Misplaced Pages

Florida's Turnpike

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
(Redirected from Florida's Turnpike Authority) Highway in Florida, United States

Florida's Turnpike markerFlorida's Turnpike
  • State Road 91
  • Ronald Reagan Turnpike
  • Sunshine State Parkway (formerly)
Florida's Turnpike highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise
Length264.666 mi (425.939 km)308.757 mi (496.896 km) including Homestead Extension
ExistedJanuary 25, 1957–present
Major junctions
South end I-95 / US 441 / SR 9 / SR 826 in Miami Gardens
Major intersections
North end I-75 near Wildwood
Location
CountryUnited States
StateFlorida
CountiesMiami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, Okeechobee, Osceola, Orange, Lake, Sumter
Highway system
SR 90SR 91 US 92

Florida's Turnpike, designated as unsigned State Road 91 (SR 91), is a controlled-access toll road in the U.S. state of Florida, maintained by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE). Spanning approximately 309 miles (497 km) along a northwest–southeast axis, the turnpike is in two sections. The SR 91 mainline runs roughly 265 miles (426 km), from its southern terminus at an interchange with Interstate 95 (I-95) in Miami Gardens to an interchange with I-75 in Wildwood at its northern terminus. The Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike (abbreviated HEFT and designated as unsigned SR 821) continues from the southern end of the mainline for another 48 miles (77 km) to US Highway 1 (US 1) in Florida City. The slogan for the road is "The Less Stressway". The mainline opened in stages between 1957 and 1964, while the extension was completed in 1974. The turnpike runs through Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, where it parallels I-95, and through Orlando, where it crosses I-4.

Route description

For route info regarding exits 1 through 47 of Florida's Turnpike, see Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike.

Miami to Ft. Pierce

The main section of Florida's Turnpike begins at the northern end of the Golden Glades Interchange in Miami Gardens as a six-lane highway, and passes through the Golden Glades Toll Barrier, a cashless toll point, similar to the ones on the HEFT. About 2 miles (3 km) north of the toll gantry, it passes by Hard Rock Stadium, home to the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League, to the west before intersecting with the northern end of the HEFT at the Miami-Dade/Broward County line 4 miles (6 km) from Golden Glades, continuing the HEFT's mile marker. The highway goes through the inland suburbs of Miramar, Hollywood, and Davie, with an exit at Hollywood Boulevard (SR 820) at mile 50, and passing west of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood just south the Griffin Road (SR 818) interchange (exit 53). In Davie, about 8 miles (13 km) north of the Homestead Extension interchange, it intersects with I-595, providing direct access to Alligator Alley and Ft. Lauderdale International Airport. After two more interchanges, one with Sunrise Boulevard (SR 838) in Plantation and Commercial Boulevard (SR 870) in Tamarac, it crosses the Cypress Creek Toll Plaza in North Lauderdale, the second on the mainline. Just 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the toll plaza, it intersects with the Pompano Beach Service Plaza, the first of seven full-service plazas on the mainline, and where the Turnpike's operations center is located. Still in Pompano Beach, it has a northbound-only exit (and southbound-only entrance) at Atlantic Boulevard (SR 814), followed by full interchanges with Coconut Creek Parkway/Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (County Road 912) (exit 67) and Sample Road (SR 834) (exit 69). North of exit 69, the road is no longer illuminated by streetlights but rather only at interchanges, near service plazas, and some urban areas (like near Orlando). It then enters Deerfield Beach with an interchange with the Sawgrass Expressway in Coconut Creek (exit 71), the final interchange in Broward County. The Turnpike then enters Palm Beach County, with one interchange each in Boca Raton (Glades Road, exit 75), Delray Beach (Atlantic Avenue, exit 81) and Boynton Beach (Boynton Beach Boulevard, exit 86).

The turnpike narrows to a four-lane highway as it goes through a less developed portion of Palm Beach County, crossing interchanges with Lake Worth Road, followed by the Lake Worth/West Palm Beach Service Plaza at mile marker 94. In West Palm Beach, the highway has interchanges with US 98/SR 80 (Southern Boulevard), a SunPass-only interchange at Jog Road, followed by an interchange at Okeechobee Boulevard (exit 99) that heads directly into downtown West Palm Beach. North of the interchange, the highway enters stretch of sparse development between this point and Port St. Lucie, intersecting with the Beeline Highway, another SunPass only interchange before leaving West Palm Beach. Just north of the SR 786 interchange in Palm Beach Gardens (exit 109), I-95 parallels the Turnpike to the east for about 20 miles (32 km), with I-95 visible from the turnpike as it has an interchange with SR 706 (exit 116) in Jupiter and into Martin County. It breaks off as it crosses the Thomas B. Manuel Bridge over the St. Lucie Canal, crossing I-95 without an interchange just south of the SR 714 interchange, the only exit in Martin County. I-95 heads west towards the western fringes of St. Lucie County development, while the turnpike takes a path through the central areas of the county. The turnpike has two interchanges in Port St. Lucie, one at Becker Road (exit 138), the third SunPass-only exit, and SR 716 (exit 142), followed by the Port St. Lucie-Fort Pierce service plaza at mile marker 144. The turnpike intersects I-95 one last time just south of SR 70 (exit 152) in Fort Pierce, as I-95 continues to head up the east coast of Florida and the turnpike curves inland towards Orlando.

