Gainesville, FL: Historical Highway Routings at Payne's Prairie

[Brian556]

I noticed that on the 1924 map, SR 2 was routed around the west side of Payne's Prairie, rather than crossing it. When was the highway built through the prairie? I do know that this was US 41 before becoming US 441.

[NE2]

I noticed that on the 1924 map, SR 2 was routed around the west side of Payne's Prairie, rather than crossing it. When was the highway built through the prairie? I do know that this was US 41 before becoming US 441.

http://www.dep.state.fl.us/parks/planning/parkplans/PaynesPrairiePreserveStatePark.pdf says 1927.

http://books.google.com/books?id=h9WiODeNtfAC&pg=PA67 has some details - apparently it opened in 1926 but was unpaved and one lane at first.

[Fred Defender]

No environmental movement in those days. Or in the early-60's, apparently, when I-75 was being built. Imagine if they were to try doing something like that to the prairie today. NFW.

[jdb1234]

Just curious, is Payne's Prairie where I-75 crosses that swampy area near the rest area south of Gainesville?  I've been through there many of times and was wondering.

EDIT:  Answered my own question.  Indeed it is.

[cpzilliacus]

No environmental movement in those days. Or in the early-60's, apparently, when I-75 was being built. Imagine if they were to try doing something like that to the prairie today. NFW.

Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act (DOT Act) of 1966 placed significant limits on the power of USDOT and the state DOTs to acquire parkland for use on federally-aided transportation projects.

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which mandated Environmental Impact Statements on many projects (including most highway projects), was signed into law by Nixon in 1970. For that, the Sierra Club should name Tricky Dick as their patron saint.

[adventurernumber1]

Just curious, is Payne's Prairie where I-75 crosses that swampy area near the rest area south of Gainesville?  I've been through there many of times and was wondering.

EDIT:  Answered my own question.  Indeed it is.

Yeah, I actually never knew it was called that until it was talked about a lot recently in the Southeast subforum.

It was always interesting driving on that section of I-75 in Florida.

[Fred Defender]

No environmental movement in those days. Or in the early-60's, apparently, when I-75 was being built. Imagine if they were to try doing something like that to the prairie today. NFW.

Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act (DOT Act) of 1966 placed significant limits on the power of USDOT and the state DOTs to acquire parkland for use on federally-aided transportation projects.

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which mandated Environmental Impact Statements on many projects (including most highway projects), was signed into law by Nixon in 1970. For that, the Sierra Club should name Tricky Dick as their patron saint.

And Georgians here could verify this...but I understand that environmental concerns over I-75 in the Lake Allatoona are was the reason why that stretch was the last segment of I-75 between Tampa and Sault Saint Marie to open in the late-1970's. It's east to see from a map how the highway was routed to avoid most of the lake.