Florida

[D-Dey65]

Here's one of the other features of the widened SR 50. A U-Turn Lane at Mariner Boulevard. It even has a U-Turn signal.



I'll get more images some other time. I've got to prepare a possible trip to the local antique car show tonight.

[emory]

The Florida Scenic Route situation is something created by Florida in the early-2000s, but they don't always route it along actual state routes. There's a former State A1A, which is now County A1A, and so I'm speculating the newest routing of A1A in St. Augustine didn't get the scenic route designation.

That intersection used to have a SOUTH CR A1A sign next to the SOUTH SR A1A sign. Maybe it was too confusing for motorists not knowing which southbound A1A to take.

[roadman65]

Even the Beechline SR 528 was sort of like that, though not FDOT, but the former OOCEA eliminated the SR 520 mainline plaza to consolidate before they reversed that move several years later by adding the Dallas Boulevard mainline in their attempt to keep the tolls alive and prevent the Orlando Expressways from being paid off to soon.

Not exactly; the reasoning was to encourage more people in the Avalon Park area to use the International Corporate Park exit on and off the Beachline (via Innovation Way), they were complaining about paying the full toll so they split it by building the Dallas Boulevard toll plaza.

You will never see the tolls removed on the Beachline as long as they can use that cash flow to bond building more toll roads. I'm happy enough that they removed the tolls in Brevard County back in the early 90s.

The people getting on at International Corporate Park Boulevard cannot afford one dollar?  Heck, they do not even go east from there if they're coming from Avalon Park.  If you need to get to Cocoa Beach from there you take 50 east to 520 and then hop on the 528.

That move was just to annex more construction like building the flyovers from EB FL 408 to NB FL 417 or redesigning the FL 429 and FL 414 interchange by removing two overpasses and ripping up a half a mile of mainline. 

You are right, the Beachline is there to make other toll roads.

[formulanone]

That intersection used to have a SOUTH CR A1A sign next to the SOUTH SR A1A sign. Maybe it was too confusing for motorists not knowing which southbound A1A to take.

They should have called it something from the CR 2000's and left it at that.

I've never seen a City Route shield anywhere in Florida until I saw the one in Holmes Beach for 789 (Gulf Drive). Both signs are near the terminus of SR 64.

Do you note the two keys shields posted at the same intersection on "City 789" southbound?

These, I presume? Nice duo of untampered Keys shields, and the old tapered arrow.

[emory]

A few more. As someone who grew up in Coral Springs in the 90s, and over time gradually saw University Drive extended north, it's nice to see these two roads finally meet.


Nob Hill Road is almost there. Here's the northern terminus at Loxahatchee Road (CR 827).


Pictures from the northern terminus of SR 7 at Northlake Blvd. Odd that they appear to be ending the road here, considering the Bee Line Highway (SR 710) is just a little over a mile to the north. The southern segment currently ends at a roundabout with 60th Street N. There's still a gap between it and Sandhill Way to the north.

[NE2]

Pictures from the northern terminus of SR 7 at Northlake Blvd. Odd that they appear to be ending the road here, considering the Bee Line Highway (SR 710) is just a little over a mile to the north.

http://www.pbcgov.com/pzb/planning/AdoptedOrd/15-1/Ord-2015-19.pdf

In short, the unbuilt extension is surrounded by conservation land, and a planned extension of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road would fulfill the same desire for a north-south connection.

[realjd]

Even the Beechline SR 528 was sort of like that, though not FDOT, but the former OOCEA eliminated the SR 520 mainline plaza to consolidate before they reversed that move several years later by adding the Dallas Boulevard mainline in their attempt to keep the tolls alive and prevent the Orlando Expressways from being paid off to soon.

Not exactly; the reasoning was to encourage more people in the Avalon Park area to use the International Corporate Park exit on and off the Beachline (via Innovation Way), they were complaining about paying the full toll so they split it by building the Dallas Boulevard toll plaza.

You will never see the tolls removed on the Beachline as long as they can use that cash flow to bond building more toll roads. I'm happy enough that they removed the tolls in Brevard County back in the early 90s.

The people getting on at International Corporate Park Boulevard cannot afford one dollar?  Heck, they do not even go east from there if they're coming from Avalon Park.  If you need to get to Cocoa Beach from there you take 50 east to 520 and then hop on the 528.

That move was just to annex more construction like building the flyovers from EB FL 408 to NB FL 417 or redesigning the FL 429 and FL 414 interchange by removing two overpasses and ripping up a half a mile of mainline. 