Ft. Pierce to Wildwood

North of the SR 70 interchange, the turnpike enters a rural area, with cattle farms and orange groves lining the road for most of the section between Fort Pierce and Kissimmee, with only one interchange: SR 60 in Yeehaw Junction (exit 193). There are two service plazas in this area, one at Fort Drum at mile marker 184 and the other, Canoe Creek, at mile marker 229. Between Fort Pierce and Yeehaw Junction, the turnpike travels in a nearly east-west direction heading inland, with a 40.5-mile (65.2 km) gap between the two exits, the second longest of any US expressway. Between Yeehaw Junction and Kissimmee, the turnpike, returning to a north-northwest direction towards Orlando, has a 48.9-mile (78.7 km) (47 miles (76 km) southbound) stretch without an exit, the longest of any US expressway. It then passes exit 240 located at Clay Whaley Road, a partial interchange featuring a northbound on- and southbound off-ramp only. After interchanges with US 192/US 441 (exit 242 northbound, exit 244 southbound) and the Osceola Parkway (exit 249), the turnpike enters Orange County and Orlando, expanding to eight lanes north of the latter interchange and quickly intersecting SR 417 (Central Florida GreeneWay) (exit 251). Exit 254 in Sky Lake is a massive combined interchange with both US 17/US 92/US 441 (Orange Blossom Trail) and SR 528 (Beachline Expressway), which combines a series of partial cloverleaf interchanges with access ramps from side roads. The turnpike then intersects with Consulate Drive (southbound exit 255) and SR 482 (Sand Lake Road) (future exit 257).

Florida's Turnpike southbound at the interchange with SR 429 in Ocoee, Exit 267A, before expansion to four lanes in each direction

After passing the I-4 interchange (exit 259) near many of Orlando's theme parks, connecting directly with the I-4 express lanes to and from the east along I-4, the Turnpike moves in a northwest direction, first passing by the Turkey Lake Service Plaza at mile marker 263, where the FDOT district headquarters of the Turnpike are located. The Turnpike has the next two interchanges with Orlando area tollways, SR 408 (East-West Expressway) at exit 265 and SR 429 (Western Expressway) at exit 267A, where in between the two exits, the turnpike expands to become a twelve-lane highway, and reverting to an eight-lane highway north of the SR 429 interchange. The last two Orange County interchanges are with SR 50 five miles apart at exit 267B and 272, with the turnpike becoming a four-lane highway north of exit 272, and staying that way for the rest of its northward journey. The Turnpike then enters Lake County, heading in a northwestern direction, where hilly countryside becomes a part of the terrain for the remainder of the expressway while intersecting with Hancock Road (exit 278) in Minneola, an electronic toll interchange. At mile 285, it has a northbound exit/southbound entrance with US 27, followed by the Leesburg electronic toll gantry at mile 288, and a southbound exit/northbound entrance with US 27 at mile 289. The last interchange in Lake County is with County Road 470 (exit 296), which does not provide cash.

Northern terminus at I-75 near Wildwood in January 2012.

At mile marker 299, the turnpike passes through the final service plaza, the Okahumpka service plaza. Between US 301 (exit 304) and the northern terminus (mile 309) there is no toll. The turnpike ends with an interchange with I-75 in Wildwood, about 20 miles (32 km) south of Ocala. Exit 307 at SR 44 provides access to southbound I-75 through that interstate's exit 329, while northbound I-75 travelers (and bidirectional SR 44 travelers) can access the turnpike at this exit.

Tolls

Tolls on the turnpike are an average of 6.7 cents per mile (4.2 ¢/km) for cars and other two-axle vehicles using SunPass. A trip on the entire turnpike (not including the Homestead Extension) would cost $22.59 with Toll-by-Plate, and $17.45 with SunPass.

The turnpike was originally entirely on the ticket system, but due to congestion in the Miami and Orlando metro areas, a barrier toll system was implemented from the Three Lakes toll plaza north to the terminus at I-75, and from Lantana south to I-95, in the 1990s. In 2015, the portion between the Golden Glades toll barrier and I-595 in Davie was converted to a cashless toll system. Additional projects to convert the turnpike to an electronic collection system were completed between I-595 and Lantana in 2019, and from SR 429 north to I-75 in Wildwood in 2020.

A ticket from Florida's Turnpike for travel between the Three Lakes and Lantana toll plazas.

The final stretch of the turnpike to use the ticket system ran between what are now electronic toll gantries at Lantana (mile 89.4 in Palm Beach County) and Three Lakes (mile 236.5 in Osceola County). This section was converted to a cashless system on November 8, 2021, removing the final cash-based toll collections and converting the entire length of the turnpike to electronic toll collection.

The SunPass electronic toll collection system, in use since 1999, has become the primary method of paying tolls on the turnpike, with 80% of customers using the system as of October 2009. SunPass can be used on most Florida toll roads, in conjunction with other electronic toll collection systems in Florida (E-Pass and LeeWay). SunPass users benefit from an average of a 25% discount on tolls and access to SunPass-only exit ramps. SunPass transponders are available at the gift shop and gas stations at all service plazas, as well as Walgreens, Publix, and CVS stores statewide. Since 2021, E-ZPass, which is used primarily in the Midwest and Northeast U.S., has also been accepted on Florida's Turnpike.

As the Turnpike and its system of roads are primary routes for emergency evacuations, tolls may be suspended, in cooperation with the state's emergency operations center and county governments, when a state or national emergency, most common being a hurricane watch, warrant rapid movement of the population.

Services

Service plazas

This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (April 2024)
Turkey Lake Plaza before its 2012 reconstruction

Eight service plazas are located along the turnpike, spaced about 45 miles (72 km) apart. All eight plazas are open 24 hours a day and located on the center median of the turnpike for access from both directions and offer gasoline, diesel fuel, internet access, travel and tourism info and tickets, picnic areas, TV news, gift shops offering Florida Lottery, family-friendly restrooms, and pay phones. A convenience store/gas station is located at the Snapper Creek plaza on the Homestead Extension of the turnpike, while the remaining seven are full-service plazas, featuring a selection of franchised fast food restaurants. Three of the service plazas (Pompano, Port St. Lucie/Fort Pierce, Turkey Lake) also provide E85 ethanol. The Turkey Lake, Ft. Drum plaza, Canoe Creek, Okahumpa, Port St. Lucie, West Palm Beach, and Pompano Beach plazas also have Tesla Superchargers for Tesla electric vehicles.

