Florida

[FLRoads]

State to finalize removal of old interstate exit number signs.

FDOT spokesperson Kris Carson said safety was the primary reason why the exits were renumbered in 2002.

"We did that for safety reasons, so emergency personnel would be able to get to people quicker and know exactly where people are from the mileposts," she said.
In 2002, there were still maps in circulation with the old numbers, so the state left the old number on the signs.  As various construction projects have started since then, the old exit number signs have been removed.

Today, there are only a few left attached to overhead signs.  They too will eventually become extinct.

The state is currently doing an inventory of any remaining old exit number signs and developing a plan to have them removed.

Glad to see that these signs and tabs are FINALLY going to be removed. It's not like its been 12 years since the conversion or anything...lol 

[D-Dey65]

The latest construction project shows that Osceola Parkway will turn left onto Boggy Creek Road as two left turn lanes have been added EB and a full two lane turn with right turn signal that works with the left turn protection EB at Boggy Creek.

Because they never build double turn lanes unless something bigger is planned.

http://www.osceola-parkway.com/docs/slides%20with%20notes.pdf
Looks like they're going to cut the corner through the vacant lot north of the intersection.

What would be great is if they made it into something closely resembling an actual parkway... something with interchanges, not like William Floyd Parkway or the Bronx River north of Sprain Brook Parkway.

[FLRoads]

A two-year construction project will be starting late this month for improvements at the Interstate 4 / Florida 559 interchange (Exit 44) in Polk County. The project consists of building a new SR 559 bridge over I-4 (four lane span) and shifting the eastbound lanes of I-4 to the south.

I-4 Project to Be Explained at Meeting on Thursday

This short article and a road watch guide for Polk County are the only two news articles I have found thus far relating to this project. FDOT does have it listed on their construction contract list page (under Projects or Active Projects link) but there is no actual website listed. See the specifics on this project here. Initial leg work began August 11 and will cost over $21.2 million for the improvements. Completion is currently scheduled for 2017.

I had no idea that this project was even going to be happening until I drove by it along westbound I-4 Saturday afternoon, noticing the blue project sign and orange construction signs on the approach.

[formulanone]

I recall that the Old Exit numbers were "supposed" to be replaced in 2004 or so, which seemed like a waste of money and resources. It seems many were removed as new signage is needed, but many still remain.

Of course, that just makes the lone, forgotten Old Exit sign that more interesting...

[Brian556]

As for the exit number signs, I always thought the "OLD 128" wording layout was confusing, because it makes you think "old what"; and the first though that comes to your head is "old highway".

[D-Dey65]

I just got caught off-guard about a public meeting for the Hernando-Citrus MPO that was supposed to start up within a few minutes of this writing.

http://www.hernandocitrusmpo.us/

But those of you who know me, know what kinds of improvements I'd suggest. I'm not the biggest fan of the no-build plans and the phony "smart growth" suggestions, but that doesn't mean all the existing plans are that great either.

[DeaconG]

The six laning of US 1 in Cocoa from north of SR 520 to north of the Beachline is still continuing...they've moved all traffic to the former northbound lanes while they widen the southbound carriageway for three lanes.  They're still scheduled to complete it some time in 2015 (and probably not soon enough for the businesses that have already suffered two years of this).

Also, US 1 is being repaved from TICO Airport to SR 528, they haven't started laying asphalt yet but the prep is continuing-and is way, way overdue.

[FLRoads]

Port Manatee connector road may be shelved by FDOT

The Port Manatee Connector, a planned construction project once estimated to cost as much as $328 million, has grown so old on the vine it has ceased to be a priority on state and regional transportation plans.

The port and the state began planning the connector to stay ahead of a hoped-for jump in port business. But shortly after starting the project development process six years ago, the economy fell flat. According to state and port officials, so did port traffic levels, which put the project on hold.

A planning development and environmental study for the connector was scheduled to be finished by next year, but state officials say that won't happen.

"We're kind of at a standoff with them," said port Commissioner Betsy Benac.

