Florida State Road 417

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

State Road 417
Length:	54.06[1] mi (87.00 km)
Formed:	December 1987[2]
South end:	I-4 near Celebration
Major junctions:	SR 528 near Orlando International Airport SR 408 near Union Park
North end:	I-4 in Sanford
Florida State and County Roads < SR 416 ex-SR 418 >

State Road 417, also known as the Central Florida GreeneWay, Southern Connector and Seminole Expressway, is tolled freeway forming the eastern beltway around the city of Orlando, Florida, United States. It is owned and maintained by the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority (OOCEA) and Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. The OOCEA section was posthumously named after former OOCEA chairman Jim Greene.

[edit] History

[edit] Phase I: The Eastern Beltway

Northbound at the University Mainline Toll Plaza, recently rebuilt with high-speed (express) lanes.

The first phase of SR 417 extended from the Spessard Holland East-West Expressway in the South to Aloma Avenue in Seminole County. It allowed drivers to bypass the crowded Semoran Boulevard to get to and from their homes.

The OOCEA began construction of phase I in July 1987 and the road was opened to the public on December 16, 1988. The total cost of Phase I was $105 million, with $35 million being spent on acquiring the right-of-way for the six mile route.

[edit] Phase II: The Southeastern Beltway

GreeneWay shield, formerly used in Orange County

Phase II, the Southeastern Beltway was considered one of the most important parts of the GreeneWay because motorists could use this portion to travel from downtown Orlando to the Orlando International Airport without ever getting off the expressway system. This portion of the GreeneWay had passed through some of the most barren portions of Orange County. It skirts the Econlockhatchee marshes that cover some of eastern Orange and northern Osceola.

The OOCEA began construction of the Southeastern Beltway, the 7.6 mile extension of the GreeneWay connecting the East-West Expressway and the State Road 528 (Florida) began in January of 1989. The road opened ahead of schedule in July of 1990. The 7.6 mile route cost $72 million, with an estimated $13 million being spent on acquiring the right-of-way.

[edit] Phase III: The Southern Connector

The Southern Connector was to become a route extending from SR 528 all the way to SR 535. OOCEA began construction of the 22-mile road in November of 1991 and completed construction July 1, 1993. The cost of the route totaled $273 million. It was during the construction of this section that the entire beltway project was renamed the Central Florida GreeneWay. This section does not have an interchange with Florida's Turnpike, so motorists heading north can not use SR 417 as a beltway around Orlando, although there are future plans to construct such an interchange.

[edit] Phase IV: The Seminole Expressway

Seminole Expressway shield, formerly used in Seminole County

The Seminole Expressway, the northern leg of State Road 417, is located in Seminole County and is owned and operated by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. The section south of Aloma Avenue to the county line (less than one mile) was acquired from the Seminole County Expressway Authority in April 1990 as part of Florida's Turnpike Expansion Program authorized by Senate Bill 1316.

The initial stretch, from just south of Aloma to US 17/92 opened in phases in 1994. The final six miles connects to I-4 near Sanford/Lake Mary, and opened to traffic on September 15, 2002. This leg features only one mainline toll plaza (just south of CR 427), but it is also the priciest toll plaza on SR 417 at $2 per vehicle. This section also features the only "free movement" on SR417. No toll is collected for motorists traveling between Interstate 4 and Rinehart Road.

[edit] Phase V: Southern Connector Extension

The 6.4-mile missing link between I-4 and the GreeneWay was a complicated route to finish. The complexity stemmed from the sheer number of governmental and corporate entities that were involved: OOCEA, Walt Disney World, Osceola County, private landowners, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, and the Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. The agreement that was reached included a 12.4-mile Osceola Parkway, as well as the 6.4-mile Southern Connector Extension.

Florida's Turnpike began construction of the 6.4-mile extension in 1994 and completed construction in mid 1996. The project cost almost $153 million, with $74 million coming from contributions from the private parties involved in building this route. It is now possible to get from Walt Disney World to the Orlando International Airport without ever driving on the congested I-4.

[edit] Future construction

The Turnpike Enterprise has undertaken a project development & environment study (PD&E) to evaluate the widening of the existing Seminole Expressway (SR 417) from the Orange County line to the Rinehart Road interchange (MP 54), a distance of approximately 16 miles.

The PD&E Study will evaluate the following primary improvements:

• Widening the existing facility from the existing four-lanes to an interim six-lane expressway (from the Orange County line to south of the Lake Jesup Bridge) and an ultimate eight-lane expressway;
• Improvements to the Seminole Expressway interchange at Aloma Avenue (SR 426) to enhance safety, and
• Recommended interchange alternatives to meet future capacity needs and increase safety at the seven interchanges within the study area.
• As part of the evaluation for widening the Seminole Expressway, special attention will be focused on the Lake Jesup Bridge.
• The study is scheduled to be complete by May 2007. A public meeting will be scheduled in August 2006.
• Starting as early as 2008, the widening of the Seminole Expressway may begin.

[edit] References

1. ^ FDOT GIS data
2. ^ Expressway Navigator (PDF), fall 2002

[edit] External links

• Orlando Orange County Expressway Authority
• Florida's Turnpike Enterprise
• Florida Department of Transportation