The operation of Sunshine State Parkway gas stations and service centers was originally bid out under separate contracts, and as a result, differing petroleum brands operated concurrently along the parkway, with varying levels of service and pricing. This practice was discontinued in 1995 when all service center operations were combined to improve supply and continuity of service; with Martin Petroleum, a Florida corporation, operating the stations with Citgo brand fuel at its stations. Since then, the Venezuelan government, under President Hugo Chávez, nationalized Citgo, and in 2006, political controversy resulted in a movement to remove the brand from the turnpike.

In 2009, Areas U.S.A. signed a 30-year contract for operation of food and retail concessions, taking over operations from Martin Petroleum and HMSHost. Florida Turnpike Services, L.L.C., Areas' partner, replaced the Citgo brand with Shell, the current brand for gas stations along the turnpike. Many of the restaurant brands were also changed over, with Dunkin' Donuts replacing Starbucks locations as well as KFC, Pizza Hut, Villa Pizza and Wendy's replacing most Popeyes and Burger King locations. The reconstruction and renovation of six of the service plazas began on November 1, 2010, to be completed in 2012. The Okahumpka and Ft. Pierce plazas will begin reconstruction when the other plaza projects are complete. Total renovation costs are estimated at $160 million.

Intelligent transportation systems

Florida's Turnpike Enterprise operates with intelligent transportation systems (ITS), used to detect and manage incidents on their roadways. The ITS are managed by two traffic management centers (TMCs), one in Pompano Beach and the other in Ocoee, operated by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The system, consisting of closed-circuit television traffic cameras, dynamic message signs, highway advisory radio, and radar vehicle detection system, allow the TMC to see anything from congestion to crashes, to disabled vehicles that may pose a threat to the Turnpike's motorists. When necessary, the TMC will activate the dynamic message signs and highway advisory radio stations to alert motorists of the potential situation, as well as AMBER/Silver Alerts.

Road Rangers

The Road Rangers Safety Patrol offers free roadside assistance on Florida's Turnpike mainline and Homestead Extension. Utility and tow trucks patrol 12 designated zones looking for stranded motorists to provide services such as fuel, tire changes, and use of a cellular phone; and also watching out for crashes and road debris. The Traffic Management Center dispatches them to accidents, debris removal, disabled vehicles, or anything that may potentially affect the traveling public; they also assist the Florida Highway Patrol with traffic maintenance during incidents involving blockage of lanes.

History

Planning

Looking northbound at Florida's Turnpike as seen from the shoulder of Old County Road 50 near Clermont, at mile 276

In the years following World War II, Florida was experiencing unprecedented growth in population and tourism, along with a revitalized citrus industry recovering from a harsh freeze early in the decade; the increased traffic load quickly burdened the state's highway system. South Florida businessman and accounting firm owner Charles B. Costar was concerned that a trip down the east coast of Florida would take days on the available road network, passing through every small beachside town and siphoning off the traffic before visitors reached South Florida. After driving on the Pennsylvania Turnpike during a vacation there, he envisioned a similar high-speed turnpike in Florida. In 1953, Costar led a lobbying group that resulted in the state legislature creating the "Florida Turnpike Act", which Governor Dan McCarty signed into law on July 11, 1953, as well as the Florida State Turnpike Authority, which had the ability to plan, design, and construct bond-financed toll roads, in whose creation Costar was instrumental, to be repaid through the collection of tolls from Turnpike customers.

Thomas B. Manuel, known as the "Father of the Turnpike", served as chairman of the Florida State Turnpike Authority from January 1955 to January 1961. Manuel debated with state legislature members opposed to tollways, emphasizing the need for a good highway system in a tourism-driven state. During the 1955 legislative session, many small-county legislators and others opposed to the Parkway formed a "kill the 'Pike'" coalition; Manuel won over the legislators at his headquarters in the Floridan Hotel near the capitol. Only four votes against the turnpike were entered at the end of the session's roll call, and the Legislature granted permission to build with a $70 million bond issue in June 1955. A Turnpike bridge in Stuart bears his name to honor his contributions.

Original construction

Construction on the Parkway began on July 4, 1955, starting at what is now the Golden Glades Interchange. In October 1956, all work on the Sunshine State Parkway north of Ft. Pierce was abandoned and plans for a state-long turnpike were shelved due to passage of the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act, which provided for construction of limited-access highways in the corridors that had been under study for the Parkway Extension. One was Interstate 95, which was slated to connect Jacksonville with Miami in a similar alignment to the planned Sunshine State Parkway Coastal Route. This resulted in completion of a truncated 110-mile (180 km) highway that ran from Miami to Fort Pierce, opening on January 25, 1957.

In January 1959, Governor LeRoy Collins, favoring a Parkway extension from Fort Pierce to Orlando, stated that building the Parkway north of Orlando would be unnecessary due to the interstate highway system. In late May 1959, the board authorized a study for the Parkway Extension to Orlando, and connecting the Interstate routes in Florida. In 1961, Governor Collins approved the sale of $80 million in bonds to finance the parkway extension from Fort Pierce to Wildwood, adding another 156 miles (251 km) of roadway and shifting Interstate 75's route 6 miles (10 km) eastward from its original alignment. The extension was opened in three stages: a 61-mile (98 km) section between Yeehaw Junction and Orlando opened on July 17, 1963, a section linking Fort Pierce and Yeehaw Junction opened on November 22, 1963, and the section between Orlando and the northern terminus of I-75 opened on July 24, 1964, completing the mainline.

With the St. Petersburg Times in 1963, a team led by Martin Waldron wrote a total of 150,000 words as part of the newspaper's coverage of unchecked spending by the Florida Turnpike Authority that led to estimated costs quadrupling from initial estimates of $100 million. Waldron received a tip about excessive spending by John Hammer, chairman of the Florida Turnpike Authority, which included expensive hotels and meals, corsages for his secretary and overcharging for a chartered plane. His coverage earned the newspaper the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 1964, the first for the newspaper, and led to changes in the way the state of Florida managed highway construction projects.