You are right, the Beachline is there to make other toll roads.

For residents working jobs in Orlando that's $260/year assuming they work 5 days a week. It's only fair to make the cost/mile as even as possible for all commuters.

[formulanone]

In short, the unbuilt extension is surrounded by conservation land, and a planned extension of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road would fulfill the same desire for a north-south connection.

Geez, they've talked about extending Seminole-Pratt for well over 20 years.

A few more. As someone who grew up in Coral Springs in the 90s, and over time gradually saw University Drive extended north, it's nice to see these two roads finally meet.

I once read that the intention of connecting Glades Road to University Drive (since it would connect Florida Atlantic to University of Miami) was proposed in 1964. That just leaves about one mile left in West Boca to complete.

[D-Dey65]

Here's the sign you see before the U-Turn Lane. I also got an earlier shot of this at an angle, because I was taking it directly from the median itself. To capture this I had to step off the median a little less than a foot.

[NE2]

To capture this I had to step off the median a little less than a foot.

Spoken like a true manly man.

[emory]

I once read that the intention of connecting Glades Road to University Drive (since it would connect Florida Atlantic to University of Miami) was proposed in 1964. That just leaves about one mile left in West Boca to complete.

The portion of University Drive in Palm Beach County, from the end of Palmetto Park Road to Boca Falls Drive, was not long ago renamed to Glades Road. Also the "Future Extension of University Drive" signs that were up at Loxahatchee Road were removed. Same goes for the Nob Hill Road extension signs. That road was planned to go all the way to Yamato Road where a segment has already been built under its Coral Springs name: Coral Ridge Drive. Now the extension sign there has been changed to say it'll be extended to Glades Road.

[DeaconG]

Even the Beechline SR 528 was sort of like that, though not FDOT, but the former OOCEA eliminated the SR 520 mainline plaza to consolidate before they reversed that move several years later by adding the Dallas Boulevard mainline in their attempt to keep the tolls alive and prevent the Orlando Expressways from being paid off to soon.

Not exactly; the reasoning was to encourage more people in the Avalon Park area to use the International Corporate Park exit on and off the Beachline (via Innovation Way), they were complaining about paying the full toll so they split it by building the Dallas Boulevard toll plaza.

You will never see the tolls removed on the Beachline as long as they can use that cash flow to bond building more toll roads. I'm happy enough that they removed the tolls in Brevard County back in the early 90s.

The people getting on at International Corporate Park Boulevard cannot afford one dollar?  Heck, they do not even go east from there if they're coming from Avalon Park.  If you need to get to Cocoa Beach from there you take 50 east to 520 and then hop on the 528.

That move was just to annex more construction like building the flyovers from EB FL 408 to NB FL 417 or redesigning the FL 429 and FL 414 interchange by removing two overpasses and ripping up a half a mile of mainline. 

You are right, the Beachline is there to make other toll roads.

Yes, they whinged over it, I read the Sentinel article on it.  Having had to commute to Orlando from Brevard County I have zero sympathy for them, they chose to live there and they shouldn't have been accommodated.  If they didn't like it there's a free route available called Colonial Drive, aka SR 50, which is also being widened. Not to mention I didn't hear folks in Wedgefield frothing at the mouth over the ramp tolls at Dallas Boulevard either.

And while I'm here, one of the things that was supposed to happen when they built the Dallas Boulevard toll booth was the conversion of the Dallas Boulevard interchange to a full diamond...and I don't see anyone moving any dirt. Gee, wonder why?

[formulanone]

I once read that the intention of connecting Glades Road to University Drive (since it would connect Florida Atlantic to University of Miami) was proposed in 1964. That just leaves about one mile left in West Boca to complete.

The portion of University Drive in Palm Beach County, from the end of Palmetto Park Road to Boca Falls Drive, was not long ago renamed to Glades Road. Also the "Future Extension of University Drive" signs that were up at Loxahatchee Road were removed. Same goes for the Nob Hill Road extension signs. That road was planned to go all the way to Yamato Road where a segment has already been built under its Coral Springs name: Coral Ridge Drive. Now the extension sign there has been changed to say it'll be extended to Glades Road.

Coral Springs always had a fancy for renaming roads that entered its limits; for the few years I lived there, giving directions could be odd. Probably even more weird for the folks living in Parkland, where the the roads would retain the name once you left CS's city limits.

I have no idea how the Coral Ridge Drive off Yamato in western Boca will ever connect to the one in Parkland (as Nob Hill Road), because they're offset too many miles apart. It's as if they picked the wrong designation...maybe Palm Beach County just really liked the name.

