Interstate 75 in Florida

Infobox road
state=FL
type=I
route=75


maint=Florida DOT
length_mi=
length_round=2
length_ref=Fact|date=July 2008
established=
direction_a=South
terminus_a=Jct|state=FL|SR|826|Toll|924 near Miami
junction=Jct|state=FL|I|595|Toll|869 in Weston
Jct|state=FL|I|275 near Parrish
Jct|state=FL|I|4 near Temple Terrace
Jct|state=FL|I|275 near Lutz
Jct|state=FL|FLTP| near Wildwood
Jct|state=FL|I|10 near Lake City
direction_b=North
terminus_b=Jct|state=GA|I|75 at Georgia state line
previous_type=SR
previous_route=74
next_type=SR
next_route=75

Interstate 75 is one of the interstate highways in the midwest and southeastern United States, and the primary north-south interstate highway along the west coast and southern end of the state of Florida. I-75 is the longest interstate in Florida.

Route description

Interstate 75 begins its northward journey at SR 826 (Palmetto Expressway) near Miami. [cite web | url=http://www.dot.state.fl.us/planning/systems/fihs/WebIntMap/FIHSSystemMap.htm | title=FIHS System Map | publisher=Florida Department of Transportation | date=January 1 2006 | accessdate=2008-02-09] It is also the national southern terminus of the interstate highway that runs to the Canadian border at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

Leaving Hialeah, Interstate 75 crosses into Broward County and continues through the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale suburbs of Pembroke Pines, Weston, Miramar, Davie, and Southwest Ranches. At the junction of SR 869 (Sawgrass Expressway) and Interstate 595, Interstate 75 (while maintaining its north/south status) enters an east/west trajectory as it crosses the Everglades by way of Alligator Alley, a toll road which was constructed originally as a two-lane highway before it was converted to a four-lane highway meeting interstate standards. Part of Alligator Alley runs through Collier County, and the Big Cypress National Preserve.

Once near Naples at Collier County Road 951 (Exit 101), Interstate 75 once again assumes its north/south trajectory. Interstate 75 runs parallel with the southwest coast of Florida and passes near Bonita Springs, Fort Myers, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte, Sarasota and Bradenton before reaching the Tampa Bay area metropolis consisting of Tampa and St. Petersburg.

In Ellenton, (a small community northeast of Bradenton) Interstate 275 splits from Interstate 75 to serve St. Petersburg and Pinellas County via the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and Tampa via the Howard Frankland Bridge. Interstate 75 parallels the eastern shore of Tampa Bay as it passes by the communities of Brandon, Temple Terrace and New Tampa. Tampa is accessed from Interstate 75 by way of either the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway (SR 618) or Interstate 4. Interstate 75 as it passes east of Tampa is considered the bypass route while Interstate 275 serves the downtowns of Tampa and St. Petersburg. Within the Tampa Bay Metropolitan Area, many interchanges are far more complex than mere diamond, cloverleaf, or even SPUI interchanges. Besides the massive catherine wheel interchange with Interstate 4(Exit 261), there are interchanges with Fletcher Avenue(Exit 265) and Fowler Avenue/Morris Bridge Road(Exit 266) that contain both loops and flyovers. A new flyover ramp is currently being built from southbound Bruce B. Downs Boulevard(Exit 270) to southbound I-75.

At the Hillsborough-Pasco county line (south of SR 56 (Exit 275)), Interstate 275 rejoins Interstate 75 (Exit 274 southbound Interstate 75 only) and Interstate 75 slightly changes into a northeast-southwest trajectory as it passes through Pasco, Hernando and Sumter Counties where it runs through parts of the Withlacoochee State Forest on its way to the junction with Florida's Turnpike. Widened median segments exist in Northern Pasco County, Hernando County, and in Sumter County north of County Road 476-B(Exit 309). Some of these median segments are actually considered part of the Withlacoochee State Forest itself. The Withlacoochee State Trail runs beneath I-75 between US 98/SR 50(Exit 301) and the Hernando-Sumter County line, where it also crosses over the Withlacoochee River.

After the Florida Turnpike (accessible from southbound Interstate 75 only), Interstate 75 changes into a general northwest-southeast trajectory and remains so all the way to the Georgia state line and beyond. Interstate 75 passes beneath the Cross Florida Greenway, which contains a land bridge built across the highway in 2001 between Exits 341 and 350 [ [http://www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/cfg/landbridge.htm Cross Florida Greenway Land Bridge (Florida DEP)] ] , before entering the City of Ocala, and passing by the cities of Gainesville and Lake City and crosses Interstate 10 at an interchange before leaving the state of Florida at the Georgia border near Valdosta.

The distance from Hialeah at SR 826 to the Georgia border is 472 miles, which makes Interstate 75 the longest of Florida's four principal interstate highways.