Since completion

Florida's Turnpike looking southbound from the US 441 overpass, two miles north of the Yeehaw Junction exit

For just over 11 years, the road was known as the Sunshine State Parkway (SSP). On April 12, 1968, the road was renamed to its current name of Florida's Turnpike, to identify that the toll road was located in Florida and to avoid confusion from other Florida landmarks such as the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. The Sunshine State Parkway moniker was commonly used for the next decade, and remnants of the name can be seen on several Turnpike maintenance buildings.

The Florida Department of Transportation was created in July 1969, with the Florida State Turnpike Authority becoming a part of the new FDOT.

On September 1, 1971, the Turnpike switched from a sequential exit numbering system to a hybrid numbering system, where adjacent exit numbers differed by 4 south of SR 60 (exit 60 at the time) and 5 north of SR 60.

The Bureau of Public Roads approved an Interstate 95 alignment that used 41 miles (66 km) of the Turnpike from PGA Boulevard (SR 786) in Palm Beach Gardens north to SR 70 in Ft. Pierce in the 1950s. In the mid-1960s, the State Road Department authorized traffic counts be conducted to determine if the separation of Interstate 95 from the Turnpike was feasible, with arguments that using a concurrent alignment was costing Florida money for federal highway funding, but not without the concern of losing toll revenue. Over time, the interstate adopted a route closer to U.S. Route 1, including parallel between Stuart and Palm Beach Gardens, with the turnpike being removed from the I-95 alignment in 1973, and I-95 being completed in 1987.

With Florida still growing in population in the 1960s, preliminary studies began for expanding portions of the Turnpike to six lanes in South Florida and additional north–south highways in that area. Dade County and the State Road Department developed a plan for the West Dade Expressway (now known as the Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike), beginning at the Turnpike near the Dade County/Broward County line, turning westward and southward, and terminating at Florida City in southern Dade County. In 1967, the Florida State Turnpike Authority was authorized to perform engineering and feasibility studies on the West Dade Expressway and the Bee Line Connector extension, now known as the Martin Andersen Beachline Expressway. The results of the studies came in December 1968, but due to an uncertain bond market and an unknown future for the toll authority, decisions on the roads were delayed. In 1969, FDOT and Orange and Dade County officials agreed the Bee Line Connector and Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike would be financed by revenue bond issues as extensions of Florida's Turnpike. The Beeline Expressway opened in 1973 and the Homestead Extension opened in 1974 as a part of the Turnpike mainline.

Between 1974 and 1986, the turnpike experienced little change other than maintenance as the original bonds on the road were being paid off. During this period, the turnpike experienced the first of five toll hikes on February 15, 1979, when the cost of a trip from Golden Glades to Wildwood increased to $5.90 from $4.80, the road's original toll.

In 1989, the Turnpike switched its exit numbering system to the mile-log system, starting from the south end of the Homestead Extension, 13 years before Florida's interstates integrated it into their system.

In 1988, the Office of Florida's Turnpike was formed, with $220 million worth of revenue bonds being sold in April 1989 to renovate the toll plazas, service centers and improve the road with the reduction of urban congestion. Fifteen new interchanges were planned in the early 1990s, with four of them opened by July 1991.

The section between the Golden Glades Plaza and Lantana was converted to a coin drop toll in 1990, the Cypress Creek and Lantana toll plazas were built as part of this project. Coin baskets were installed in 1994 after years of delays.

The portion of road north of Kissimmee was converted to a coin drop system on August 20, 1995.

On July 7, 1995, the Leesburg toll barrier was opened. at this point, the existing Three Lakes toll plaza and Wildwood toll plazas were closed.

Because he "was one of America's most beloved presidents and a true world leader", as the Legislature put it, Florida's Turnpike was designated by the Florida Legislature in 1998 as the Ronald Reagan Turnpike, with 20 signs throughout the turnpike showing the designation.

In April 1999, SunPass was introduced to the public, with SunPass-only interchanges and lanes being introduced throughout the 2000s.

The HEFT ceased cash toll collections on February 19, 2011, becoming an exclusive electronic toll road, a move announced in November 2009. The staffed toll plazas were converted into electronic toll gantries, and the only ways to pay are either by SunPass transponders or a "toll-by-plate" program. The Turnpike mainline began its conversion to a cashless toll road with the Golden Glades toll barrier being converted into a toll gantry on January 25, 2014, and no longer accepts cash. The portion south of I-595 was converted on August 29, 2015.

Between 2005 and 2012, the Turnpike spent $380 million doubling the number of lanes from SR 528 to the northernmost interchange with SR 50 west of Winter Garden (exit 272). Most of the section was expanded from four to eight lanes, with the section between SR 408 and SR 429 being expanded from six to twelve lanes. The portion between SR 528 and Interstate 4 opened in 2008, with the portion between I-4 and SR 408 being finished in 2010, SR 408 to Beulah Road (at the north end of the SR 429 interchange) opened in March 2011, and the portion between Beulah Road and SR 50 (exit 272) was completed in 2012.

In 2007, legislation was passed in Florida to index toll rates across the state to the national Consumer price index (CPI), to be enacted by the end of June 2012. As a result, the toll rates on roads on Florida's Turnpike Enterprise were raised on June 24, 2012, an increase of 11.7% to reflect the previous five years. The legislation allows for SunPass rates to be raised slightly each year, with cash rates going up every five years, with SunPass rates staying about a quarter cheaper than cash rates. In keeping with the legislation, SunPass and toll-by-plate rates were raised again on July 1, 2013 by 2.1%, with cash toll rates projected to stay the same through at least 2014. Toll rate increases were scheduled for every five years, and mid-2017 was the next scheduled date for such an increase. However, a combination of a low inflation rate and problems within the relevant state authorities caused multiple cancellations and changes in schedule for the next increase. The final projected date for an increase in tolls was eventually set for October 29, 2017.