[D-Dey65]

Spoken like a true manly man.

Oh, you're funny.

Here's that bump that FDOT ended up making in front of Wal-Mart on FL 50 in Spring Hill.

I made a small video of cars and trucks going over it, but I turned it off before I could show a Hernando County Bus nearly scraping the thing.




Some people who were upset about the bump plopped a couple of these handmade signs there.




FDOT smoothed out the bump on the night of January 5, but they're still doing other work there too.

I've got some pics of SR 50 at Barclay Avenue and the entrance to the Brookridge retirement community next.

[Alex]

I was wondering when these gateway signs would appear...

I-10 gateway sign construction begins Sunday

Construction activities are scheduled to begin Sunday on Interstate 10 (I-10) near the Florida/Alabama State line in Escambia County. According to a press release from the Florida Department of Transportation, the $1.9 million contract includes construction of two gateway structure sign structures just east of the Florida/Alabama State line and construction of a photograph opportunity sign and renovation of the hardscaping around the sign at the Florida Welcome Center.

The contractor has three months to complete the project.

[emory]

I once read that the intention of connecting Glades Road to University Drive (since it would connect Florida Atlantic to University of Miami) was proposed in 1964. That just leaves about one mile left in West Boca to complete.

The portion of University Drive in Palm Beach County, from the end of Palmetto Park Road to Boca Falls Drive, was not long ago renamed to Glades Road. Also the "Future Extension of University Drive" signs that were up at Loxahatchee Road were removed. Same goes for the Nob Hill Road extension signs. That road was planned to go all the way to Yamato Road where a segment has already been built under its Coral Springs name: Coral Ridge Drive. Now the extension sign there has been changed to say it'll be extended to Glades Road.

Coral Springs always had a fancy for renaming roads that entered its limits; for the few years I lived there, giving directions could be odd. Probably even more weird for the folks living in Parkland, where the the roads would retain the name once you left CS's city limits.

I have no idea how the Coral Ridge Drive off Yamato in western Boca will ever connect to the one in Parkland (as Nob Hill Road), because they're offset too many miles apart. It's as if they picked the wrong designation...maybe Palm Beach County just really liked the name.

No idea how Coral Ridge/Nob Hill connection was ever planned, but it appears to be dead. There used to be a Pine Island Road extension sign at Loxahatchee Road, until it was constructed and wound up terminating at Nob Hill Road in Parkland.

Riverside Drive was another planned extension into Palm Beach County. A segment has been built between Glades Road and Palmetto Park Road in Palm Beach County, but the neighborhood of Boca Reserve has been built in its path meaning those extension plans are likely no more.

One more. The current western dead end of Hillsboro Blvd in Parkland, looking east towards Nob Hill Road.

[xcellntbuy]

I forget which year it was but, the land known as the "triangle," a piece of southern Palm Beach County that contained only a disconnected piece of Loxahatchee Road (County Route 827) and was only accessible from Broward County via US 441 (State Road 7) in Parkland became Broward County.  The year 2007 or 2008 come to mind.

The Florida Legislature agreed to have Palm Beach County transfer the land to Broward County and change the county line incorporating the "triangle" so that Loxahatchee Road remained entirely within Broward County.  I believe the Hillsboro Canal the flows along the northern side of Loxahatchee Road which now serves as the county line.

The price for transferring this triangular piece of land to Broward County was that the roads and the necessary bridges from the cities of Coral Springs and Parkland will not be extended or built over the canal along Loxahatchee Road into unincorporated west Boca neighborhoods of Palm Beach County.

University Drive, Coral Ridge Drive/Nob Hill Road and Riverside Drive will not be allowed to be built or connect to roads of a similar name north of County Route 827/Loxahatchee Road and all this land become Broward County, most likely to be eventually annexed into the City of Parkland.

[xcellntbuy]

Some additional helpful information about the "triangle."  And, it was 2009.

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2009-09-19/news/0909180354_1_palm-beach-county-boundary-change-parkland

[UCFKnights]

Some people who were upset about the bump plopped a couple of these handmade signs there.




FDOT smoothed out the bump on the night of January 5, but they're still doing other work there too.

I've got some pics of SR 50 at Barclay Avenue and the entrance to the Brookridge retirement community next.

What part of that sign is homemade?

[emory]

Some additional helpful information about the "triangle."  And, it was 2009.

