State Road 50

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A transpeninsula highway between U.S. 19 at Weeki Wachee and U.S. 1 at Titusville, State Road 50 links the Orlando area with Brooksville, Clermont and Florida's Space Coast. SR 50 along Colonial Drive constitutes the main arterial from west to east across Orlando, as is the state road along Cortez Boulevard through Hernando County and Brooksville.

Florida State Road 50 Guides

With the exception of SR 50 between U.S. 98 at Ridge Manor and Groveland, all of the 114 mile long route carries at least four overall lanes. Within Hernando County, A $56.3 million project expands SR 50 from Windmere Road/Bronson Boulevard, just east of I-75, to U.S. 301 at Ridge Manor. Work started in October 2019 and runs through Spring 2024. Widening along Cortez Boulevard includes six overall lanes from Windmere Road east to U.S. 98 (McKethan Road).

Those projects follow previous expansion along SR 50 between U.S. 19 and SR 589 (Suncoast Parkway). Costing $58 million, the six lane project ran from October 2012 to October 2015.1 Widening of I-75 from Cortez Boulevard north to the Sumter County line included adding a lane along a 0.4 mile segment of U.S. 98/SR 50 through the exchange with Interstate 75. The $95 million project through Fall 2019 also upgraded the diamond interchange with Cortez Boulevard into a single point urban interchange (SPUI).2 Future work will add a flyover from the freeway north to SR 50 west.

Other four lane portions of SR 50 (Cortez Boulevard) across Hernando County will be six laned. Those include from SR 589 east to SR 50A, and the south bypass of Brooksville. Work from SR 50A/Cobb Road southeast to Buck Hope Road just west of U.S. 41 is anticipated to begin in 2023. The remainder of U.S. 98 south of Brooksville, from Buck Hope Road east to SR 50A, may commence in 2026.

$41.05 million in construction from Fall 2021 to Spring 2025 adds capacity to SR 50 east from U.S. 98 to SR 471 as well. Further east, $26.3 million in construction from Fall 2021 to Fall 2023 expands 2.045 miles of SR 50 between the Sumter/Lake County line and CR 478A

Groveland Realignment

Design work for a realignment of SR 50 around Downtown Groveland was completed in May 2017. Intended to better serve truck traffic across the city, the 2.096 mile long project includes redesigning SR 50 east from CR 565 (Villa City Road) to CR 565A. The bypass will loop north of the one way couplet of SR 50 along Broad Street. Right of way costs are estimated at $35 million and construction $17 million.

The diamond interchange connecting SR 50 with U.S. 27 at the city of Clermont was reconstructed into a cloverleaf interchange. The $20.8 million project widened both roadways from four to six lanes, and added collector distributor lanes along U.S. 27 for the new ramp system. The upgrade was completed in Fall 2013.3 This work precede separate expansion projects reconstructing SR 50 from four to six lanes between Grand Highway and Hanock Road in Clermont, and Hancock Road and Florida's Turnpike in western Orange County. The respective $4.7 million, 1.120 mile and $17.8 million, 1.370 mile projects wrapped up in Early 2012.4,5

Orange County

Through the Orlando area, several projects rebuilt SR 50 in Orange County from four lane highway with a rural design to a six lane urban arterial. This included stretches in Ocoee, Pine Hills and Union Park. Further east beyond SR 408 (East-West Expressway) and through Bithlo to SR 520, the Colonial Parkway PD&E Study studied upgrading the SR 50 corridor with a limited access toll road (SR 504).

The 3.060 mile section of SR 50 (West Colonial Drive) between Avalon Road (CR 545) and SR 429 (Western Beltway) was upgraded from a five lane rural roadway into a six lane, divided arterial by Fall 2011 at the cost of $16.9 million.6 Subsequent construction completed in Spring 2014 expanded another 1.270 miles of SR 50 between the exchange with Florida's Turnpike at Oakland and Avalon Road at the cost of $7.3 million7 Project 239535-3 widened 2.560 miles of SR 50 from SR 429 (Western Beltway) to West Oaks Mall, just east of Clarke Road. Costing $42.6 million, the project added a travel lane in each direction in addition to bike lanes and sidewalks. Work started in May 2015 and was completed in Spring 2018.8

Widening of SR 50 east to the Pine Hills community included expanding West Colonial Drive to six lanes and reconstructing the twin bridges over Lake Lotta. The 0.450 mile project between West Oaks Mall and Good Homes Road cost $15.3 million and was completed in Spring 2015.9 Adjacent work rebuilt 3.630 miles of Colonial Drive into a six lane arterial from Good Homes Road to Pine Hills Road (CR 431). Completed in Spring 2011, the $30.7 million project included widening Good Homes Road south from SR 50 to the ramps with SR 408 (East-West Expressway).10

East of Orlando, improvements along SR 50 included reconstructing the roadway from four to to six lanes and replacing the bridges across the Little Econlockhatchee River. The 1.040 mile expansion between The Greenway and Dean Road cost $18.8 million and was finished in Summer 2010.11A $68.3 million project expanded a 4.910 mile section of SR 50 (East Colonial Drive) between Dean Road and Avalon Park Boulevard. Colonial Drive was rebuilt into a six lane arterial with various intersection improvements made and bike lanes and side walks added. Work ran from January 2014 to January 2017.12

State Road 50A

SR 50A acts as a business loop for SR 50 through the city of Brooksville in Hernando County. The state road overlaps with portions of U.S. 41 and U.S. 98 through Downtown.

