31while the southbound lanes are being worked on. The southbound lanes will be open after the Week of July 31 while the northbound lanes are worked.

The official “signed detour” is I-44 to Route 360/60 (James River Freeway) at Exit #69. Once on the James River Freeway, follow it east and exit onto Highway 65 south. Reverse the process when traveling to I-44 from Branson. Garrison expects no impact for those traveling to and from the west on I-44. For them, ‘The James River Freeway,’ at Exit 69, is an ideal route,” he said. He points out that those traveling from and to the east will have about 15 to 20 minutes added to their trip using the “signed detour.”

Although there are alternative routes to the official “signed detour,” he advises their use only by those familiar with the area. It provides a clean shot to and from and to I-44 with no stop lights or exposure to local Springfield’s traffic which will also be detouring around the construction.

Here’s the specific closure dates and segments of Highway 65 impacted by the construction during those dates:

Week of July 10 into Week of July 31- Southbound Lanes:

Week of July 10– The westbound I-44-to-southbound Route 65 ramp and the eastbound I-44-to-southbound Route 65 ramp will be closed as well southbound Route 65 between Kearney Street and Division Street.

Week of July 17– The westbound I-44-to-southbound Route 65 ramp and the eastbound I-44-to-southbound Route 65 ramp will be closed as well southbound Route 65 Division Street and the Chestnut Expressway.

Week of July 24 into the Week of July 31– Southbound Route 65 will be closed between Chestnut Expressway and Sunshine Street.

Week of July 10 through Week of July 31- Northbound Lanes: There will be no impact on northbound travel on Highway 65 between Branson and I-44

Week of August 7 into Week of August 28- Northbound Lanes

Week of August 7– Northbound Route 65 will be closed between Sunshine Street and Chestnut Expressway.

Week of August 14– Northbound Route 65 will be closed between Chestnut Expressway and Division Street.

Week of August 21 into the Week of August 28- Northbound Route 65 will be closed between Division Street and Kearney Street.

Week of August 7 into the Week of August 28- South Bound Lanes: There will be no impact on south bound travel on Highway 65 between Branson and I-44.

For more information, please feel free to call one of Branson Tourism Center’s Branson based Travel Planners at 1-866-593-9740. They’ll also answer questions about Branson including its shows, hotels, and attractions as well as assist with reservations. There is no charge for this service and they are available daily, except Christmas Day, from 9:00 AM to 8.00 PM.

“It was an honor just to be a finalist for the Torch Award,” said Tammy Johnson, Vice President and General Manager of the Branson Tourism Center (BTC). “Actually winning the BBB Torch Award, with so many worthy nominees, is as humbling as it is awesome,” she added.

Johnson said that it’s a testimony to the dedication, effort, and character of Branson Tourism Center’s employees and the Branson vendors they market for. “Our team ‘makes it happen’ every day as they share Branson and help its visitors have the very best Branson experience possible,” she said. “The principles this award embodies, ‘excellence in customer care, marketplace excellence, advancing marketplace trust and consumer leadership,’ are an inherent part of our daily interactions with our customers and vendors. It’s what we strive for every day,” Johnson added.

Over the last 14 years, BTC has sold nearly 5 million show and attraction tickets and hundreds of thousands of room-nights in the Branson marketplace building trusted relationships with its valued customers and vendors. Johnson said, “From a business and economic perspective ‘what’ we have done is important. Equally important however, and what winning the ‘Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics” signifies, is ‘how’ we did it.”

About Branson Tourism Center

Branson Tourism Center, established in 2003, is a marketing company specializing in packaging and individual sales of lodging, shows, attractions and restaurants within Branson to prospective visitors.  It’s one of the area’s largest providers of Branson travel services and employs close to 100 people. It is an accredited member of the Better Business Bureau of Southwest Missouri with an A+ rating. Among other organizations, it is a member of the Student & Youth Travel Association (SYTA), American Bus Association (ABA), National Tour Association (NTA), American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), Religious Conference Management Association (RCMA), Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce (BLACC), and Branson Lakes Area Lodging Association (BLALA). Branson Tourism Center may be reached by calling 1-800-978-1999.

Historic Downtown Branson businesses remain open with plenty of free parking during the final phase of its Streetscape revitalization project.