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2009-09-19/news/0909180354_1_palm-beach-county-boundary-change-parkland

Thanks for that article. I always wondered when that border was changed. I drove down Lox Road a few times growing up and remember when I would reach the "Entering Palm Beach County" signpost. Not long before I left the state, the road had a series of speedbumps laid down across it. I imagine this was in response to the accidents and deaths that had occurred on the road due to people racing on it. Those bumps have been removed. For a short while, what's now Hillsboro Blvd through Parkland was being constructed as County Line Road.

Parkland has always taken a one big neighborhood approach to itself. Broward County maintains very few roads in town. Those roads are Riverside Drive, Holmberg Road east of Riverside Drive, and Loxahatchee Road (CR 827). The other major roads, Nob Hill Road, Pine Island Road, University Drive, Hillsboro Boulevard, and Holmberg Road west of Riverside are all under city maintenance. It would suck because it was always a fight to get past the city's anti-traffic light stance. They wanted 4-way stops and roundabouts everywhere. The Pine Island/Holmberg light was a miracle. I don't know what made them cave, but having gone to Stoneman Douglas HS, that 4-way stop constantly held up traffic. There's one at Trails End and Pine Island Road now too. I can think of at least six more intersections that should have lights.

[xcellntbuy]

Agreed, particularly about the lack of traffic lights in Parkland.  The City of Parkland also likes low speed limits to go with their little circles and four-way stops.

When I lived in Coral Springs for 16+ years, Loxahatchee Road had a reputation for high speeds since it went absolutely nowhere, dead-ended in the middle of the Wildlife Refuge and was an absolutely straight, flat road.  There are virtually no homes, a few airboat businesses with some sod and palm tree farms, all located on the southside of the road.  The Hillsboro Canal is entirely on the northside with a guardrail protecting the canal bank.  At night, it is completely pitch black, the flashing yellow warning lights at the end of the road way, way off in the distance are the only signs of civilization. 

[formulanone]

I forget which year it was but, the land known as the "triangle," a piece of southern Palm Beach County that contained only a disconnected piece of Loxahatchee Road (County Route 827) and was only accessible from Broward County via US 441 (State Road 7) in Parkland became Broward County.  The year 2007 or 2008 come to mind.

The Florida Legislature agreed to have Palm Beach County transfer the land to Broward County and change the county line incorporating the "triangle" so that Loxahatchee Road remained entirely within Broward County.  I believe the Hillsboro Canal the flows along the northern side of Loxahatchee Road which now serves as the county line.

The price for transferring this triangular piece of land to Broward County was that the roads and the necessary bridges from the cities of Coral Springs and Parkland will not be extended or built over the canal along Loxahatchee Road into unincorporated west Boca neighborhoods of Palm Beach County.

University Drive, Coral Ridge Drive/Nob Hill Road and Riverside Drive will not be allowed to be built or connect to roads of a similar name north of County Route 827/Loxahatchee Road and all this land become Broward County, most likely to be eventually annexed into the City of Parkland.

Wow, I never realized that happened. That explains some of the development in that area.

I'd noticed the signs decades ago, but my last trip along 827 was in 2011, when they were curiously absent.

I do think at least one routing across the Hillsboro Canal (say, for University Drive - Glades Road) would help those in western Boca/Parkland/Coral Springs, rather than going all the way out to traffic-clogged State Road 7.

[xcellntbuy]

"I do think at least one routing across the Hillsboro Canal (say, for University Drive - Glades Road) would help those in western Boca/Parkland/Coral Springs, rather than going all the way out to traffic-clogged State Road 7."

That would make perfect sense.  It was absolutely and loudly opposed by the people in Parkland and northwestern Coral Springs, thus the land swap.

[D-Dey65]

What part of that sign is homemade?

Obviously the misspelled, stenciled "By FDOT" sign mounted over it.

BTW, I'm still working on naming the SR 50 and Barclay signals.

[clef]

Agreed, particularly about the lack of traffic lights in Parkland.  The City of Parkland also likes low speed limits to go with their little circles and four-way stops.

When I lived in Coral Springs for 16+ years, Loxahatchee Road had a reputation for high speeds since it went absolutely nowhere, dead-ended in the middle of the Wildlife Refuge and was an absolutely straight, flat road.  There are virtually no homes, a few airboat businesses with some sod and palm tree farms, all located on the southside of the road.  The Hillsboro Canal is entirely on the northside with a guardrail protecting the canal bank.  At night, it is completely pitch black, the flashing yellow warning lights at the end of the road way, way off in the distance are the only signs of civilization.

You could see those little yellow lights for miles. Lox Road now has speed bumps. The CR 827 shields on SR7 are long gone.

GSV