U.S. 276

U.S. 276

U.S. 276 connects the Transylvania County seat of Brevard with the Haywood County seat of Waynesville in Western North Carolina. Entering the Tar Heel State across the Blue Ridge Mountains at Jones Gap, U.S. 276 measures 63.16 miles north to Interstate 40 at Cove Creek.

The southern 12.52 miles of U.S. 276 run north from the Tennessee Valley Divide to Cedar Mountain and west into the French Broad River valley beyond Bill Raines Mountain. Within the city of Brevard, U.S. 276 overlaps with U.S. 64 (Asheville Highway) northeast 3.38 miles to NC 280 at Pisgah Highway. This includes a one way couplet along Broad Street east and Caldwell Street west with U.S. 64 at Downtown Brevard. Applications sent to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on September 15, 2006 for this realignment in Brevard were withdrawn by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). Nonetheless the split is signed.

U.S. 276 (Pisgah Highway) traverses the Pisgah Range along a mountainous route northwest from Brevard to the Blue Ridge Parkway at Wagon Road Gap. Continuing into Haywood County, U.S. 276 (Cruso Road) parallels the Pigeon River north beside the Great Balsam Mountains to NC 110/215 at Bethel. Beyond a 0.70 mile long overlap with NC 215, U.S. 276 (Pigeon Road) advances west between Lickstone Ridge and Ratlcliff Mountain into the town of Waynesville.

U.S. 276 ties into U.S. 23 Business (Main Street) along a 0.41 mile overlap through Downtown Waynesville. Following Walnut Street, U.S. 276 continues north to Russ Avenue and U.S. 19 (Dellwood Road) at Ivy Hills and Lake Junaluska. U.S. 276 turns west 2.40 miles alongside U.S. 19 to Dellwood. U.S. 19 continues into the town of Maggie Valley while U.S. 276 parallels Jonathan Creek north to Interstate 40.

Prior to 1939, U.S. 276 extended only as far north as U.S. 64 in Brevard. The highway overtook what was North Carolina Route 284 northward to Waynesville, and was considered for further lengthening northward to Tennessee in case the road from Waynesville was substantially improved at that time.

A short extension of U.S. 276 was eventually approved by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) on June 11, 1959. Overlapping with then U.S. 19-A/23, U.S. 276 followed Main Street 0.27 miles north from Pigeon Street in Waynesville to Depot Street (NC 284). U.S. 276 replaced NC 284 northwest along Depot Street 0.32 miles to Dellwood Road, and Dellwood Road 0.48 miles northeast to Howell Mill Road. The remainder follows Russ Avenue north to U.S. 19 at Lake Junaluska.

Being submitted herewith is a formal application of the North Carolina State Highway Commission for the extension of US Route 276 from its present terminus in Waynesville, North Carolina, to US Route 19 near Dellwood. This extension will be vary advantageous to the traveling public in providing a continuos US Route Number to this point.

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Page Updated Thursday May 13, 2021.