Florida State Road 7
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by FDOT | ||||
| Length: | 69.0 mi[1][2] (111.0 km) | |||
| Existed: | 1945 renumbering (definition) – present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end: |
 US 41 in Miami | |||
   I‑95 / SR 826 / Turnpike in Golden Glades  I‑595 / SR 84 / Turnpike near Fort Lauderdale   US 98 / US 441 / SR 80 in Royal Palm Beach | ||||
| North end: | Persimmon Boulevard in The Acreage | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
State Road 7 (SR 7) is a major north–south artery in South Florida connecting US 41 (SR 90) in the Little Havana section of Miami with Persimmon Boulevard in The Acreage. All but the northernmost 5.5 miles (8.9 km) (in and near Royal Palm Beach) is instead signed as US 441, and has been since 1950.
Route description
The state road begins at US 41, which is also the national southern terminus of US 441. The road in Miami-Dade County is only signed as US 441, with no indication of SR 7 anywhere. It is labeled Northwest 2nd Avenue north of the Golden Glades Interchange and Northwest 7th Avenue from the Interchange south to the Miami River, after which it continues another dozen blocks to US 41 as Northwest and Southwest 8th Avenues.
In Broward County, the road is only signed as US 441, but is indicated as "State Road 7" on green street signs when approaching the road from cross streets. From the Miami-Dade County line north to Stirling Road in Hollywood, it is also known as South 60th Avenue. In addition, Broward County addresses along the route show references to "State Road 7" and residents refer to the road as both "441" and "State Road 7".
The Palm Beach County stretch of US 441 / SR 7 features signs with both designations. Older maps also have the designation of "Range Line Road". In Royal Palm Beach, US 441 leaves the SR 7 indication behind, making a westward turn and overlapping US 98 / SR 80) as it approaches Belle Glade on the shore of Lake Okeechobee. The state road continues north to SR 704. A 2009 extension, maintained by Palm Beach County,, continues to Persimmon Boulevard.
Controversy
Critics argue that the extension of SR 7 just west of the Grassy Waters environmental preserve in Palm Beach County, also the source of the drinking water supply for [West Palm Beach, Florida|West Palm Beach][3] region, threatens to damage critical habitat for several endangered species including the Everglades Snail Kite. As of 2005, only about 1,300 of the hawks were known to still be extant.[4] While West Palm Beach officials say they oppose the extension based on environmental concerns, proponents (including most nearby residents, two local chambers of commerce, local municipalities of Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Loxahatchee Groves and the government of The Acreage) point out that West Palm Beach allowed thousands of homes and roads to be built on all other sides of the Grassy waters preserve because those developments would raise taxes, and that the extension would pass by the West Palm Beach mayor's tony community of Ibis Country Club.
History
In 2009, part of a long awaited northern extension opened with a 3.5 miles (5.6 km) stretch from SR 704 to Persimmon Boulevard in The Acreage. Future plans have the road extending another four miles north to Northlake Boulevard near Palm Beach Gardens, but it is not anticipated to be completed until 2015.[5] About 3⁄4 mile (1.2 km) has already been built at the Northlake Boulevard end, and is marked on street signs as State Road 7.[6]
Major intersections
| County | Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Dade | Miami | 0.000 | 0.000 | US 41 east (Southwest 8th Street / SR 90) | |||
| 0.066 | 0.106 | US 41 west (Southwest 7th Street / SR 90) | |||||
| see US 441 (mile 0.000-63.556) | |||||||
| Palm Beach | Royal Palm Beach | 63.556 | 102.283 | US 98 / US 441 north / SR 80 (Southern Boulevard) to Turnpike / I‑95 – Royal Palm Beach, Belle Glade, West Palm Beach, Lion Country Safari | interchange; north end of US 441 overlap | ||
| 64.325 | 103.521 | To I‑95 / Belvedere Road | |||||
| Royal Palm Beach West Palm Beach | 65.556 | 105.502 |  SR 704 east (Okeechobee Boulevard) to Turnpike / I‑95 – Royal Palm Beach, Downtown West Palm Beach | north end of state maintenance | |||
| The Acreage | 69.0[2] | 111.0 | Persimmon Boulevard | ||||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||||
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 FDOT straight line diagrams, accessed January 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Google Maps directions
- ↑ "Renewed Concerns Over State Road 7 Extension" City of West Palm Beach, "West Palm Beach", February 6, 2014.
- ↑ Will restoring wetlands block State Road 7 extension? Joel Engelhardt, "Palm Beach Post", November 27, 2010.
- ↑ "Long-awaited State Road 7 extension opens for Palm Beach County's western communities," Mitra Malek, "Palm Beach Post", April 7, 2009.
- ↑ Google Street View photos, April 2011