Florida State Road 40

State Road 40
Route information
Maintained by FDOT
Length:	91.7 mi[1] (147.6 km)
Existed:	1945 renumbering – present
Major junctions
West end:	US 41 in Rainbow Lake Estates
	I-75 in Ocala US 27 / US 301 / US 441 in Ocala US 17 in Barberville I-95 near Ormond Beach US 1in Ormond Beach
East end:	SR A1A in Ormond Beach
Location
Counties:	Marion, Lake, Volusia
Highway system
Florida State and County Roads Interstate • US • SR (Pre-1945) • Toll • County ← SR 39 US 41 →

State Road 40 is an east–west route across central Florida, running from US 41 in Rainbow Lake Estates eastwards through Ocala over the Ocklawaha River and bridge and through the heart of the Ocala National Forest to State Road A1A in Ormond Beach. Names of the road include Silver Springs Boulevard in Ocala, Fort Brooks Road from Silver Springs through Astor, Butler Road in Astor, and Granada Boulevard in Ormond Beach. Former sections in Ormond Beach are named "Old Tomoka Road" and "Old Tomoka Avenue."

Route description

Eastbound SR 40 as it approaches US 27-301-441 in Ocala.

The segment that's maintained by FDOT begins at US 41 north of the entrance to Rainbow Springs State Park, where it moves at a northeast angle before crossing under a narrow railroad bridge. The road passes by the Ocala International Airport before entering the city limits and crossing under Interstate 75 at Exit 352. East of I-75 SR 40 continues as a four-lane divided highway where it passes the Region #5 Headquarters of the Florida Department of Transportation. CSX's S-Line, which once carried the Amtrak Palmetto runs beneath the road before intersecting with US 27-301-441. East of the triplex, SR 40 climbs a hill and passes just north of the Ocala Historic Commercial District, and south of the Ocala Union Station. At the intersection of Northeast 25th Street SR 40 turns northeast where it serves as the western terminus of Marion CR 314(Northeast 7th Street) and the eastern terminus of Florida State Road 492(Northeast 14th Street).

From there, the road enters Silver Springs, Florida where it intersects with the northern terminus of Florida State Road 35 and southern terminus of Marion County Road 35 at the Silver Springs Nature Theme Park. The road runs along the north side of Silver River State Park, where it serves as the eastern terminus of Florida State Road 326 and the southern terminus of Marion CR 315, before it climbs the Bert Dosh Memorial Bridge in order to cross the Ocklawaha River, which was also intended to be part of the Cross Florida Barge Canal, and is now part of the Cross Florida Greenway and the Florida National Scenic Trail. From there, the highway intersects Marion CR 314 for the second time, and then Marion CR 314A, before it bisects the Ocala National Forest. Toward the eastern edge of the Ocala National Forest, SR 40 approaches Astor Park, where it intersects Florida State Road 19. Immediately after the SR 19 intersection, the road crosses the Marion-Lake County line and runs along an overlook at Wildcat Lake. East of the intersection of Lake CR 445 & CR 445A in Astor, it crosses the St. Johns River via the Astor Bridge, approaching Lake George State Forest in Volusia and Pierson. Immediately across the bridge, on the east bank of the St. Johns River, SR 40 passes through the unincorporated community of Volusia, one the first European settlements in Florida, and the area for which Volusia, County was named.^[2]

The bridge at Astor carries SR 40 across the St. Johns River, between Lake and Volusia Counties

As the road leaves Pierson and enters Barberville, it shifts to the northeast at the intersection of Lemmon Road, then intersects Volusia CR 3 and then the Barberville Flea Market and Post Office before a railroad crossing for the CSX "A" line a block west of the intersection of U.S. Route 17. The road curves back east, and then northeast again as it passes along the south side of Volusia Speedway Park before the intersection of Florida State Road 11 in DeLeon Springs. From there, the road bisects the Tomoka Wildlife Management Area Union-Camp Tract and, after passing by some residential areas and intersecting Country Acres Boulevard, the road goes from two lanes to four as turns back into a divided highway. Despite officially entering the City of Ormond Beach, the highway runs along the north side of Tiger Bay State Forest and the Dan Rice Airport, but then becomes more suburban as it approaches the vicinity of the Tomoka River just before Interstate 95 at Exit 268 which is a block away from Volusia CR 4009.