The Turnpike Enterprise and OOCEA (now CFX) agreed to build a partial interchange between SR 417 and Florida's Turnpike in the late 2000s, after negotiations dating back to a 1991 field study. The interchange is being built in two phases. The first phase, built by CFX, added ramps from southbound SR 417 to southbound Florida's Turnpike and from northbound Florida's Turnpike to northbound SR 417. Construction on the first phase began in September 2013 and opened on January 26, 2015. The second phase, completing the interchange, was built by the Turnpike Enterprise. After a series of delays, construction began in 2017 and the completed interchange was fully opened on May 21, 2021. As part of the project, the turnpike mainline was widened from four to eight lanes between Osceola Parkway (exit 249) and the Beachline Expressway (SR 528, exit 255).

Reconstruction of the northern end of the Turnpike at its junction with Interstate 75 improved the traffic merge pattern between I-75 and SR 44 with new flyover ramps and additional traffic lanes. The northbound off-ramp to SR 44 was completed on September 19, 2019, while southbound on-ramp construction was completed in early November 2019, and the project overall was completed in early January 2020.

Future

Florida's Turnpike looking northbound from the overpass on Canoe Creek Road, with the Canoe Creek service plaza visible

Plans are in the works to widen the Turnpike from the Lake Worth Road interchange (exit 93) to the State Road 70 exit (exit 152) and from SR 50 (exit 272) to U.S. 27 (northbound exit 285) from four to eight lanes. In Miami-Dade County, several widening projects including new through lanes are underway.

There are plans to widen the Turnpike from Kissimmee Park Road (exit 240) to US 192 (exit 242) and from Neptune Road to just north of Osceola Parkway (exit 249) all from four to eight lanes. A new diverging diamond interchange will be constructed at Nolte Road during this process. Construction is funded for the 2024 fiscal year.

The Turnpike Enterprise is also studying a possible developer-funded future interchange at County Road 468 (mile marker 300, servicing The Villages and Lady Lake). This project is neither funded nor scheduled for construction at this time.

There has been discussion of creating a northern extension.

Exit list

This section is missing mileposts for junctions. Please help by adding them.

North of the HEFT–Mainline interchange, the mainline continues the mileage from mile 47 from the HEFT. The spur of the mainline south of the HEFT to the Golden Glades Interchange assumes an alternate numbering system that suffixes an X to each exit number.

CountyLocationmikmOld exitNew exitDestinationsNotes
Miami-DadeMiami Gardens0.0000.00000
I-95 (SR 9 north / SR 9A south) / SR 826 west (Palmetto Expressway) / US 441 (SR 7) – Port of Miami, Miami International Airport
Golden Glades Interchange; exit 12A on I-95
0.3000.483
SR 826 east – Beaches
Southbound exit and northbound entrance
0.5000.805Miami Gardens Toll Gantry
2.4433.93222X NW 199th Street (CR 854) – StadiumSouthbound exit and northbound entrance ETC
Miami-DadeBroward
county line
MiramarMiami Gardens line3.765
47.856
6.059
77.017
44X
Florida's Turnpike Extension south (SR 821) – Homestead
Transition from HEFT to Mainline; no exit number southbound; opened 1972
BrowardHollywood50.34681.024849 SR 820 (Hollywood / Pines Boulevards)Signed as exits 49A (west) and 49B (east) southbound, respectively; southbound exit and northbound entrance ETC
Davie54.17787.18953 SR 818 (Griffin Road)Southbound exit and northbound entrance ETC; opened 1990
DaviePlantation line55.92189.9961254
I-595 (SR 862) / SR 84 / US 441 (SR 7) to I-95 – Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport
Exit 8 on I-595; opened 1989
55.92189.99654X



