Interstate 75 in Florida
Interstate 75 (I-75) is a part of the Interstate Highway System and runs from the Hialeah–Miami Lakes border, a few miles northwest of Miami, to Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I-75 begins its national northward journey near Miami, running along the western parts of the Miami metropolitan area before traveling westward across Alligator Alley (also known as Everglades Parkway), resuming its northward direction in Naples, running along Florida's Gulf Coast, and passing the cities of Fort Myers, Punta Gorda, Venice, and Sarasota. The freeway passes through the Tampa Bay area  before turning inward toward Ocala, Gainesville, and Lake City before leaving the state and entering Georgia. I-75 runs for in Florida, making it the longest Interstate in the state and also the longest in any state east of the Mississippi River. The Interstate's speed limit is for its entire length in Florida. The portion of I-75 from Tampa northward was a part of the original 1955 Interstate Highway plans, with I-75's southern terminus at I-4's current western terminus. Planning to extend the Interstate south to Miami began in 1968 after massive growth in Southwest Florida, which resulted  in I-75 being realigned to travel on the eastern fringes of the Tampa Bay area, and the last portion of the highway was opened in 1993. For Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) inventory purposes, it is designated as State Road 93 (SR 93) for most of its length in Florida (with exception to the Tampa Bay area, where SR 93 follows I-275, while SR 93A travels with I-75 in the latter's bypass of the area). Route description. South Florida. I-75 begins its northward journey at an interchange with SR 826 (Palmetto Expressway) and SR 924 (Gratigny Parkway) on the  Hialeah–Miami Lakes border, near Miami. As it curves around the border of Miami Lakes, I-75 serves some of the western fringes of South Florida as an eight-lane highway. After an exit with SR 860, I-75 has an interchange with the Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike before crossing into Broward County. There, it continues through the western suburbs of Pembroke Pines, Weston, Miramar, Davie, and Southwest Ranches. At the junction of SR 869 (Sawgrass Expressway) and I-595, I-75 (while maintaining its south–north status) enters a west–east trajectory as it crosses the Everglades by way of Alligator  Alley, a toll road that runs from the Collier Boulevard (exit 101) toll plaza to the U.S. Highway 27 (US 27) toll plaza (exit 23). It was originally constructed as a two-lane highway before it was converted to a four-lane highway meeting Interstate Highway standards. At this point, I-75 loses a lane in each direction, heading west, losing another lane west of the US 27 interchange. The Everglades and Southwest Florida. The Alligator Alley section of I-75 runs due east–west between exit 19 in Sunrise and exit 101 just east of Naples and is one of only  two sections along the Interstate's entirety that is tolled (the other is the Mackinac Bridge in northern Michigan). Tolls are $3.25 for a two-axle vehicle as of March 1, 2020, and are collected in both directions. The highway's toll plazas accept () both cash and transponders in the SunPass network and are located at either entrance to Alligator Alley. All toll facilities along Alligator Alley and toll revenue collected from them are overseen by the Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE), a government agency which is part of FDOT. There are a mere two interchanges along the tolled  portion of Alligator Alley in addition to three rest areas and a number of scenic outlook points as the highway crosses the Everglades. I-75 enters Collier County, Florida|Collier County along Alligator Alley just west of the Snake Road exit (exit 49) and passes through the Big Cypress National Preserve between the Collier County border and Florida State Road 29|SR 29 (exit 80). There are a number of small bridges along Alligator Alley which allow wildlife to pass safely under the freeway, especially along the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge east of SR 29. Extensive fencing also prevents wildlife from interfering  with traffic. As it approaches Naples, Florida|Naples at County Road 951 (Collier County, Florida)|County Road 951 (exit 101), I-75 makes a sharp turn north resuming its south–north trajectory and as it parallels Florida's west coast, it becomes six lanes hereafter to the Georgia state line. At this point, Alligator Alley ends and I-75 is toll free for the rest of its length in Florida. As it continues north, I-75 passes near Bonita Springs , Fort Myers , Punta Gorda, Florida|Punta Gorda , Port Charlotte, Florida|Port Charlotte , Venice, Florida|Venice , Sarasota , and Bradenton, Florida|Bradenton before reaching the Tampa Bay area metropolis consisting