Florida's Turnpike
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Floridas_Turnpike_Enterprise.jpg
Florida's Turnpike (also called the Florida Turnpike) is a toll road that runs 265 miles (426 km) down the Florida peninsula through 11 counties, from Interstate 75 at Wildwood, to near Miami. It runs through Orlando, where it crosses Interstate 4; and West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, where it parallels Interstate 95, often literally next to it. The Homestead Extension (HEFT) runs from north of Miami down through the western suburbs, to near Homestead. The original Turnpike is known internally (and sometimes shown on maps) as SR 91 and the HEFT is known as SR 821.
The first 110 miles (177 km) from Golden Glades to Fort Pierce opened in 1957 as the Sunshine State Parkway, under the former Florida State Turnpike Authority. The second section from Fort Pierce to Wildwood, was finished in 1964. The 47 mile (76 km) Homestead Extension was completed in 1974.
Tolls on the turnpike are set at 6¢ per mile (about 3¾¢ per kilometer) for two-axle vehicles. As the turnpike system is a primary route useful for evacuations, the state will suspend tolls on the Turnpike, as well as other roads in the system when a hurricane watch is issued or when other state or national emergencies warrant rapid movement of the population. Payment is via coins and SunPass electronic toll collection near the urban and suburban areas of Miami and Orlando, and via ticket the rest of the way (south of Kissimmee and north of Lantana).
The system is operated at a significant profit for the state, which then uses the money for other road projects. Management is by the Florida's Turnpike Enterprise, part of the Florida Department of Transportation.
Exits on the highway are on the mile-log system. The Turnpike started using this system long before Florida's interstate highways were on the system, but originally used a sequential system, and then a hybrid where adjacent exit numbers differed by 4 south of SR 60 (exit 60 at the time) and 5 north of SR 60. Motorist-aid call boxes are located on both outside shoulders of the road every mile (1.6 km), and send only a signal indicating the need for gasoline, repair (tire or engine), or emergency services (police, ambulance, or firefighters).
Service plazas are open 24 hours per day, most having Burger King and other fast food. Other services include Internet access, travel and tourism info and tickets, picnic areas, TV news, Florida Lottery, and of course restrooms and public phones. SunPass transponders are available at all locations.
In 1998, the Florida Legislature designated the turnpike the Ronald Reagan Turnpike, after the 40th U.S. President. However, this designation did not replace the turnpike's existing name, only appearing on a few signs along the route.
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Interchanges
- US 1 (SR 5) south - Key West southbound only
- 1 US 1 (SR 5) north - Florida City southbound only
- 2 Campbell Dr - Homestead southbound only
- 5 SW 288th St/Biscayne Dr
- 6 SW 137th Ave/Speedway Blvd southbound only
- 9 SR 989 - SW 112th Ave
- Homestead Toll Plaza
- 11 Cutler Ridge Blvd/SW 216th St
- 12 Cutler Ridge Blvd/Caribbean Blvd/SW 200th St
- 13 SR 994 - Quail Roost Dr/Eureka Dr
- 16 SR 992 - SW 152nd St/SW 117th Ave
- 17 SR 874 to SR 826 - Miami northbound only
- 19 SW 120th St
- Snapper Creek Service Plaza
- 20 SR 94 - SW 88th St/Kendall Dr
- Bird Road Toll Plaza
- 23 SR 976 - SW 40th St
- 25 US 41 (SR 90) - SW 8th St
- 26A SR 836 east - Miami International Airport/NW 107th Ave
- 26B NW 12th St
- 29 NW 41st St
- Okeechobee Toll Plaza
- 34 NW 106th St/Gran Park Blvd
- 35 US 27 (SR 25) - Okeechobee Rd
- 39 I-75 (SR 93) - Naples northbound only
- 43 SR 823 - Red Rd/NW 57th Ave
- Miramar Toll Plaza southbound only
- 47 SR 817 - University Dr north/NW 27th Ave south
end Homestead Extension
- 47A to I-95 (SR 9) - Stadium/Miami
- Miramar Toll Plaza northbound only
- 49 SR 820 - Hollywood
- 53 SR 818 - Griffin Rd
- 54 SR 84/I-595/US 441 (SR 862/SR 7) to I-75 (SR 93)
- 58 SR 838 - Sunrise Blvd - Ft. Lauderdale
- 62 SR 870 - Commercial Blvd - Ft. Lauderdale North
- Cypress Creek Toll Plaza
- Pompano Beach Service Plaza
- 66 SR 814 - Atlantic Blvd northbound only
- 67 SR 912 west - Martin Luther King Blvd east/Coconut Creek Pkwy
- 69 SR 834 - Sample Rd
- 71 SR 869 south - Sawgrass Exwy - Coral Springs/Key West
- 75 SR 808 - Glades Rd
- 81 SR 806 - Delray Beach
- 86 SR 804 - Boynton Beach Blvd
- Lantana Toll Plaza
- 93 SR 802 - Lake Worth
- West Palm Beach Service Plaza
- 99 SR 704 - Okeechobee Blvd - West Palm Beach
- 109 Palm Beach Gardens
- 116 SR 706 - Jupiter/Okeechobee
- 133 SR 714 - Stuart
- 142 Port St. Lucie
- Fort Pierce/Port St. Lucie Service Plaza
- 152 SR 70 - Ft. Pierce/Vero Beach/Okeechobee
- Fort Drum Service Plaza
- 193 SR 60/US 441 (SR 15) - Yeehaw Junction/Lake Wales/Vero Beach
- Canoe Creek Service Plaza
- Three Lakes Toll Plaza
- 242 US 192/US 441 (SR 500) - Kissimmee/St. Cloud northbound only
- 244 US 192/US 441 (SR 500) - Kissimmee/St. Cloud southbound only
- 249 Osceola Parkway
- 254 Florida State Road 528/US 17/US 92/US 441 (SR 500/SR 600) - Bee Line Expy/Orange Blossom Trail
- 259 I-4 (SR 400) - Downtown Orlando/Tampa
- Turkey Lake Service Plaza
- 265 SR 408 east - Orlando/Titusville southbound only
note: 267A and 267B are switched southbound
- 267A SR 429 - Apopka/CR 535
- 267B SR 50 - Ocoee
- 272 SR 50 - Winter Garden/Clermont
- 285 US 27/SR 19 (SR 25) - Leesburg/Clermont northbound only
- Leesburg Toll Plaza
- 289 US 27/SR 19 (SR 25) - Tavares/Clermont southbound only
- Okahumpka Service Plaza
- 304 US 301 (SR 35) Wildwood
- I-75 north Ocala northbound only
Interchanges on the spur towards Miami
This was part of the original Turnpike, bypassed when the Homestead Extension was built.
- Golden Glades Interchange I-95/US 441/SR 826 (SR 7/SR 9/SR 9A) - Beaches
- Golden Glades Toll Plaza
- 2X NW 199th St - Stadium
- 4X Florida's Turnpike (SR 821) south - Homestead
- Florida's Turnpike (SR 91) north - Orlando
Other roads
The turnpike system also extends to several other toll roads in the state:
- Bee Line Expressway (parts of SR 528)
- Central Florida GreeneWay Southern Connector (SR 417)
- Polk Parkway (SR 570)
- Sawgrass Expressway (SR 869)
- Seminole Expressway (SR 417)
- Suncoast Expressway (SR 589)
- Veterans Expressway (SR 589, main part)
- Veterans Expressway (SR 568, northern stub)
External links
- Official site (http://www.dot.state.fl.us/turnpikepio/)
- SunPass (http://www.sunpass.com)