Of present concern is the port's ability to obtain up to 272 acres of right of way for the connector, something it can't do without a chosen route or federal funding.

Robin Stublen, a District 1 FDOT spokesman, said while it is true studies of Port Manatee's traffic don't warrant building a road in addition to those already serving the port, there is no danger that FDOT will terminate the project out of hand. However, with the project dormant for so long, FDOT is under pressure from the Federal Highway Commission to either start building or take the connector off its project rolls. The commission is the lead federal agency on the project.

If the connector comes off the transportation projects list, Stublen said, "it can be revived at any time." FDOT and the highway commission have yet to officially commit funds to the project.

[clef]

Seemingly (obviously) predates I-595 since the bus stop sign looks like it replaced a left arrow. Turning left onto FL-84 WB hasn't been possible in a few decades. Looks like there are six-key shields in at least three spots

The six-key FL-84 assembly was replaced within the last week or two. So... that leaves the other two which, up until I posted this one, were thought to be the only ones left anyway

[FLRoads]

Well that is definitely not good news to hear. 

[Zeffy]

How come they removed the Keys from the state highway shield anyway? I know the Keys are large enough that they should be represented on the state highway shield...

[formulanone]

And thus, possibly Broward County's oldest sign is gone. No more button copy, no more Keys shields, and only two known colored shields left, both of recent vintage (2003 - probably to deplete old stock).

[roadman65]

http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20131112/news/131119819
FL 415 being widened between Sanford and Osteen. 

[D-Dey65]

Somebody has recommended adding tunnels to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge to let tall ships enter the Port of Tampa:

http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2014/8/27/skyway_cruise_ship.html

Check out the last paragraph. Bay News 9 somehow thinks the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is in MARYLAND!!


   

[FLRoads]

Somebody has recommended adding tunnels to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge to let tall ships enter the Port of Tampa:

http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2014/8/27/skyway_cruise_ship.html

Check out the last paragraph. Bay News 9 somehow thinks the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is in MARYLAND!!


   

Someone must have edited that part because it now states its in Virginia and the time the article was updated was 10:12PM!

I read a similar article Monday on the Bradenton Herald but neglected to post it then because of some defects within the article. Here it is (its since been corrected):

http://www.bradenton.com/2014/08/25/5320229/might-a-tunnel-bring-big-cruise.html

Yeah, the guy proposing this idea is a perennial candidate for Hillsborough County commissioner. He's already spoke with both the Tampa and Manatee Port Authorities in the past couple of week, and some of them seem to be on board.

Cosentino said building a tunnel to replace the eastern portion of the bridge would give ships the unlimited air space and deep draft clearance needed to reach either port.

Emphasizing he is not an engineer, Cosentino gave no cost estimate for the project. FDOT estimates the cost of demolishing and replacing the Skyway bridge at $2 billion. Building a new cruise port would cost slightly less than $650 million, according to the FDOT.

Cosentino said the tunnel could be seamlessly connected to the Skyway bridge when finished, thus avoiding the interruption in service replacing the bridge would cause. It would also keep cruise revenues going to port facilities already built on the bay.

The actual construction, he said, would involve dredging a shipping channel, then either excavating a groove in which tunnel sections would be assembled or drilling the tunnel through sea floor rock.

Since he is referring to the eastern portion of the bridge, the most likely spot where he is proposing the tunnel would be somewhere in this area:


View along northbound I-275 & U.S. 19 on the Manatee side of the Sunshine Skyway bridge.

Not sure how seamlessly he thinks a tunnel will fit within the existing structure. In order to connect it at least one approach island would have to be built in the bay (for the transition to the tunnel) and new connecting bridges would have to be constructed to link the existing span and the freeway on the mainland Manatee side to the tunnel.

The only way I see that it could be feasible is if the new span/tunnel portion takes off on a southerly course (if not due south) from the south base of the rise to the cable-stayed section and then swing back to the east to meet the existing freeway somewhere between the south rest area exit and the northbound toll plaza. And the waters in this area of the Skyway are relatively shallow so dredging a deep enough channel for cruise ships to navigate would take a lot of work.

