I've always wondered this, why does it not just go straight to 95 via 595? instead it turns south and dies a few miles south at 826.
It was but plans changed over time. It was to go all the way to I-95 but the tolled Gratinay Parkway (If I misspelled the word, I am out and about and not at home nor do care enough to check its spelling ) was settled on instead.
It would have been better to continue it along 826 and have it end at US 1 IMO. However be glad it got built to where it is as originally it was to end in Tampa. To get it to Miami took till the mid 90's to get it completed due to opposition.
Back in the 70s, I-75 was planned to cross the everglades through an alignment that was much closer to the Tamiami Trail (US 41). Once in Miami, I-75 was planned to continue east along what is FL 836 and end at I-95 in downtown. The plans were dropped for environmental concerns through the everglades and with the high cost of rebuilding FL 836 into an interstate. Therefore, to minimize the environmental concerns, FL 84 was upgraded into I-75 as Alligator Alley. I-595 then replaced FL 84 from Weston to Fort Lauderdale. I think the reason for building south of I-595 was to provide a bypass of communities along I-95 between Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
Quote from: 21stCenturyRoad on August 10, 2017, 07:48:04 PM
Back in the 70s, I-75 was planned to cross the everglades through an alignment that was much closer to the Tamiami Trail (US 41). Once in Miami, I-75 was planned to continue east along what is FL 836 and end at I-95 in downtown. The plans were dropped for environmental concerns through the everglades and with the high cost of rebuilding FL 836 into an interstate. Therefore, to minimize the environmental concerns, FL 84 was upgraded into I-75 as Alligator Alley. I-595 then replaced FL 84 from Weston to Fort Lauderdale. I think the reason for building south of I-595 was to provide a bypass of communities along I-95 between Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
I remember that west Pembroke Pines and Miramar were peaceful and quint west of SR 827 (Flamingo Road) back then. Now not so much.
If I-95 continued south of Miami to Homestead it would be an issue to connect the two. Being that Florida's Turnpike Homestead's Extension is the furthest south freeway in FL (and the US besides HI) and it does connect to that, that is whats important.
Both end in the Miami area on different sides of the Metro Miami-Dade areas but nonetheless reach the end.
It would make sense now to extend 75 along 595 but we have the current setup.
Quote from: roadman65 on September 13, 2017, 01:46:38 PM
If I-95 continued south of Miami to Homestead it would be an issue to connect the two. Being that Florida's Turnpike Homestead's Extension is the furthest south freeway in FL (and the US besides HI) and it does connect to that, that is whats important.
Actually Puerto Rico is further south than Hawaii and it does have freeways, although it is a U.S. territory and not a state.
Quote from: roadman65 on August 10, 2017, 07:03:16 PM
It was but plans changed over time. It was to go all the way to I-95 but the tolled Gratinay Parkway (If I misspelled the word, I am out and about and not at home nor do care enough to check its spelling ) was settled on instead.
....
Gratigny. Of course, it dumps you onto a surface street for several blocks.
Quote from: roadman65 on August 10, 2017, 07:03:16 PM
It was but plans changed over time. It was to go all the way to I-95 but the tolled Gratinay Parkway (If I misspelled the word, I am out and about and not at home nor do care enough to check its spelling ) was settled on instead.
It would have been better to continue it along 826 and have it end at US 1 IMO. However be glad it got built to where it is as originally it was to end in Tampa. To get it to Miami took till the mid 90's to get it completed due to opposition.
It's crazy how they were able to get I-75 complete, but I-95 is still incomplete to this day, and won't be complete until next year.
It's funny how if you lived somewhere long enough, you don't really think of them being "incomplete" since another road joins them.
The east-west section of the Palmetto Expressway isn't really interstate grade, and sections of the Golden Glades Interchange are quite substandard.
It's crazy that there wasn't a freeway between Tampa and Miami until 1993.
Quote from: Pink Jazz on September 15, 2017, 10:40:12 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on September 13, 2017, 01:46:38 PM
If I-95 continued south of Miami to Homestead it would be an issue to connect the two. Being that Florida's Turnpike Homestead's Extension is the furthest south freeway in FL (and the US besides HI) and it does connect to that, that is whats important.
Actually Puerto Rico is further south than Hawaii and it does have freeways, although it is a U.S. territory and not a state.
If we really wanted to get technical, American Samoa is even further south.
Quote from: Brandon on September 22, 2017, 12:58:02 PM
Quote from: Pink Jazz on September 15, 2017, 10:40:12 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on September 13, 2017, 01:46:38 PM
If I-95 continued south of Miami to Homestead it would be an issue to connect the two. Being that Florida's Turnpike Homestead's Extension is the furthest south freeway in FL (and the US besides HI) and it does connect to that, that is whats important.
Actually Puerto Rico is further south than Hawaii and it does have freeways, although it is a U.S. territory and not a state.
But the odds of I-AS1 being built anytime soon are non-existant...
If we really wanted to get technical, American Samoa is even further south.
Quote from: Brandon on September 22, 2017, 12:58:02 PM
If we really wanted to get technical, American Samoa is even further south.
American Samoa doesn't have any freeways. The closest thing we have in a U.S. territory outside of Puerto Rico is USVI 66 in St. Croix, which is a high-speed arterial with a 55 mph speed limit, but there are no grade-separated interchanges.
doesn't puerto rico have interstates?
