State Road 56 West

The first confirming marker for SR 56 stands just west of U.S. 301. The six mile section of four lane highway west from U.S. 301 to Meadow Pointe Boulevard opened to traffic on July 10, 2019.

05/30/20

A series of U-turns and crossovers were designed into SR 56 between U.S. 301 and the New River to accommodate eventual development along the rural highway.

07/10/19

CR 579 (Morris Bridge Road) extends south from SR 54 and Eiland Road near Zephyrhills West to a signalized intersection with SR 56. Continuing south into Hillsborough County, Morris Bridge Road heads to areas of New Tampa, through Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve, and I-75 at Fletcher Avenue (CR 582A).

05/30/20

A confirming marker for State Road 56 west stands beyond Morris Bridge Road (CR 579). The speed limit is 55 miles per hour on the six mile extension east of Meadow Pointe Boulevard.

05/30/20

SR 56 next spans the New River between future cross overs for development.

07/10/19

05/30/20

SR 56 west at Meadow Pointe Boulevard south and north to the Meadow Pointe development. SR 56 opened west from this intersection in 2010.

05/30/20

The previous first confirming marker for westbound SR 56 was this assembly along an undeveloped stretch beyond Meadow Pointe Boulevard.

05/30/20

SR 56 arcs westward by various parcels of the Wiregrass development to intersect Wiregrass Ranch and Mansfield Boulevards at the first traffic light. Wiregrass Ranch Boulevard heads north to a temporary end at Chancey Road. The arterial will eventually extend all the way to SR 54.

12/04/17

Mansfield Boulevard comprises a four lane, divided boulevard south to Pasco-Hernando State College and Wiregrass Ranch High School nearby. Narrowing to two lanes, Mansfield Boulevard continues southward through the Meadow Pointe community and the K-Bar Ranch area of northeastern Tampa.

05/30/20

West from Mansfield Boulevard, SR 56 expands to a six lane arterial and advances to a large commercialized intersection with CR 581 (Bruce B. Downs Boulevard) in Wesley Chapel.

12/04/17

Bruce B. Downs constitutes a major suburban arterial joining Wesley Chapel with New Tampa. North from SR 56, CR 581 leads 3.51 miles to CR 54. CR 581 follows Bruce B. Downs Boulevard south 11 miles to SR 582 (Fowler Avenue) at 30th Street.

02/23/26

A trailblazer for I-75 stands by the fourth entrance to the adjacent Shops at Wiregrass retail center. SR 56 converges with the freeway in 2.25 miles.

02/23/26

Bruce B. Downs is a heavily traveled commuter route, with six to eight overall lanes south to I-75 and the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa.

02/23/26

SR 56 crosses Trout Creek, which drains into Cabbage Swamp to the immediate west of CR 581 at this shield assembly.

02/23/26

Ancient Oaks Boulevard stems north from SR 56 and Devonwood Drive as the lone entrance to the Seven Oaks development spreading northward between SR 581 (Bruce B. Downs Boulevard) and Interstate 75.

12/04/17

The succeeding traffic light westbound operates at Arrowgrass Drive north to an apartment complex and Northwood Palms Boulevard south to the Arbor Woods at Northwood and Northwood developments.

02/23/26

Cypress Ridge Boulevard and Silver Maple Parkway come together from adjacent retail and business parks at this signal just ahead of Interstate 75.

09/24/16

Having only opened to traffic in 2002, overwhelming commuter traffic and commercial development along the SR 56/54 corridor through Wesley Chapel and Land O' Lakes resulted in regular traffic congestion at the exchange with I-75. Work underway from January 2019 to April 2023 reconfigured the diamond interchange into a DDI (WFTS, 2018).

10/25/25

SR 56 curves westward through the DDI with Interstate 75. Two lanes connect the westbound roadway with I-75/275 south to Tampa and St. Petersburg.

10/25/25

The northbound entrance ramp to I-75 for Ocala separates from SR 56 westbound just ahead of the DDI crossover. The traffic pattern for the DDI was implemented on May 1, 2022.

05/01/22

SR 56 was expanded to six westbound lanes, with dual turn lanes for I-75 south and four through lanes to Land O' Lakes. The eastbound roadway remains with three lanes.

05/01/22

Previously anticipated to start in Fall 2018, work on the $37.4 million DDI project was expected to take 12-15 months (WFTS, 2018). Instead work extended to April 2023, in part because FDOT had to change contractors.

05/01/22

Continuing west from Interstate 75, SR 56 passes through the massive Cypress Creek Town Center retail development. The center piece of the commercial area is the 441,000 square foot Tampa Premium Outlets located to the south, which opened for business on October 29, 2015 (Griffin, 2015).

08/13/18

Removed in 2018, this confirming marker stood beyond the right turn lane for Marshbend Way. FDOT traffic counts along SR 56 rose from 53,500 vehicles per day (vpd) in 2013 to 67,500 vpd in 2017 and 75,500 vpd in 2019 thanks in part to explosive development along the SR 54/56 corridor.

04/25/16

Grand Cypress Drive connects Tampa Premium Outlets, several big box stores and an array of outparcels along both sides of SR 56 at a ten lane wide intersection. There are 31 individual signals here.

02/15/21

For many years, the span wires at SR 56 and Grand Cypress Drive were unused. Earthwork for the adjacent retail areas commenced in 2008, but the economic recession halted subsequent work until 2013. Signals installed become operational on September 15, 2015 after a 12-day period in flash mode (Wiley, 2015).

07/02/11

An end shield precedes the SR 56 transition to SR 54 west at Wesley Chapel Boulevard (CR 54).

02/15/21

Wesley Chapel Boulevard (CR 54) arcs 5.0 miles southwest from SR 581 (Bruce B. Downs Boulevard) and northern reaches of Wesley Chapel. SR 54 takes over for SR 56 along the six lane arterial westward 22.3 miles to U.S. 19 at Elfers.

02/15/21

Wesley Chapel Boulevard spurs south to a dead end ahead of Cypress Creek. Construction of SR 56 from 1999 to 2002 included the realignment of then-SR 54 east. The Brightwork Crossing mixed-use development on the northwest quadrant of SR 54/56 was partly constructed over the former roadway. Work broke ground on the 32 acre site in Summer 2017 (Steele, 2018).

08/13/18