of  Tampa and St. Petersburg, Florida|St. Petersburg . Tampa Bay area. File:I-75 SB at FL 618 exit.jpg|thumb|right|I-75 southbound at exit 256 (SR 618) in Brandon North of Ellenton, Florida|Ellenton , Interstate 275 (Florida)|I-275 splits from I-75 to serve St. Petersburg and Pinellas County, Florida|Pinellas County via the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and Tampa via the Howard Frankland Bridge . I-75 parallels the eastern shore of Tampa Bay as a bypass route of the Tampa Bay area , as it passes by the communities of Brandon, Florida|Brandon , Temple Terrace , and New Tampa . Two expressways access Downtown Tampa from I-75: the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway (SR 618 ) and Interstate 4|I-4 . Within the Tampa Bay metropolitan area, many interchanges are far more complex than mere Diamond interchange|diamond , Cloverleaf interchange|cloverleaf , or even Single-point urban interchange|single-point urban interchanges. Aside from the large turbine interchange with I-4 (exit 261), there are interchanges with Florida State Road 582|SR 582 (Fowler Avenue; exit 265) and Florida State Road 579|SR 579 (Fletcher Avenue/Morris Bridge Road; exit 266) that contain both loops and flyovers. A flyover ramp was built from southbound Florida State Road 581|SR 581 (Bruce B. Downs Boulevard; exit 270) to southbound I-75. Northern Florida. File:Interstate 75 in Pasco , Florida from hot air balloon.jpg|thumb|left|I-75 passing through south Pasco County, Florida|Pasco County At the Hillsborough County, Florida|Hillsborough – Pasco County, Florida|Pasco county line (south of Florida State Road 56|SR 56 (exit 275)), I-275 rejoins I-75 (at exit 274, southbound only) and I-75 changes into a southwest–northeast trajectory as it passes through Pasco, Hernando County, Florida|Hernando , and Sumter County, Florida|Sumter counties where it runs through parts of the Withlacoochee State Forest on its way to the junction with Florida's Turnpike (exit 328, accessible from southbound I-75 only (although northbound travelers can access the Turnpike from I-75's exit 329 and  follow Florida State Road 44|SR 44 to the Turnpike's exit 304)). Widened median segments exist in northern Pasco, Hernando, and Sumter counties north of County Road 476B (Sumter County, Florida)|County Road 476B (exit 309). Some of these median segments are actually considered part of the Withlacoochee State Forest itself. The Withlacoochee State Trail runs beneath I-75 between U.S. Route 98 in Florida|US 98 / Florida State Road 50|SR 50 (exit 301) and the Hernando–Sumter county line, where it also crosses over the Withlacoochee River (Florida)|Withlacoochee River . All of I-75 from the Georgia border to Tampa is three lanes in  each direction, unless closed for construction. This is to accommodate for the immense number of tourists and vacationers that come to Florida. File:CFG Bridge over I-75.JPG|right|thumb|The Cross Florida Greenway bridge over I-75 After Florida's Turnpike, I-75 changes into a general southeast–northwest trajectory, which is sustained to the Georgia state line and beyond. I-75 passes beneath the Cross Florida Barge Canal|Cross Florida Greenway , which contains a land bridge built across the highway in 2001 between exits 341 and 350, before entering the city of Ocala , and passing by the cities of Gainesville, Florida|Gainesville and Lake City, Florida|Lake City  and crosses Interstate 10 in Florida|I-10 at an interchange before entering the state of Georgia, near Valdosta, Georgia|Valdosta . |right|thumb|I-75 crossing the Suwannee River , with a snippet of music from " Old Folks at Home " I-75 runs closest to U.S. Route 41 in Florida|US 41 except between Tampa and High Springs . It runs closer to U.S. Route 301 in Florida|US 301 between Ellenton, Florida|Ellenton and Temple Terrace, Florida|Temple Terrace , and again from Dade City, Florida|Dade City to Sparr, Florida|Sparr . From Belleview, Florida|Belleview to Lake City, it runs closest to U.S. Route 441 in Florida|US 441 . History. File:Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida 1955  Yellow Book.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The original plans called for I-75 to end in Tampa. Original route to Tampa. Original plans for I-75 called for its southern terminus to be in Tampa, Florida|Tampa , where it would terminate at Interstate 4|I-4 (at the current interchange between I-4 and I-275, with I-4, which was completed in the Tampa Bay area by 1962, continuing west along what is now I-275 over the Howard Frankland Bridge into St. Petersburg, Florida|St. Petersburg ). Plans for I-75 from Tampa to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan , were authorized as part of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 , signed into law by President  Dwight D. Eisenhower , which created the Interstate Highway System . Construction of the original route from the Georgia border to Tampa via Gainesville, Florida|Gainesville and Ocala, Florida|Ocala lasted through most of the 1960s. The first segment of I-75 to open in Florida was from the Georgia border to SR 6 just south of Jennings, Florida|Jennings , which opened in 1963. It would reach U.S. Route 90 in Florida|US 90 in Lake City later that year. By mid-1964, I-75 opened from Lake City to the newly completed Florida's Turnpike (known then as the Sunshine State Parkway) in Wildwood, Florida|Wildwood . Segments of the  original route that are now part of I-275 near Tampa would begin opening in 1966, and construction of the full route would be completed by 1969. Extension to Miami. Due to major growth in Southwest Florida (particularly Fort Myers and Naples), it was becoming clear that this part of the state would soon need a freeway. Florida's state government first proposed to build a West Coast Turnpike in 1964 from the Tampa Bay area south to Naples. Plans for the West Coast Turnpike (which would have been tolled) were canceled in 1968, when it was announced that US Secretary  of Transportation Alan S. Boyd had approved an extension of I-75 south to Naples and then east to Miami. The federal government would pay for 90 percent of the extension using funds allocated by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1968 , which was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson . In preparation for the extension, I-75's designation was extended along the preexisting route of I-4 over the Howard Frankland Bridge into St. Petersburg by the end of 1969 (I-4's designation would be truncated to its current terminus at this time). From St. Petersburg, I-75 was proposed to  continue south over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and continue south along a new freeway roughly parallel to the Tamiami Trail ( U.S. Route 41 in Florida|US 41 ) along the lower Gulf Coast to Naples. As the extension was planned in 1968, plans were also made for a freeway bypassing Tampa Bay to the east. The bypass was initially planned to be designated Interstate 75E (I-75E), and was to split from I-75 near Wesley Chapel, Florida|Wesley Chapel and rejoin it just north of Ellenton, Florida|Ellenton . However, in 1972, it was determined that maintaining the main route of I-75 through Downtown Tampa would  eventually require major improvements to the existing infrastructure to handle through traffic. As a result, it was decided that I-75 would instead follow the bypass route. FDOT could have renumbered I-75E into what could have possibly been Interstate 75W (I-75W), but, due to a 1973-based American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) rule indicating that suffixed routes were to be renumbered to reduce motorist confusion, the option of renumbering I-75E into I-75W was scrapped. Instead, the I-75E designation was renumbered to what is known today as I-275, and both the I-75 and I-275 designations were swapped into  their current configuration in 1973. I-75 reached as far south as 38th Avenue North in St. Petersburg when the designations were switched. Despite the designation switch, both freeways' hidden designations still reflect the originally planned routing, with I-75's SR 93 designation following I-275, and the current route of I-75 on the bypass being designated SR 93A. Construction on the bypass segment of I-75 began in 1979. The initially favored proposal for I-75 to reach Miami from Naples was to have I-75 run along the Tamiami Trail (US 41) across the Everglades to just east of the Florida State Road  826|SR 826 (Palmetto Expressway) where it would continue along Florida State Road 836|SR 836 (Dolphin Expressway) and terminate at Interstate 95 (Florida)|I-95 and Interstate 395 (Florida)|I-395 in Downtown Miami . Planners made the decision in 1973 to shift I-75's proposed route to cross the Everglades along Alligator Alley over environmental concerns related to upgrading the Tamiami Trail, which runs along the northern border of Everglades National Park . Additionally, Alligator Alley itself needed upgrading, as the then-narrow toll road was dangerous to both motorists and wildlife (most notably the Florida panther ) alike, and they deemed upgrading the Dolphin Expressway to  Interstate standards to be highly expensive. By using this route, I-75 would run along the alley to the proposed Port Everglades Expressway, where it would turn south along a new freeway through the western suburbs of Weston, Florida|Weston and Pembroke Pines, Florida|Pembroke Pines to Miami. It was still planned to continue east to I-95, but, due to local opposition, I-75 was not built past its current terminus at SR 826 (Palmetto Expressway) in Hialeah, Florida|Hialeah . With this new route, the Port Everglades Expressway was then planned to be built as an Interstate