Florida State Road 50 scenes
Sunset Avenue south at SR 50 in the city of Mascotte. Sunset Avenue south from CR 33 (Bluff Lake Road) to SR 50 (Myers Boulevard) was formerly CR 50A. 01/17/10
A trumpet interchange and access road links SR 50 (West Colonial Drive) with Florida's Turnpike in Ocoee. 12/05/10
North Apopka-Vineland Road southbound at SR 50 (West Colonial Drive) near Pine Hills and Orlo Vista. SR 50 comprises a busy commercial arterial through this stretch with six overall lanes. Additionally the state road carries traffic westward to Good Homes Road for SR 408 and the connection to South Apopka-Vineland Road. 11/05/06
Woodbury Road connects Challenger Parkway south with SR 50 (East Colonial Drive) as the parkway transitions into SR 408 westbound from Union Park. 09/01/18

Sources:
  1. "Motorists, rejoice! End is near for Cortez widening project in Hernando." Tampa Bay Times (FL), August 20, 2015.
  2. I-75 Widening from south of US 98/SR 50 (Cortez Blvd.) to Sumter County 411011-4-52-01. Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), project web site.
  3. 238429-3 SR 50 and US 27 Interchange. http://www.cflroads.com/project/ 238429-3/SR_50_and_US_27_Interchange CFLRoads (Florida Department of Transportation) web site.
  4. 238429-7 SR 50 from West of Grand Highway to West of Hancock Road. http://www.cflroads.com/project/ 238429-7/SR_50_from_West_of_Grand_ Highway_to_West_of_Hancock_Road CFLRoads (Florida Department of Transportation) web site.
  5. 238429-4 SR 50 from Hancock Road to East of the Turnpike ramps. http://www.cflroads.com/project/ 238429-4/sr_50_from_hancock_road_to_ east_of_the_turnpike_ramps CFLRoads (Florida Department of Transportation) web site.
  6. 410983-1 SR 50 (W. Colonial Drive) from Avalon Rd. to SR 429 (Western Beltway). http://www.cflroads.com/project/ 410983-1/sr_50_w_colonial_drive_from_avalon_rd _to_sr_429_western_beltway CFLRoads (Florida Department of Transportation) web site.
  7. 239535-2 SR 50 from East Ramps of Turnpike to Avalon Road. http://www.cflroads.com/project/ 239535-2/sr_50_from_east_ramps_of _turnpike_to_avalon_road CFLRoads (Florida Department of Transportation) web site.
  8. 239535-3 SR 50 (Colonial Drive) from SR 429 (Western Beltway) to East of the West Oaks Mall. CFLRoads (Florida Department of Transportation) web site.
  9. 239535-5 SR 50 from East of West Oaks Mall to West of Good Homes Rd. http://www.cflroads.com/project/ 239535-5/sr_50_from_east_of_west_oaks _mall_to_west_of_good_homes_rd CFLRoads (Florida Department of Transportation) web site.
  10. 239535-4 SR 50 from Good Homes Road to Pine Hills Road. http://www.cflroads.com/project/ 239535-4/SR_50_from_Good_Homes_ Road_to_Pine_Hills_Road CFLRoads (Florida Department of Transportation) web site.
  11. 239203-3 SR 50 from The Greenway to Dean Road. http://www.cflroads.com/project/ 239203-3/SR_50_from_The_Greenway _to_Dean_Road CFLRoads (Florida Department of Transportation) web site.
  12. 239203-4 SR 50 (Colonial Drive) Widening Project from Dean Road to Avalon Park Boulevard. http://www.cflroads.com/project/ 239203-4/SR_50_Colonial_Drive_Widening_Project _from_Dean_Road_to_Avalon_Park_Blvd CFLRoads (Florida Department of Transportation) web site.


Photo Credits:

  • 11/05/06 by AARoads and Justin Cozart.
  • 01/17/10 by AARoads.
  • 12/05/10 by AARoads.
  • 09/01/18 by AARoads.

Connect with:
Interstate 4
Interstate 75
Interstate 95
Florida's Turnpike
U.S. 1
U.S. 17
U.S. 19
U.S. 27
U.S. 41
U.S. 301
U.S. 441
State Road 408 - Spessard Lindsay Holland East-West Expwy
State Road 417 - Central Florida GreeneWay / Seminole Expressway
State Road 423 - John Young Parkway / Lee Road
State Road 429 - Western Beltway / Apopka Expwy / Wekiva Pkwy

Page Updated 09-25-2022.

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