I-75 Alligator Alley

[Max Rockatansky]

I can remember going across when it was SR 84.  Going over as SR 93 (I-75) is ridiculous as two-lane SR 84 was fine for this route.  I know that I can recall some high-speed head on crashes and the like back in the day.  Inappropriate driver behavior was the cause of the wrecks.

I do think that Naples/Fort Meyers- Miami justifies an Interstate.

Let alone Tampa-St. Petersburg?

I drove the route a few months ago, traffic was light but certainly enough to justify to a four lane divided highway.

It's busy enough by a good margin to justify being fully limited access.  Even US 27 has enough traffic through the Everglades to justify being a four lane expressway.

[D-Dey65]

This is definitely a bucket list road for me.

It's not especially interesting as a drive, especially since there is more speed limit enforcement than there used to be. The first time I drove across that road, I seldom dipped below 100 mph. That required intense concentration and was a lot of fun then, but nowadays it's hard to manage that both because of traffic and because of increased police presence (plus, I just don't drive as fast anymore because I like our low insurance premiums).

The road signs don't really convince me it's so uninteresting.

[formulanone]

This is definitely a bucket list road for me.

If you only had to drive one, I'd pick US 41 from Naples to the Miami-Dade county line. It's more scenic, and you can get much closer to it. Alligator Alley is a bit more dull, because there's just a few spots to take in scenery, usually with less tree strands.

Frankly, both run out of scenery around the Broward or Miami-Dade County lines as you head east (or "South"). A lot more of the trees were logged back in the 1930s-1940s and never replenished.

[Max Rockatansky]

This is definitely a bucket list road for me.

If you only had to drive one, I'd pick US 41 from Naples to the Miami-Dade county line. It's more scenic, and you can get much closer to it. Alligator Alley is a bit more dull, because there's just a few spots to take in scenery, usually with less tree strands.

Frankly, both run out of scenery around the Broward or Miami-Dade County lines as you head east (or "South"). A lot more of the trees were logged back in the 1930s-1940s and never replenished.

Which is why I mentioned Main Park Road above.  That wasn't logged and gives a much stronger impression of what the Everglades was like in it's prime.  Granted, this isn't a through road like Alligator Alley and Tamiami are.

[Avalanchez71]

I am going to concur on this one.  On I-75 you feel like you are raised to a point that you can't really see much.  It is not like it was when it was SR 84.  Not to mention that you are travelling around 70 MPH plus and you can't really see much.  SR 9336 to Main Park Road and US 41 are much cooler. 

[Roadgeekteen]

I am going to concur on this one.  On I-75 you feel like you are raised to a point that you can't really see much.  It is not like it was when it was SR 84.  Not to mention that you are travelling around 70 MPH plus and you can't really see much.  SR 9336 to Main Park Road and US 41 are much cooler.

The upgrade was not good for scenery, but was still needed.

[Max Rockatansky]

I am going to concur on this one.  On I-75 you feel like you are raised to a point that you can't really see much.  It is not like it was when it was SR 84.  Not to mention that you are travelling around 70 MPH plus and you can't really see much.  SR 9336 to Main Park Road and US 41 are much cooler.

The upgrade was not good for scenery, but was still needed.

Actually the upgrades were necessary to improve the water flow through the right of way.  Similar changes to US 41 have been ongoing for several years to accomplish something similar. 

[Avalanchez71]

Also CR 94 Loop Road is a neat excursion if you are taking US 41.  However, make sure your vehicle has the necessary clearance.  There are some bad ruts in the road.

[Max Rockatansky]

Also CR 94 Loop Road is a neat excursion if you are taking US 41.  However, make sure your vehicle has the necessary clearance.  There are some bad ruts in the road.

It's not too bad, there is some consistent grading work that is done on it.  I've done it numerous times in small cars and never had a problem aside from occasional wash boarding.

[The Ghostbuster]

Was CR 94 an old alignment of US 41 back when it was US 94 (1926-1949)?

[Max Rockatansky]

Was CR 94 an old alignment of US 41 back when it was US 94 (1926-1949)?

No, it was a competing grade pushed by Monroe County interests to get traffic where they could take advantage of it.  The Tamiami Trail was always on the present grade, the CR 94 designation (which isn't field signed nowadays) is just an amusing coincidence.

[Avalanchez71]

I have never seen a Monroe County Sheriff's Office deputy or the sheriff for that matter on the mainland portion of Monroe County.  I would attribute that to the fact that I believe that all of mainland Monroe County is under federal or tribal jurisdiction.

[Max Rockatansky]

I have never seen a Monroe County Sheriff's Office deputy or the sheriff for that matter on the mainland portion of Monroe County.  I would attribute that to the fact that I believe that all of mainland Monroe County is under federal or tribal jurisdiction.

But that wasn't always the case, hence why there are a coupe ghost towns centered around the Loop Road.  Pinecrest is pretty obvious given there is an old Desoto rusting away in one of the few privately owned parcels left.  Trail City pretty much has completely vanished and probably was never much more than a home or two. 

Interestingly there was a coupe attempts to develop some sites on mainland Monroe County aside from the Loop Road.  Flamingo is the most well known and probably the most disorganized, hence why the Park Service got rid of it so easily.  A lot of people bought up parcels in Flamingo hoping the Overseas Railroad would be built that way.  Snake Bight popped up near Flamingo as a company town which was a fishing village.  Regarding Chevelier I'm not exactly sure where to look as it doesn't appear much was ever built:

http://ghosttowns.com/states/fl/chevelier.html

[Avalanchez71]

I have never seen a Monroe County Sheriff's Office deputy or the sheriff for that matter on the mainland portion of Monroe County.  I would attribute that to the fact that I believe that all of mainland Monroe County is under federal or tribal jurisdiction.