highway designated Interstate 595 (Florida)|I-595 to provide an  Interstate connection between I-75 and I-95. The first piece of the south extension of I-75 to open was a short segment just east of Fort Myers from SR 78 south to Corkscrew Road in 1979. This piece would extend north to Tucker's Grade just south of Punta Gorda in early 1980 and south to Immokalee Road in North Naples by 1981. Also in 1981, the segment from US 301 in Manatee County, Florida|Manatee County south to River Road near Venice opened, which would be completed south to the southern segment in Punta Gorda, Florida|Punta Gorda later that year. It  would reach Alligator Alley in Naples by 1984. The route from Tampa to Naples would be complete by 1986 as segments of the Tampa bypass were opened from 1982 to 1986. In the Miami area, I-75 was opened from US 27 to its terminus at the Palmetto Expressway in 1986. FDOT transitioned existing interchange exit numbers on all Interstate Highways from sequential exits to mileage-based exits in January 2002. Alligator Alley. The Alligator Alley segment of I-75 extends from a toll plaza just east of Naples to an interchange with I-595 and the Sawgrass Expressway (SR 869) in Sunrise  just west of Fort Lauderdale, Florida|Fort Lauderdale . The highway previously existed as a two-lane tollway connecting the two coasts of Florida. Initially known as the Everglades Parkway ( Florida State Road 84|SR 84 ), it opened for traffic on February 11, 1968, after four years of construction. Built by H. L. Mills Construction Company, it had been called the most controversial roadway ever built in Florida during its initial construction. The name "Alligator Alley" was given by the American Automobile Association (AAA) while it was being planned as they believed it would be useless to cars and merely an "alley for  alligator s". However, as alligators often frequent the waterways beside the road, and occasionally the roadway itself, the nickname has developed a somewhat literal meaning. The state moved to officially adopt the "Alligator Alley" name in 1966. As a two-lane road, Alligator Alley suffered from poor construction and environmental planning. It was also notorious for high-speed accidents including both head-on collisions and collisions with wildlife. The need to improve the road was one of the factors considered in the decision to reroute I-75 onto Alligator Alley, which was rebuilt as a four-lane Interstate Highway between 1986  and 1992. Many bridges and culverts designed to let water and wildlife pass underneath the roadway and permit the natural flow of the Everglades' waters were built as part of the upgrade. This helped to reduce the Environmental impact analysis|environmental impact of the highway somewhat, especially upon the severely endangered species|endangered Florida panther . The completion of the converted Alligator Alley was the final link of the I-75 extension. The segment was signed I-75 on November 25, 1992, completing the highway from Miami to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan . The highway is well-known for its predominantly flat character and the extraordinarily  linear path the highway follows. In January 2000, the west end toll plaza of Alligator Alley was dedicated to the memory of Edward J. Beck, a toll taker who was murdered on the job on January 30, 1974. In April 2008, FDOT proposed a section of Alligator Alley to be leased to private operators. The additional revenue the state would receive was one of primary motives to privatize this section of Alligator Alley. However, the motion failed in May 2009 when no bids were received that met the required terms. Recent history. FDOT contracted Prince Contracting in 2015 to construct  the state's first diverging diamond interchange (DDI) at the University Parkway (exit 213) interchange. The $74.5-million (equivalent to $ in ) project started construction in August 2015 and completed in September 2017. The interchange handles more than 80,000 vehicles per day and reduced intersection delays by 50 percent. FDOT implemented express lanes along of the I-75 and SR 826 (Palmetto Expressway) corridors, from just south of the SR 836 (Dolphin Expressway), in Miami-Dade County, Florida|Miami-Dade County , to I-595 in Broward County, Florida|Broward County . The project completed another section of the South Florida managed lanes network for  all motorists and improves mobility, relieves congestion, provides additional travel options, and accommodates future growth in the area. The 75 Express Lanes project extends along I-75 from Northwest 170 Street, in Miami-Dade County, to I-595, in Broward County. Work was completed in four segments to minimize the effects on the public. Construction began in early 2014 and was completed in 2018. The total project cost $481 million (equivalent to $ in ). In 