State Road 568 - Veterans Expressway
The north end of Veterans Expressway (SR 568) at the half built diamond interchange with SR 597 (Dale Mabry Highway). Photo by Justin Cozart. - 04/09/2005
State Road 568 represents the northern extent of the Veterans Expressway between the Suncoast Parkway near Lake Carlton and Dale Mabry Highway (SR 597) at Lutz. SR 568 measures 3.02 miles in length without any exits. Completed in 1994, this portion of the Veterans Expressway was designated as SR 589 until 2001, when the Suncoast Parkway opened northward to Brooksville.
The section of the Veterans Expressway along SR 568 hooks east to SR 597, where a stub end was once located for the canceled Lutz Expressway. First proposed in 1964 as part of a greater Hillsborough County freeway network, the Lutz Expressway was to provide an east-west route between western Hillsborough and Interstate 75. The segment was dropped from plans for the Northwest Expressway, the predecessor to the Veterans Expressway, due to fiscal concerns in 1984.1
County officials however maintained plans for the Lutz Expressway and held a series of public meetings for it in November 1988. The proposed route however was met with local resistance, and a citizens group, LAND (Lutz Against Non-Essential Development) was formed in opposition. The expressway concept eventually shifted to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in 1990, but never progressed any further.1
East
A lone reassurance marker references SR 568 eastbound at the wye interchange with SR 589 north. The designation is not marked at the split with the Suncoast Parkway otherwise.
05/04/19
The first in a series of signs for the Veterans Expressway end at Dale Mabry Highway (SR 597) appears at the Lakeshore Road underpass.
10/05/15
SR 568 (Veterans Expressway) shifts to the north of parallel Van Dyke Road (CR 685A) two miles ahead of Dale Mabry Highway (SR 597).
11/15/16
Passing by Van Dyke Lake, the Veterans Expressway arcs eastward to the signalized intersection with SR 597 (Dale Mabry Highway) and Atmore Grove Drive.
10/05/15
Changes to the east end of SR 568 made in 2015-16 eliminated the stubs from the unconstructed Lutz Expressway, and rebuilt the roadway that was intended to be an off-ramp for Dale Mabry Highway with five lanes.
10/05/15
05/04/19
Dale Mabry Highway runs north through Lutz and south to Tampa as a busy arterial route.
05/04/19
State Road 597 lines Dale Mabry Highway north from SR 580 (Busch Boulevard) in Carrollwood to U.S. 41 at Land O' Lakes in Pasco County.
05/04/19
The Promenade at Lake Park development broke ground in 2015 to the east of the Veterans Expressway end at Dale Mabry Highway. Resulting work reconfigured the SR 568 intersection with SR 597 to tie into the subdivision entrance at Atmore Grove Drive.
10/05/15
05/04/19
West
Atmore Grove Drive ties into SR 597 (Dale Mabry Highway) across from the Veterans Expressway west along SR 568.
08/23/16
The entrance ramp from SR 597 (Dale Mabry Highway) southbound to SR 568 (Veterans Expressway) makes a sharp curve.
05/29/19
Milepost 3 for SR 568 stands along the ramp connecting SR 597 (Dale Mabry Highway) south with the Veterans Expressway west.
05/24/17
Traffic from SR 597 (Dale Mabry Highway) north and Atmore Grove Drive utilize a single lane built in place of the previous wooded area and stubs remaining from the unbuilt Lutz Expressway.
05/29/19
Traffic previously combined into a single lane ahead of the former roadway stub for the westbound lanes of SR 568.
09/07/14
08/15/15
Passing over Calusa Trace Boulevard, a sign honors Leroy Collins, Jr (1934-2010). Collins, Jr. was a Rear Admiral (RADM) in the U.S. Navy and the Executive Director of the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs.2
08/15/15
A confirming marker for SR 568 west stands within the median along the Veterans Expressway north of Van Dyke Lake.
01/14/22
The Veterans Expressway shifts southward to pass over Van Dyke Road (CR 685A). CR 685A parallels SR 568 west from SR 597 to SR 589.
08/15/15
SR 568 west defaults onto SR 589 south ahead of Exit 12 for Hutchinson Road. Hutchinson Road provides a local route west to Cosme from Ehrlich Road and the Northdale vicinity.
01/14/22
SR 568 (Veterans Expressway) west converges with SR 589 south of the exchange joining Suncoast Parkway with Van Dyke Road (CR 685A).
08/15/15
An end SR 568 shield previously appeared at the wye interchange with SR 589 (Suncoast Parkway) south. This assembly was removed by May 2019.
02/02/18
References:
- "Veterans Expressway." Bayciti - Tampa Bay Urban Blog. Cozart, Justin, October 28, 2004. August 24, 2015.
- LeRoy Collins Jr. Wikipedia.
Photo Credits:
- Alex Nitzman: 08/15/15, 10/05/15, 11/15/16, 02/02/18, 05/04/19, 05/29/19
- ABRoads: 08/23/16, 05/24/17, 01/14/22
- AARoads: 09/07/14
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Page Updated Monday February 28, 2022.