But that wasn't always the case, hence why there are a coupe ghost towns centered around the Loop Road.  Pinecrest is pretty obvious given there is an old Desoto rusting away in one of the few privately owned parcels left.  Trail City pretty much has completely vanished and probably was never much more than a home or two. 

Interestingly there was a coupe attempts to develop some sites on mainland Monroe County aside from the Loop Road.  Flamingo is the most well known and probably the most disorganized, hence why the Park Service got rid of it so easily.  A lot of people bought up parcels in Flamingo hoping the Overseas Railroad would be built that way.  Snake Bight popped up near Flamingo as a company town which was a fishing village.  Regarding Chevelier I'm not exactly sure where to look as it doesn't appear much was ever built:

http://ghosttowns.com/states/fl/chevelier.html

These articles leave out that they had elected constables back then as well.  The constables were elected in those areas and were the law or on the take.

[Max Rockatansky]

I have never seen a Monroe County Sheriff's Office deputy or the sheriff for that matter on the mainland portion of Monroe County.  I would attribute that to the fact that I believe that all of mainland Monroe County is under federal or tribal jurisdiction.

But that wasn't always the case, hence why there are a coupe ghost towns centered around the Loop Road.  Pinecrest is pretty obvious given there is an old Desoto rusting away in one of the few privately owned parcels left.  Trail City pretty much has completely vanished and probably was never much more than a home or two. 

Interestingly there was a coupe attempts to develop some sites on mainland Monroe County aside from the Loop Road.  Flamingo is the most well known and probably the most disorganized, hence why the Park Service got rid of it so easily.  A lot of people bought up parcels in Flamingo hoping the Overseas Railroad would be built that way.  Snake Bight popped up near Flamingo as a company town which was a fishing village.  Regarding Chevelier I'm not exactly sure where to look as it doesn't appear much was ever built:

http://ghosttowns.com/states/fl/chevelier.html

These articles leave out that they had elected constables back then as well.  The constables were elected in those areas and were the law or on the take.

Probably a fair chance it was both back then.  The Gator Hook Lodge and Al Capone's Mansion were out on the Loop Road for a reason.  Monroe County and it's elected officials haven't exactly had a stellar track record for being and the up and up.  The fact that Key West PD and City officials were helping smuggle drugs led to the Border Patrol checkpoint on US 1 in Key Largo.  I always found it kind of amusing that something like that is what started the whole Conch Republic movement.

[Avalanchez71]

I would imagine that a crooked Justice of the Peace (JP) and Constable could have cleaned up back then in that area.  They were so removed from the rest of the county.  I would imagine that they had a JP/Constable election precinct in that area.  JPs could hold court just about anywhere until later days when they had established locations for them.  I know in Florida that the Constables in Dade County and Broward County cleaned up on fees until the office was abolished in 1970.

If you go to a history page of just about any Sheriff's Office it will go on to say that the sheriff and his three deputies patrolled the entire county on horseback back in 1899.  That is true but it leaves out an entire story.  The constables are elected to certain parts of the county and they were the law within their respective precincts and even beyond.  They would be the person someone would call on.  They would keep the peace then in turn carry the perpetrator to the JP for commitment.  Then they would carry the person off to the sheriff/jailer. 

[D-Dey65]

Was CR 94 an old alignment of US 41 back when it was US 94 (1926-1949)?

No, it was a competing grade pushed by Monroe County interests to get traffic where they could take advantage of it.  The Tamiami Trail was always on the present grade, the CR 94 designation (which isn't field signed nowadays) is just an amusing coincidence.

I would've thought that designation was just nostalgia for the time when that segment of the Tamiami Trail was US 94.

[Max Rockatansky]

Was CR 94 an old alignment of US 41 back when it was US 94 (1926-1949)?

No, it was a competing grade pushed by Monroe County interests to get traffic where they could take advantage of it.  The Tamiami Trail was always on the present grade, the CR 94 designation (which isn't field signed nowadays) is just an amusing coincidence.

I would've thought that designation was just nostalgia for the time when that segment of the Tamiami Trail was US 94.

Just part of the post 1945 State Road grid.  It was FL 94 for a pretty long time, I think it is maintained by the Park Service now.

[Avalanchez71]

I believe that Loop Road once was CR 94.  It is interesting that the unique arrangement with the Big Cypress National Preserve allows private ownership and state/county right-of-way yet I assume that the NPS has assumed Loop Road and it is no longer CR 94.  Maps still show this as CR 94 to date.  I don't ever recall seeing a CR 94 sign ever.  That doesn't mean that they did not exist once upon a time.

Here is a pdf from the NPS about what one can do along Loop Road aka CR 94.
https://www.nps.gov/bicy/planyourvisit/upload/BICY-Loop-Road-Scenic-Road-FINAL-4.pdf

You will find that the road is aka CR 94 written on the pdf.

[Max Rockatansky]

I believe that Loop Road once was CR 94.  It is interesting that the unique arrangement with the Big Cypress National Preserve allows private ownership and state/county right-of-way yet I assume that the NPS has assumed Loop Road and it is no longer CR 94.  Maps still show this as CR 94 to date.  I don't ever recall seeing a CR 94 sign ever.  That doesn't mean that they did not exist once upon a time.

Here is a pdf from the NPS about what one can do along Loop Road aka CR 94.
https://www.nps.gov/bicy/planyourvisit/upload/BICY-Loop-Road-Scenic-Road-FINAL-4.pdf

You will find that the road is aka CR 94 written on the pdf.

I actually have some photos of Monroe Station before it was burned down by an idiot with fireworks.  The Big Cypress Preserve was getting ready to restore the building, shame it's gone:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/97H30u