“Branson is so blessed to have its thriving and vibrant Historic Downtown Business District, with its shows, restaurants, unique shopping, and historical links to Branson’s past, providing Branson visitors with a unique, nostalgic, and memorable experience,” said Annette Wood, Director of Sales and Marketing for the Branson Tourism Center. “Its Streetscape revitalization  project, scheduled for completion on May, 19, 2017, will do nothing, but increase that marvelous experience,” she added

She said that that those wanting to shop in Historic Downtown Branson or go to Branson Landing using Highway 76, which is also Branson’s  “Main Street” as it approaches the downtown shopping district, might find these suggestions helpful:

1. Historic Downtown Branson’s Businesses are OPEN: Even as construction proceeds, the businesses in Historic Downtown Branson are open and operating under their normal schedules! Tom Crain, who can often be seen painting through the window of his studio in Crain Creations Gallery on Main Street, was just one of the downtown merchants who reemphasized that point on January 19.

2. There is plenty of free parking! As one approaches the Downtown District, driving east on Main Street, the sight of the construction ahead and the “Road Closed” sign at the corner of Main Street and the intersection of Business 165/Veterans Boulevard might create some confusion as to whether the businesses are open and the availability of parking. As pointed out above, the businesses are open and, whichever way one turns at the intersection, there is plenty of free parking!

Turn left, north, at the intersection, go one block and turn right, east, onto Atlantic Street. There is free parking available in the Pinegar Parking Lot to your right as well as on Atlantic, Sycamore, and north on Commercial. If you turn right, south at the intersection, go one block and turn left, east, onto Pacific Street, free parking is available along Pacific, in the City’s Parking Garage, and south on Commercial Street.

3. Using Main Street, Highway 76 to get to Branson Landing: Many use Main Street through the Historic District to get to Branson Landing. This will not be an option during the construction. Although there are certainly alternate methods, the simplest is to turn left, north, at the intersection of Main Street and Business 165/Veterans Boulevard and proceed north to the Roundabout. Keep to the right and follow Branson Landing Boulevard into Branson Landing exiting for, north to south, Belk, the parking garage, Hilton Promenade Hotel, Hilton  Convention Center Hotel, Bass Pro Shops, and Main Street Lake Cruises, as appropriate.

4. Park at Branson Landing and take the Free Downtown Trolley: For the best of both worlds, offering the fun, excitement, and shopping of both Branson Landing and Historic Downtown Branson, use the free parking in either the “Belk” or “Bass Pro Shops” parking lots and ride the free Down Town Trolley. It can be boarded near both the Belk and Bass Pro Shops main entrances, travels between Branson Landing and the Historic Downtown Branson shopping district at regular intervals, and provides the opportunity for a one of a kind shopping experience!

Branson Tourism
Center’s Branson Map with Alternate Colored Routes.

At first glance, it appears that the wrong term, “Roads” instead of “Rhoades” was used in connection with the word “Scholars,” but that’s not the case. We are actually referring to “Roads Scholars,” as in making traveling around a more pleasant part of the Branson experience. Does Branson have a lot of traffic during its season? We sure hope so; but the challenges of getting around in that traffic are no worse in Branson than those encountered in most major travel destinations. With a little planning, these challenges can be reduced if not eliminated entirely.

As we use the term “Roads Scholar,” it simply applies to a person who knows the three things that can have them driving around Branson like a local. These three things are; knowledge about Highway 76, the key to efficient Branson travel; the Alternate Colored Route System; and targeting your destination to either Highway 76 or the Alternate Colored Route System. Let’s take a look at each of these in order:

1.  Highway 76, the Branson Strip, is the key:

Highway 76 is also referred to as “The Branson Strip.” It’s easily Branson’s most traveled road and runs east and west through the entire length of town. With its three block Main Street extension, running east from the intersection of Highway 76 and Business Highway 65, through historic downtown Branson to Branson Landing, Highway 76 extends from Silver Dollar City, on the west, to Branson Landing, and the shoreline of Lake Taneycomo on the east.

The majority of Branson’s theatres, including some of its most popular shows, are located on Highway 76. These include, among many others, Legends in Concert, Dixie Stampede, Grand Jubilee, Amazing Pets, Illusionist Rick Thomas, Presleys’ Country Jubilee, Clay Cooper’s Country Express, The Haygoods, Billy Dean In Concert With Jarrett , Ayo starring Voices of Glory, it starring the Hughes Brothers, and SIX. Most of Branson’s major attractions are located on Highway 76, including the Titanic Museum Attraction, The Track Family Fun Parks, Hollywood Wax Museum, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, White Water, the Butterfly Palace and Rainforest Adventure, and many more.