I-595 Express west to I-75 / SR 869 – Miami, Naples, Coral Springs
Tolled lanes; open peak-direction only
Plantation59.28495.4081658 SR 838 (Sunrise Boulevard)Northbound exit and southbound entrance ETC; signed as exit 58A (east) and exit 58B (west) northbound
Tamarac63.011101.4062062 SR 870 (Commercial Boulevard)Northbound exit and southbound entrance ETC; opened 1967
North Lauderdale64.500103.803Cypress Creek Toll Gantry
Coconut Creek66.000106.217Pompano Beach Service Plaza and Operations Center
Coconut CreekPompano Beach
city line
66.432106.91266 SR 814 (Atlantic Boulevard)Northbound exit and southbound entrance; opened 1994
67.577108.7552467
Coconut Creek Parkway (CR 912 west) / M.L. King Boulevard – Broward Community College
Southbound exit and northbound entrance ETC; unsigned access to SR849 (NW 31st Avenue)
69.588111.9912669 SR 834 (Sample Road)Trumpet interchange; southbound exit and northbound entrance ETC; opened 1982
Coconut Creek71.736115.44871
SR 869 south (Sawgrass Expressway) – Coral Springs
ETC interchange; exit 21 on SR 869; opened 1986
Palm Beach76.086122.4492875 SR 808 (Glades Road)Northbound exit and southbound entrance ETC; opened 1964
82.003131.9713281 SR 806 (Atlantic Avenue)Northbound exit and southbound entrance ETC
87.143140.24386 SR 804 (Boynton Beach Boulevard)Northbound exit and southbound entrance ETC; opened 1993
Boynton Beach89.400143.875Lantana Toll Gantry
93.303150.1573693 SR 802 (Lake Worth Road)opened 1979
94.500152.083West Palm Beach Service Plaza
95.916154.362Forest Hill Boulevard Toll Gantry
97.655157.16097 US 98 / SR 80 (Southern Boulevard)Access to Palm Beach International Airport; opened 2002
98.470158.472Belvedere Road Toll Gantry
99.594160.28198Jog RoadNorthbound exit and southbound entrance; opened 2007
100.463161.6804099 SR 704 (Okeechobee Boulevard)
104.000167.37245th Street Toll Gantry
Palm Beach Gardens106.814171.900107 SR 710 (Beeline Highway)Opened 2006
108.371174.406Palm Beach Gardens Toll Gantry
109.662176.48444109 SR 786 (PGA Boulevard)Access to Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center; opened 1975
112.871181.648Jupiter Toll Gantry
Jupiter116.537187.54848116
SR 706 to I-95 – Jupiter, Okeechobee, Daytona Beach, West Palm Beach
MartinSt. Lucie River131.487211.608Thomas B. Manuel Bridge
132.547213.314Stuart Toll Gantry
Palm City134.660216.71452133 SR 714 – Stuart (Martin Downs Boulevard)
137.594221.436Becker Road Toll Gantry
St. LuciePort St. Lucie138.413222.754138Becker Road – Port St. Lucie, Palm CityOpened 2007
141.393227.550Port St. Lucie Toll Gantry
143.321230.65354142
SR 716 east (Port St. Lucie Blvd.) – Port St. Lucie
Access to St. Lucie Medical Center to the east and Tradition Medical Center to the west; opened 1978
144.7232.9144Crosstown ParkwayProposed interchange
145.300233.838Port St. Lucie / Fort Pierce Service Plaza
150 Midway Road (CR 712)Proposed partial interchange; will be northbound exit southbound entrance; Construction slated for early 2027
149.698240.916Midway Road Toll Gantry
Fort Pierce152.915246.09356152
SR 70 / SR 713 to I-95 – Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Okeechobee
154.000247.839Fort Pierce Toll Gantry
Indian River
No major junctions
Okeechobee185.100297.890Fort Drum Service Plaza
Indian River
No major junctions
OsceolaYeehaw Junction193.182310.89660193 US 441 / SR 60 – Yeehaw Junction
230.200370.471Canoe Creek Service Plaza
St. Cloud236.500380.610Three Lakes Toll Gantry
239.493385.427240Clay Whaley RoadFormerly served (CR 525) Kissimmee Park Road but the newly built Clay Whaley Road cut off its complete access to the Turnpike in 2022; Interchange will be demolished once Nolte Road Interchange is built; Southbound exit and northbound entrance; ETC interchange; opened 2007; renamed 2024
241Nolte RoadProposed interchange; will be tolled southbound exit and northbound entrance; will replace Clay Whaley Road exit
244.613393.66665242 (NB)
244 (SB)
US 192 / US 441 – Kissimmee, St. Cloud, Walt Disney World ResortSouthbound Exit and Northbound/Southbound Entrances tolled; Northbound Exit not tolled; access to St. Cloud Hospital; northbound connection opened in opened in 1995
KissimmeeBuenaventura Lakes line248.841400.471249 Osceola Parkway (CR 522) – Walt Disney World ResortSouthbound exit and northbound entrance ETC; opened 1995
OrangeOrlando250.750403.543251 SR 417 (Central Florida GreeneWay) – Tampa, Daytona BeachSR 417 exit 12; southbound exit and northbound entrance ETC. Northbound exit ramp to SR 417 north opened 2015; interchange opened fully on May 21, 2021. To Orlando International Airport.
253Taft Vineland RoadProposed interchange
255.366410.97270254 SR 528 (Beachline Expressway) / US 17 / US 92 / US 441 (Orange Blossom Trail) – Orlando International AirportSouthbound exit and northbound entrance ETC; exit 4 on SR 528
256.040412.056255Consulate DriveSouthbound exit only; ETC interchange; opened 2004
257
SR 482 (Sand Lake Road) to CR 423 (S John Young Pkwy)
Proposed interchange; will be tolled southbound exit and northbound entrance
259.697417.94275259 I-4 (SR 400) – Orlando, Tampa, Daytona BeachSouthbound exit and northbound entrance ETC; exit 77 on I-4; opened April 18, 1967