SR 40 crosses the Halifax River on the Granada Bridge

East of I-95 & CR 4009, the road curves northeast again as it runs along residential areas along the Tomoka River, until it curves east before crossing over a bridge over one of its tributaries, just west of the intersection of Florida State Road 5A(North and South Nova Road). The road makes one last left curve at Old Tomoka Avenue before approaching the grade crossing of the Florida East Coast Railroad main line, and then intersects with US 1(North and South Yonge Street). The route continues, but the divider ends as SR 40 comes in close proximity to Ormond Beach City Hall on the southwest corner of Granada Boulevard and Beach Street(CR 4011). From there, SR 40 is overlapped by the Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail, where the divider begins again on the Granada Bridge over the Halifax River, and immediately intersects John Anderson Drive(CR 2803), where one leg of the scenic route heads north and West Granada Boulevard becomes East Granda Boulevard, before finally terminating at Florida State Road A1A. The other leg of the Ormond Beach Scenic Loop heads north on SR A1A. Despite the fact that SR 40 terminates at SR A1A, East Granada Boulevard continues as a beach access road.

Related routes

County extensions west of US 41

County Road 40
Location:	Yankeetown – Dunnellon

Sign along Levy CR 40 memorializing the filming of the 1962 Elvis Presley movie "Follow That Dream" along the road in Inglis

A western extension of SR 40 continues from US 41 in Dunnellon as County Road 40 to the Gulf of Mexico through Marion and Levy Counties north of the Withlacoochee River. Levy County Road 40 is named Follow That Dream Boulevard west of US 19/98 after the 1962 Elvis Presley movie that was filmed in Inglis, Yankeetown and the surrounding area. East of US 19-98, the road is known as Port Avenue in Levy County, and Cedar Street, then Pennsylvania Avenue in Dunnellon. Between Dunnellon and Rainbow Lake Estates, SR 40 serves as a not-so-hidden route along US 41.

Levy County Road 40A

County Road 40A
Location:	Yankeetown – Inglis

Levy County Road 40A is a suffixed alternate of Levy County Road 40, along Southeast 193rd Place. It begins at the intersection of Levy CR 40 and Allen Park Road and 63rd Street and briefly runs northeast until curving to the east where it runs mostly parallel to the north side of CR 40 into Inglis, where it moves further away from Follow That Dream Boulevard then terminates at US 19/98.

History

The route was established in the 1945 renumbering.

Future

A proposed expansion of SR 40 resulted in the State Road 40 Environmental Feasibility Study,^[3] which reviewed potential impact of improvements to the existing highway while not destroying the natural beauty of the area.

Major intersections

County	Location	Mile[1]	Destinations	Notes
Marion	Rainbow Lake Estates	0.0	US 41	Western terminus
	Ocala		I-75 / SR 93	Exit 352 (I-75)
			US 27 / US 301 / US 441
			SR 492
	Silver Springs		SR 35 / CR 35
			SR 326
	Ocklawaha River		Bert Dosh Memorial Bridge
	Silver Springs		CR 314
Lake			SR 19
St. Johns River			Astor Bridge
Volusia	Barberville		US 17
	DeLeon Springs		SR 11
	Ormond Beach		I-95 / SR 9	Exit 268 (I-95)
			SR 5A
			US 1 / SR 5
	Halifax River		Granada Bridge
	Ormond Beach	91.7	SR A1A	Eastern terminus

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Google, Inc. Google Maps – overview map of State Road 40 (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=FL-40+E&daddr=E+Granada+Blvd&hl=en&geocode=FUg6vAEdb_AV-w%3BFX31vgEd8G0r-w&mra=ls&sll=29.204918,-81.221924&sspn=0.297282,0.441513&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=9. Retrieved 2010-08-06. 
2. ^ Robinson, Jim (8 June 1997). "Spanish Missionaries Find Tribes Devoted To Centuries-old Cultures". The Orlando Sentinel. 
3. ^ State Road 40 Environmental Feasibility Study

External links

• Florida Black Bear Scenic Byway (Florida Scenic Highways)