One way or another, either because of wanting to or having to, it is a virtual certainty that you will be traveling on Highway 76. The key to doing so efficiently, and avoiding frustration, is to simply keep direct travel on Highway 76 to a minimum during peak travel times, and to use Branson’s Alternate Colored Route System to help you do so.

Because it is the main east/west Highway link to and from Branson, and because most of Branson’s theatres, attractions and major shopping areas are on it, Highway 76 is heavily traveled throughout the day. Typically, this causes minimal if any inconvenience except for the peak periods.

The traffic generally becomes heavier and more concentrated during two peak periods; one is between approximately 5:30 PM and 8:00 PM when people are trying to eat and get to shows. The other is on Sunday, between about 9:30 AM and 1:00 PM, the time-frame when many people are try to exit Branson at the same time. These periods would be excellent times to use Branson’s Alternate Colored Route System to avoid travel on Highway 76 as much as possible.

 2. Use Branson’s Alternate Colored Route System:

Branson’s system of three alternate colored routes – Blue, Red, and Yellow – is overlaid on existing highways and roads. In general, these routes are an alternate to Highway 76, paralleling it, for the most part, in an east and west direction. A little time spent familiarizing yourself with these colored routes, and the “north-south” connector roads between them and Highway 76, will help you get just about anywhere in Branson you want to go with little, if any,

Here’s a couple examples of how Branson’s Colored Route System can help:

Exiting and Entering Branson: When exiting Branson, you can avoid the traffic on Highway 76 by getting over to the Red Route, as close to its western junction with Highway 76 as possible, and taking it east to its intersection with Highway 65 from where you can exit north or south. Simply reverse the process when entering Branson.

Getting To and From Branson Landing: The Red Route is also an excellent alternate to Highway 76 for getting to and from Branson Landing. Take it east past the Highway 65 junction to the roundabout and go into the Landing from the roundabout.

 3. Targeting Your Destination:

Investing a little time with a map and planning a route to your initial Branson destination, for your daily travels while in Branson, and to your exit from Branson can make your time here more enjoyable. A simple way to do this is to “target” your destination by relating it to Highway 76 or an alternate colored route on a map. This way, you have a point of reference should there be a problem.

Unfortunately, many online maps and GPS services ignore Branson’s Alternate Colored Route System. The good news is that, in the vast majority of cases, the maps available online through Branson based businesses and in printed form at many places in Branson, including the Branson Tourism Center, not only show the Alternate Colored Routes, but also a lot of the major shows, attractions, and other things that Branson has to offer, making it extremely easy to target your destination. The Branson Tourism Center’s online map, which can be viewed online or downloaded and printed in PDF format, is one such map.

If you have any questions about directions or need information or tickets for any of Branson’s shows and attractions, or if you need lodging arrangements, please feel free to contact the Branson Tourism Center, one of Branson’s largest and most respected vacation planning services, by calling their toll free number 1-800-785-1550 or by visiting www.BransonTourismCenter.com.

Jeff Seifried, the new President/CEO of the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB.

“We extend a warm Branson welcome to Jeff Seifried, who has just recently been announced as the new President/CEO Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB,” said Tammy Johnson, the General Manager for the Branson Tourism Center, one of Branson’s largest and most respected vacation planning services. “Seifried was named the new President/Chief Executive Officer of the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau, according to Randy Brashers, Chairman of the Board of Directors. Seifried is leaving his position as the Manager of Regional Development for the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce [which he has held since July of 2007] and will begin the Branson job on March 2, 2015.

“Mr. Seifried’s professional career has largely been spent in the area of Economic Development. In July, 2007  he joined the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and had direct oversight of initiating business recruitment and marketing strategies for the Springfield region.

“Seifried is a graduate of Drury University and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration, with a minor in Global Studies and is also a graduate of the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute.”

At the time of his selection Seifried was serving on the city council of Springfield, Mo and was the “Mayor Pro Tem.” Upon resigning from the council it was reported that one of his fellow council members, Councilwoman Cindy Rushefsky, described Seifried as being thoughtful, intelligent and independent and willing to stick his neck out to come up “with creative solutions.”