For record-keeping purposes, yes. But they A) aren't signed as such and B) aren't fully Interstate-grade.
Quote from: brownpelican on September 15, 2017, 10:15:52 PM
It would make sense now to extend 75 along 595 but we have the current setup.
What's also weird is that there is no clear signage on getting into Downtown Miami from I-75. Normally, you can religiously follow the pull through signage on BGSes and you will be led to the downtown area. But at the south end of I-75 you are greeted with this:
https://www.google.com/maps/@25.8980584,-80.3349627,3a,75y,90.82h,84.15t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sgDc5b8gJtPV0jWINQ-bwxw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Signage to the airport, but not necessarily signage to Downtown.
Similarly at the 826/836 interchange you are greeted with signs directing you to go east for the airport without signs about Downtown.
https://www.google.com/maps/@25.7876471,-80.3213946,3a,75y,134.13h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sACsW0u79ul0rn5VnuXelTQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DACsW0u79ul0rn5VnuXelTQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D137.13173%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656
It seems weird to me that a road that goes directly to both the airport and then onto Downtown does not mention Downtown. I think this is unique.
Here is a sign leading to Philadelphia. I-95 from this point hits Philly Int'l on its way to Center City, yet the primary destination is the city, not the airport.
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.864019,-75.34862,3a,75y,34.03h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1snklZklNe0didi_6rjG12KQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
(And this is similar to US 101 signage south of SFO, where the northbound destination is the city, not the airport. And for most other cities as well in a similar situation.)
Quote from: bugo on September 22, 2017, 02:54:53 AM
It's crazy that there wasn't a freeway between Tampa and Miami until 1993.
Well, there was I-4 to the Turnpike, finished by 1970. Given the extra distance, did anyone use that route?
I-75 south of Tampa was one of the Interstate routes added in 1968, 12 years after the original 1956 Interstate system was authorized and funded. Southwest Florida was still relatively undeveloped in the 1960s. So it is understandable that it took longer to complete I-75 between Tampa and Miami, and understandable that it was not in the 1956 syetem.
As far as where I-75 ends, it had to end somewhere in the Miami area. It ends in a high-capacity junction with the Palmetto Expressway and the Gratigny Parkway, so it does feed into the major freeway system in the Miami area.
Even if the Gratigny Parkway was non-tolled, and part of Interstate 75, it would have been very difficult to get it all the way to Interstate 95. There was intense opposition to getting the road built, in addition to it going through a predominately minority neighborhood. Thus, Interstate 75's present terminus at SR-826 and SR-924 will likely be permanent.
Quote from: Beltway on March 06, 2018, 07:33:40 AM
Quote from: bugo on September 22, 2017, 02:54:53 AM
It's crazy that there wasn't a freeway between Tampa and Miami until 1993.
Well, there was I-4 to the Turnpike, finished by 1970. Given the extra distance, did anyone use that route?
When I used to travel from Tampa to the South Florida area around 25 years ago, you shot across FL 60 to Yeehaw to avoid I-4.
I-75 though the Alley was almost (and eventually) completed then, but that added extra distance. I-75 around Sarasota in progress of getting six lanes in some directions, at the expense of some very narrow four-lane construction constriction which lasted for about 20 miles. Whenever trucks are recommended in the left lane, it's going to be slow going.
Quote from: formulanone on March 06, 2018, 03:46:19 PM
Quote from: Beltway on March 06, 2018, 07:33:40 AM
Quote from: bugo on September 22, 2017, 02:54:53 AM
It's crazy that there wasn't a freeway between Tampa and Miami until 1993.
Well, there was I-4 to the Turnpike, finished by 1970. Given the extra distance, did anyone use that route?
When I used to travel from Tampa to the South Florida area around 25 years ago, you shot across FL 60 to Yeehaw to avoid I-4.
I-75 though the Alley was almost (and eventually) completed then, but that added extra time. I-75 around Sarasota in progress of getting six lanes in some directions, at the expense of some very narrow four-lane construction constriction which lasted for about 20 miles.
When was US 27 blown out to a four-lane Expressway between 60 and the Turnpike?
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on March 06, 2018, 03:51:13 PM
Quote from: formulanone on March 06, 2018, 03:46:19 PM
Quote from: Beltway on March 06, 2018, 07:33:40 AM
Quote from: bugo on September 22, 2017, 02:54:53 AM
It's crazy that there wasn't a freeway between Tampa and Miami until 1993.
Well, there was I-4 to the Turnpike, finished by 1970. Given the extra distance, did anyone use that route?
When I used to travel from Tampa to the South Florida area around 25 years ago, you shot across FL 60 to Yeehaw to avoid I-4.
I-75 though the Alley was almost (and eventually) completed then, but that added extra time. I-75 around Sarasota in progress of getting six lanes in some directions, at the expense of some very narrow four-lane construction constriction which lasted for about 20 miles.
When was US 27 blown out to a four-lane Expressway between 60 and the Turnpike?
Some time in the '80s, is my guess, with the exception of the Bartow area around FL 60, where it was a little maze of one-lane ramps and turn pockets until 2000 or so. US 27 was four lanes from FL 50 to FL 80 and by the early-1990s. The section south of FL 80 to the Broward County line wasn't completely four lanes until 1996.