The bridge/tunnel concept is a good idea (and one that has been proposed before), but in my opinion it would have to be built on a new alignment and utilize the existing main channel.

[FLRoads]

Would anyone know why the two placards atop the I-95 guide signs are covered up along I-195 west in Miami? They have been like that since at least Spring 2013 (according to Google Street View).



My guess is they are somehow related to the I-95 Express Lanes but I have no concrete evidence to support that theory. And I like how they used the newer black on yellow Toll shield for Florida 112 but purposely covered up the word "TOLL" since westbound is free to travel.

[realjd]

Advisory speeds maybe? That exit is a pretty sharp turn IIRC. It wouldn't have anything to do with the express lanes because they're not accessible from WB 195.

[FLRoads]

Advisory speeds maybe? That exit is a pretty sharp turn IIRC. It wouldn't have anything to do with the express lanes because they're not accessible from WB 195.

Yeah, I realized that I-195 doesn't tie into the Express Lanes after I wrote it. 

[rickmastfan67]

'Last Exit before Toll'?

I thought I heard they were going to convert 112 to have tolls both ways.

[NE2]

'Last Exit before Toll'?

I thought I heard they were going to convert 112 to have tolls both ways.

Yep. You can see yellow-out on the 112 shield with the right side of the L poking out. The white bar will presumably say "Sunpass or toll-by-plate".

[FLRoads]

'Last Exit before Toll'?

I thought I heard they were going to convert 112 to have tolls both ways.

Yep. You can see yellow-out on the 112 shield with the right side of the L poking out. The white bar will presumably say "Sunpass or toll-by-plate".

That's got to be what those signs indicate. It's funny that FDOT went ahead and had those signs posted even though westbound hasn't been converted yet. I looked at the FY2015-2019 funding report on MDXWay's site and there is a project partially funded for the infrastructure and modification for open road tolling along SR 112 (at least through FY2016) but nothing is active right now.

Thanks guys for the clarification in this! Much appreciated.

In hind sight, the main clues were right there in front of me (the white banner and the TOLL SR 112) but I was just not paying attention... 

[roadman65]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/14812341548/in/photostream/
Speaking of tolls here is the latest shield that Florida is using for FL 528.  To me I am starting to like them better than the green as to black on gold seems to stand out more than the white on green.  Hopefully these won't fade as much either like the green does.

[Zeffy]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/14812341548/in/photostream/
Speaking of tolls here is the latest shield that Florida is using for FL 528.  To me I am starting to like them better than the green as to black on gold seems to stand out more than the white on green.  Hopefully these won't fade as much either like the green does.

Black on yellow is also the standard for a TOLL banner/plaque, so it's consistent with the other signs at that point too.

[roadman65]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/14812341548/in/photostream/
Speaking of tolls here is the latest shield that Florida is using for FL 528.  To me I am starting to like them better than the green as to black on gold seems to stand out more than the white on green.  Hopefully these won't fade as much either like the green does.

Black on yellow is also the standard for a TOLL banner/plaque, so it's consistent with the other signs at that point too.

The new Florida Turnpike shields now have that banner too.  And yes I agree with you it already is a standard for plaques on large signs.  It is about time they start using them in this application as well.

[cpzilliacus]

WTOP Radio (Washington, D.C.): Infamous speed trap town investigated over tickets

The north Florida town of Waldo has long had a reputation as a speed trap, and it's no wonder. A small segment of highway that runs through Waldo requires drivers to speed up and slow down six times: 65 mph becomes 55 mph; 55 becomes 45; then goes back to 55; then back down to 45; to 55 again and eventually, 35 mph.

AAA named the tiny town between Jacksonville and Gainesville one of only two "traffic traps" nationwide and even placed an attention-getting billboard outside the limits of the town to warn drivers to slow down before entering.

Now Waldo faces a scandal following allegations that the town victimizes motorists to turn a profit. Two police chiefs have been suspended, the police department has rebelled and the state is investigating possible wrongdoing.