I-4 Express east
Northbound exit and southbound entrance; opened 2022 alongside express lanes
263.700424.384Turkey Lake Service Plaza and Enterprise Headquarters
Gotha266.020428.118265
SR 408 east (East–West Expressway) – Orlando, Titusville
Western end of SR 408
Ocoee267.886431.12180267B SR 50 – OcoeeAccess to Health Central
268.033431.357267A SR 429 (Western Expressway) – Daytona Beach, TampaSR 429 exit 22
Oakland273.005439.359272 SR 50 – Winter Garden, ClermontNorthbound exit and southbound entrance ETC; opened 1993
LakeMinneola278MinneolaAccess via Hancock Road; northbound exit and southbound entrance ETC;
opened 2017
Groveland285.810459.96785285 US 27 (SR 25) / SR 19 – Leesburg, ClermontNorthbound exit and southbound entrance; ETC interchange
288.000463.491Clermont Toll Gantry
289.052465.184289
US 27 (SR 25) to SR 19 – Tavares, Clermont
Southbound exit and northbound entrance; ETC interchange
Leesburg296.607477.343296 CR 470 – LeesburgSouthbound exit and northbound entrance ETC; opened 2005
SumterThe Villages300 CR 468 – The VillagesProposed interchange
Wildwood300.200483.125Okahumpka Service Plaza
305.368491.44290304 US 301 – Wildwood
308.753496.890307 SR 44 – Inverness, WildwoodSingle northbound ramp that merges with I-75 exit 329; southbound ramp from SR 44 to Turnpike
308.757496.896
I-75 north (SR 93) – Ocala
Exit 328 on I-75; access to northbound I-75 and access from southbound I-75
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. ^ "Florida Department of Transportation Interchange Report" (PDF). Florida Department of Transportation. November 24, 2008. pp. 12–13. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 8, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2009.
  2. ^ "System Description". Florida Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on September 22, 2010. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  3. ^ "overview map of Florida's Turnpike from Golden Glades Spur" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved April 16, 2010.
  4. "overview map of Florida's Turnpike and Homestead Extension" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved April 16, 2010.
  5. ^ Florida's Turnpike System Mainline Map (PDF) (Map). Florida Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 28, 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  6. "Traffic". The Palm Beach Post. June 24, 2003. p. 2B.
  7. ^ "Top 16 longest gaps between Interstate exits". USA Today. August 15, 2011. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  8. Florida Senate (2006). "SB 2240". Retrieved May 5, 2010.
  9. "Frequently Asked Questions". Florida Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on December 26, 2013. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  10. "Florida Turnpike Toll Calculator v3.1". Florida Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  11. Brockman, Belinda (August 17, 1990). "New Turnpike Toll Booths Open Sunday". Palm Beach Post. p. 1B.
  12. "Turnpike going cashless at Griffin, Hollywood exits at end of August". St. Petersburg Times. July 20, 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  13. Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. "Cash Will No Longer Be Accepted on Florida's Turnpike Mainline" (PDF).
  14. ^ "Florida's Turnpike 50 Year Celebration" (PDF). Florida Department of Transportation. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 22, 2010. Retrieved July 31, 2009.
  15. "SunPass Sales Show Tolls Are Ticket To Travel" (PDF). Tampa Tribune. January 27, 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 6, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  16. Turnbell, Michael (October 26, 2009). "Florida's Turnpike to go cashless as it switches to electronic tolling". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved November 28, 2009.
  17. "SunPass Roads and Bridges". Florida Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on July 3, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  18. "Turnpike Sales Locations". Florida Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on December 30, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  19. "Florida toll roads announce partnership with E-ZPass, used in 16 states". Tampa Bay Times. May 28, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  20. "Hurricane evacuations: Providing a safe escape". Florida Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on June 16, 2009. Retrieved August 1, 2009.
  21. "Service Plazas". Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. Retrieved July 31, 2009.
  22. "Turkey Lake Supercharger – Tesla". www.teslamotors.com.
  23. "Find Us | Tesla". Find Us | Tesla. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  24. "State Seeks Gas Guarantee For Turnpike". St. Petersburg Times. June 29, 1973. p. 2B.
  25. "Turnpike pumpers to pay less". Ocala Star-Banner. May 20, 1995. p. 6B.
  26. Roy, Roger (May 20, 1995). "State Drives Deal to Keep Turnpike Gas in Line". Orlando Sentinel. p. D1.
  27. "Citgo bedeviled by fiery speech". St. Petersburg Times. September 26, 2006. Retrieved July 31, 2009.
  28. "Service Plazas". Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. June 7, 2006. Archived from the original on June 7, 2006.
  29. Chardy, Alfonso (June 3, 2009). "Turnpike Starbucks must hit road". Miami Herald. p. 3B.
  30. "Sun Passages: Major service plaza upgrades are driving smiles". Florida Department of Transportation. Fall 2003. Archived from the original on November 25, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2009.
  31. "New look for turnpike plazas: A $160 million facelift". Palm Beach Post. June 4, 2009. Retrieved July 31, 2009.
  32. "Traffic Management Center". Florida Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on July 9, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  33. "Dynamic Message Signs". Florida Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on May 25, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  34. "Road Rangers Safety Patrol". Florida's Turnpike. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  35. "Florida Road Rangers". Incident Response. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  36. "Collins Signals Go on Miami Turnpike". The Miami News. July 5, 1955. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
  37. ^ Staff (May 28, 1981). "Martin O. Waldron Is Dead at 56; Reporting Led to a Pulitzer Prize". The New York Times. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
  38. Staff (May 15, 1964). "Prizes: Just Doing the Job". Time. p. 88. Archived from the original on December 13, 2011. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
  39. "Pulitzer Prize for Public Service". Times Publishing Company. Archived from the original on June 22, 2010. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
  40. "Parkway Name Changed to Protect Its Identity". St. Petersburg Times. April 13, 1968.
  41. "Help Speed I-95". Palm Beach Post. August 29, 1978.
  42. Mitgang, Lee (March 6, 1981). "States are eyeing higher speed limits". The Free Lance-Star.
  43. ^ Madigan, Nick (March 1, 1989). "State's Exit Amnesia Has Inns In An Uproar". Palm Beach Post. p. 1A.
  44. Williams, Verve (September 13, 1971). "Turnpike in numbers game by changing the exits". The Miami News. p. 1A.
  45. "Squabbles unnecessary". Boca Raton News. May 10, 1973. p. 4A.
  46. "Free Roads Vs. Toll: A Secret Stall?". St. Petersburg Times. April 21, 1963. p. 1D.
  47. "Toll-Free I-95 In State Still A Long Way Off". St. Petersburg Times. November 11, 1967. p. 3B.
  48. "I-95 'Missing Link' Okayed". Lakeland Ledger. April 19, 1973. p. 4A.
  49. "Gap in I-95 to Close Saturday". Miami Herald. December 13, 1987. p. 1A.