Interstate 75 runs closest to U.S. Route 41 except between Tampa and High Springs. It runs closer to U.S. Route 301 between Ellenton and Temple Terrace, and again from Dade City to Sparr. From Belleview to Lake City it runs closest to U.S. Route 441.

tate Roads 93 & 93A

area, where it is unsigned State Road 93A. This is because SR 93 was designated along the original I-75 routing. When the Interstates were renumbered, the state route designations were not changed to match.

History

Originally, I-75 was to be built through Tampa and St. Petersburg, while the current I-75 was to be called I-75E. Because of Interstate restrictions dealing with suffixes to routes, I-75 was rerouted along I-75E, and the original I-75 was renamed I-275.

Auxiliary routes

*Interstate 275 goes into downtown Tampa, across the Howard Frankland Bridge into St. Petersburg, then south across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, reconnecting with I-75 in Manatee County, Florida.

*I-175 and I-375 are very brief Interstates that go east into downtown St. Petersburg.

Lane Configurations

*Between Georgia line and Florida's Turnpike (Exit 329) (3 lanes each way)
*Between Florida's Turnpike and State Road 582 (Fowler Avenue) (Exit 265) (2 lanes each way, but gradually being widened to 3 lanes each way)
*Between State Road 582 (Fowler Avenue) and State Road 681 (Exit 200) near Nokomis (3 lanes each way except through Riverview and part of Brandon where it is up to 5 lanes each way)
*Between State Road 681 and Harborview Road (Exit 167) (2 lanes each way)
*Between Harborview Road and US 17 (Exit 164) (3 lanes each way)
*Between US 17 and State Road 884 (Colonial Boulevard) (Exit 136) (2 lanes each way)
*Between State Road 884 (Colonial Boulevard) and Golden Gate Parkway (Exit 105) (2 lanes each way, but currently being widened to 3 lanes each way)
*Between Golden Gate Parkway and US 27 (Exit 23) (2 lanes each way)
*Between US 27 and I-595 (Exit 19) (3 lanes each way)
*From I-595 to southern terminus (4 lanes each way)

Rest Area and Truck Weight & Inspection Station list

*Broward County Rest Areas between Exits 23 & 49
*Collier County Rest Areas between Exits 49 & 80
*Lee County Rest Area at Exit 131
*Charlotte County Rest Areas between Exits 158 & 161
*Manatee County Rest Areas between Exits 229 & 240
*Pasco County Rest Areas between Exits 275 & 279
*Sumter County Rest Areas between Exits 301 & 309
*Sumter County Truck Weigh Stations between Exits 329 & 341
*Ocala Rest Areas between Exits 341 & 350
*Gainesville Rest Areas between Exits 374 & 382
*North Alachua County Rest Areas between Exits 404 & 414
*Northbound Hamilton County Rest Area north of Exit 439
*Southbound Hamilton County Rest Area south of Exit 451
*Hamilton County Truck Weigh Stations south of Exit 451
*State Inspection Station between Exits 460 & 467
*FLORIDA WELCOME CENTER (Southbound Only)

Exit list

Miscellanea

The Alligator Alley section west of Fort Lauderdale, Florida is due east/west and is one of only two sections of I-75 that are tolled (the other is the Mackinac Bridge). Interstate 75 was originally intended to run further south of State Road 84/Alligator Alley, along the current route of US 41/Tamiami Trail, and directly into downtown Miami along the current route of State Road 836/Dolphin Expressway. The eastern terminus of Alligator Alley, the southern terminus of Sawgrass Expressway, and the western terminus of Interstate 595 are in the same stack interchange.

Florida Department of Transportation is currently proposing a relocation project for the northbound ramp of Exit 275, which includes a connecting ramp with Interstate 275. This project will prevent weaving in the vicinity of I-275 and SR 56, a hazard that has occurred since the Exit 275 and SR 56 were built across I-75 in 2003. [ [http://www.mytbi.com/urs/Future-Projects/8-30-07-content/408459-3-zoom.html I-275/I-75 to SR 56 Northbound Exit Ramps (FPID: 421831-1)-Widening from North of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard to SR 56 (FPID: 408459-3)(Florida Department of Transportation)] ]

Plans are currently under way to redesign the interchanges with the north end of Florida's Turnpike(Exit 328) and SR 44(Exit 329), connecting them with collective-distributor roads, and eliminating left-hand access to Florida's Turnpike from the main southbound lane. This is a joint effort between the Florida's Turnpike Enterprise and Florida Department of Transportation.

References

External links

* [http://www.dot.state.fl.us/TrafficOperations/Operations/exitnumb/i_75.htm New I-75 Exits (FDOT)]
* [http://www.southeastroads.com/i-075_fl.html Interstate 75 Index -- Florida(AARoads.com)]
* [http://www.interstate275florida.com/I75Page1.htm Interstate 75 Tampa Bay area page at Interstate275Florida.com]