2015, the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX), FDOT, and Florida's Turnpike Enterprise|FTE announced a $68.5-million (equivalent to $ in ) project to make several  improvements to I-75's interchange with SR 44 (exit 329) and the adjoining interchange with Florida's Turnpike (exit 328). This included adding a collector–distributor ramp in each direction along I-75 leading to the interchange northbound, and leading from SR 44 to the southbound Turnpike, as well as widening I-75 to six lanes in each direction leading to the interchange, and adding another access point from the northbound Turnpike to SR 44 (exit 307). The project, which was handled by Middlesex Construction, began construction in September 2016. The new northbound offramp to SR 44 was completed on September 19 , 2019, and the new southbound onramps to the Turnpike and I-75 were completed in early November 2019. The project overall was completed in January 2020. Future. An additional interchange is planned for Overpass Road north of Florida State Road 54|SR 54 , connecting to County Road 530 (Pasco County, Florida)|County Road 530 . Another DDI with Florida State Road 56|SR 56 (exit 275) was initially proposed in May 2018; construction on the revamped intersection began in February 2019 and is expected to finish in 2022. Services. Several rest area facilities exist along I-75 throughout the state. In addition, there are separate facilities  for each direction of the Interstate in Hamilton County, Florida|Hamilton and Suwannee County, Florida|Suwannee counties, southbound and northbound, respectively, and a Florida Welcome Center|welcome center south of the state line. Exit 131 has a single facility accessible from both travel directions on I-75, as well as the intersecting highway. Exit 161 had a rest stop at the interchange's southeast quadrant, but it closed in 2015 because of low usage. Exit 191 also had a rest stop at the interchange's northeast quadrant that closed in the 1990s. Each rest area has restrooms, vending machines, picnic tables, dog walk areas , and nighttime security. The welcome center also has travel information and free orange juice , the state's official List of U.S. state beverages|state beverage . Motorist-aid call box es were installed starting in 1973, initially from the Georgia line to Lake City, eventually being installed on both outside shoulders of the road every to allow drivers to indicate the need for gasoline, repair (tire or engine), or emergency services (police, ambulance, or fire). The majority of the call boxes were removed in late 2013 because of the rising maintenance cost and the availability of newer technology. Intelligent transportation system s  (ITS) are used throughout the Interstate. ITS is a fiber optic system of traffic cameras, overhead message signs, microwave vehicle detectors, travel time sensors, road and weather information sensors, and highway advisory radios. FDOT has a data-share agreement with Waze which provides real-time information for the state's 5-1-1 service, ITS, and to Waze users. In literature. In John D. MacDonald 's novel, " The Long Lavender Look ", part of his series about fictional detective Travis McGee , the story takes place on Alligator Alley and in nearby towns accessible from it. External links. Category:Interstate Highways in  Florida|75 Category:Interstate 75| Florida Category:Expressways in Florida Category:Expressways in Miami-Dade County, Florida Category:Expressways in Broward County, Florida Category:Roads in Collier County, Florida Category:Roads in Lee County, Florida Category:Roads in Charlotte County, Florida Category:Roads in DeSoto County, Florida Category:Roads in Sarasota County, Florida Category:Roads in Manatee County, Florida Category:Expressways in Hillsborough County, Florida Category:Expressways in the Tampa Bay Area Category:Roads in Sumter County, Florida Category:Roads in Marion County, Florida Category:Roads in Alachua County, Florida Category:Roads in Gainesville, Florida Category:Roads in Columbia County, Florida  Category:Roads in Suwannee County, Florida Category:Roads in Hamilton County, Florida Category:Transportation in Miami-Dade County, Florida Category:Transportation in Broward County, Florida Category:Transportation in Collier County, Florida Category:Transportation in Lee County, Florida Category:Transportation in Charlotte County, Florida Category:Transportation in DeSoto County, Florida Category:Transportation in Sarasota County, Florida Category:Transportation in Manatee County, Florida Category:Transportation in Hillsborough County, Florida Category:Transportation in Sumter County, Florida Category:Transportation in Marion County, Florida Category:Transportation in Alachua County, Florida Category:Transportation in Columbia County, Florida Category:Transportation in Suwannee County, Florida Category:Transportation in  Hamilton County, Florida