  50. "Hike In Toll Could Backfire On DOT". Ocala Star-Banner. February 14, 1979. p. 4A.
  51. ^ "Interchanges and Mileage". Florida Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on August 15, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  52. "Florida's Interstate Exit Numbers". Florida Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  53. Crowley, Brian E. (July 27, 1985). "Approval Expected for Turnpike Plans". The Palm Beach Post. p. 1A.
  54. Pierce, Rick & Ellis, Elaine A. (August 21, 1990). "Turnpike fares well under coin system traffic flow smooth on workday debut". Sun-Sentinel. p. 8B.
  55. Pierce, Rick & Chabot, Lucy (August 17, 1993). "Turnpike Coin Baskets Delayed Until February". Sun-Sentinel. p. 1A.
  56. "Turnpike converts to coin system". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. August 19, 1995. p. 6B.
  57. Coole, Terri (February 12, 1993). "Turnpike Exchange: Coins, not tickets a new toll plaza south of Leesburg, when complete, will mean a pay-as-you-go system on the highway's northern section". Orlando Sentinel. p. 1.
  58. "Toll Plaza at Wildwood shuts down". Orlando Sentinel. July 7, 1995. p. 2.
  59. "Designation of the Florida's Turnpike as part of the 'Ronald Reagan Turnpike' System". Florida Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on September 22, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
  60. Turnbell, Michael (February 14, 2011). "Turnpike to stop taking cash on Homestead Extension Feb. 19". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  61. "Tolls go electronic on 47-mile stretch of Florida Turnpike". St. Petersburg Times. November 19, 2009. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved November 28, 2009.
  62. Turnbell, Michael (August 3, 2013). "Sawgrass Expressway going cashless in 2014". South Florida Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on August 7, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
  63. Turnbell, Michael (January 12, 2014). "Golden Glades going cashless on Jan. 25". South Florida Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on January 15, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  64. Florida's Turnpike Enterprise Tentative Five-Year Work Program Overview 2012 (Report). Florida Department of Transportation.
  65. ^ "Traveler Information | Toll Rates". Florida Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on September 26, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  66. Turnbell, Michael (June 7, 2012). "Tolls on Turnpike, Sawgrass, Alligator Alley going up on June 24". South Florida Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on April 19, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
  67. Turnbell, Michael (June 28, 2013). "Tolls go up July 1 on turnpike, state toll roads". South Florida Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on July 2, 2013. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  68. Lincoff, Nina (March 25, 2016). "Will Road Tolls Go Up in 2016?". South Florida Business Journal. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  69. Spear, Kevin (February 7, 2017). "Central Florida Toll-Road Agency May Kill Planned Toll Hike". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  70. "SR417/SR91 INTERCHANGE NEW CONSTRUCTION" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 5, 2012.
  71. "Opened: Sr 417/Florida's Turnpike Partial Interchange". Archived from the original on February 13, 2015.
  72. Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. "Florida's Turnpike Enterprise Opens New Ramps at Central Florida GreeneWay/SR 417 Interchange in Orlando" (PDF).
  73. "Wildwood Interchange at Turnpike & I-75 (Milepost 309)" (PDF). Florida's Turnpike Enterprise.
  74. "Turnpike/I-75 interchange in line for $68.5M upgrade". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  75. NEW TRAFFIC PATTERN Northbound Florida's Turnpike and Northbound I-75 Exit Ramps to SR 44 to Open in a New Location the Morning of Thursday, September 19 (Florida Turnpike Enterprise Newsletter; September 18, 2019)
  76. "Turnpike plans widening in Palm Beach County". South Florida Business Journal. February 13, 2007. Retrieved August 1, 2009.
  77. "Current Construction Projects". Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. Archived from the original on July 27, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  78. Comas, Martin E. "Good news for Orlando commuters from south Lake — turnpike to be widened to eight lanes". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  79. "Construction: Future Projects". Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. Archived from the original on September 22, 2010. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
  80. "The Florida DOT's latest 'Billionaire Boulevard' plan has rural FL outraged - Florida Phoenix". November 18, 2021.
  81. FDOT straight line diagrams Archived March 6, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, accessed March 2014
  82. "Florida's Turnpike" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  83. Lowery, Fred (April 3, 1993). "Southern Boulevard Exit Planned". The Sun Sentinel.
  84. "New Interchange to Open Saturday". The Sun Sentinel. September 3, 2002.
  85. "Florida's Turnpike Opens New SunPass Only Partial Interchange Jog Road (Exit 98)" (PDF) (Press release). Florida Department of Transportation. September 10, 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 23, 2010. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
  86. "Florida's Turnpike opens new SunPass-only interchange at State Road 710 (Beeline Highway) Thursday, July 27" (PDF) (Press release). Florida Department of Transportation. July 26, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 23, 2010. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
  87. Lane, Teresa (May 12, 2007). "$19 Million Turnpike Ramps Open". The Palm Beach Post. p. 1B.
  88. "Midway Road Interchange". floridasturnpike.com. Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  89. Hamburg, Jay (January 6, 2007). "Turnpike link eases commute in Kissimmee". Orlando Sentinel. p. 1B.
  90. "Interchange Modifications at Clay Whaley Road". Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  91. Dan Tracy, New interchange opens Monday between SR 417 and Turnpike, Orlando Sentinel, January 23, 2015
  92. "SR417/Florida's Turnpike Partial Interchange". oocea.com. Central Florida Expressway Authority. January 23, 2013. Archived from the original on August 19, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  93. "New Interchange at Florida's Turnpike & SR 417 (MP 251)" (PDF). floridasturnpike.com. Florida Department of Transportation. July 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 11, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  94. Richardson, Matthew (January 17, 2014). "How RS&H won design deal for SR 417/Florida's Turnpike interchange". bizjournals.com. Orlando Business Journal. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  95. "Casselberry Road Extension Will Make Shortcut Official". Orlando Sentinel. July 25, 2004. p. 18K.
  96. "Florida's Turnpike History".
  97. Coole, Terri (May 1, 1993). "Harried Commuters bask in opening of a new interchange". Orlando Sentinel. p. 1.
  98. "Florida's Turnpike Enterprise Opens New Minneola Interchange" (Press release). Florida Department of Transportation. June 10, 2017. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
  99. "Turnpike Interchange Opens". Orlando Sentinel. January 22, 2005. p. 3B.

External links

KML file (edithelp) Template:Attached KML/Florida's TurnpikeKML is from Wikidata
Florida's Turnpike Enterprise
Turnpike system
FDOT-owned
FDOT-operated
Categories: