Pinellas Bayway
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by FDOT | ||||
| Length: | 4.816 mi[1] (7.751 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end: | Fort De Soto Park | |||
| North end: |
 SR 682 in St. Petersburg | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by FDOT | ||||
| Length: | 3.721 mi[1] (5.988 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end: |
 SR 699 in St. Pete Beach | |||
| East end: |
  I-275 / US 19 in St. Petersburg | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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The Pinellas Bayway System is a series of bridges on two state roads in Pinellas County, Florida. It is a toll road complex maintained and operated by the Florida Department of Transportation. It also is compatible with the SunPass ETC system currently in use on all other FDOT-owned toll roads. The Pinellas Bayway consists of:
- State Road 682, an east–west divided highway connecting SR 699 on a Gulf of Mexico barrier island near St. Pete Beach, Florida to Interstate 275 (SR 93) and US 19 (SR 55) in St. Petersburg. The 3.7-mile-long State Road 682 passes over three bridges (toll: 50 cents) as it crosses the entrance of Boca Ciega Bay.
- State Road 679, a hook-shaped north–south road with a four-lane divided northern half (between SR 682 and Tierra Verde) and a two-lane southern half serving Fort DeSoto Park at the tip of the "hook" (35 cents toll). Motorists traveling the entire length of SR 679 traverse two bridges.
The two State Roads intersect on Isla del Sol midway between St. Petersburg and St. Pete Beach. Both highways have drawbridges in addition to low-level causeways in their configuration. Attempts to replace the drawbridges with bridges of a different design in recent years have met resistance from both nearby residents, yachtsmen, and the local chapter of the NAACP. Studies are being conducted by FDOT as to how the bridges will be replaced and how much they would cost.
Both Fort DeSoto Park and the Pinellas Bayway opened on December 21, 1962. The east–west portion was then signed SR A19A, a designation it kept until the mid-1980s, when FDOT did a statewide reallocation of state route numbers. Despite the redesignation, some local businesses and residents still refer to A19A when mentioning the Bayway.
On October 14, 2000, the portion in Fort De Soto Park was transferred to Pinellas County.[1]
Tolls
The Pinellas Bayway system employs cash and electronic toll collection. While casual users of the Bayway system may use their SunPass or other Florida-compatible electronic toll collection transponders, two discount programs for Bayway Isle and commuters are also authorized, in conjunction with SunPass usage.
Bayway Isle residents may purchase a Bayway Isle annual pass for $15 annually, allowing them unlimited passage through the northeast toll plaza, only. This discount was authorized at the time of the original construction of the facility. The pass is sold in June of each year and expires on July 1 the following year.
Commuters and other frequent users have the option of purchasing an unlimited pass for $50 annually. This commuter pass, which is good at all three plazas on the Bayway system, is renewable each September, and was authorized by legislation in 1985.
The prices include the rental of transponder for the term of the annual pass.
Toll Controversy
On November 28, 2007 the Florida Department of Transportation held a public hearing and revealed that they planned to more than double the cash and Sunpass tolls on the Pinellas Bayway, and to eliminate the $15 Bayway resident pass. The funds from these increased tolls would be used to issue bonds for the eventual improvement of the bridges of the Bayway System.
There has been much controversy over these toll increases. Local public officials (including Mayor Rick Baker of St. Petersburg) have come out loudly against what some perceive as an unfair allocation of costs to Pinellas Bayway residents. In February, 2008 an ad hoc coalition of affected Homeowner Associations, the "Citizens's Bayway Task Force' organized to fight the toll increase. The legislation to increase the tolls on the Pinellas Bayway was withdrawn on March 19, 2008.
Major intersections
- SR 679
The entire route is in Pinellas County.
| Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort De Soto Park | 0.000 | 0.000 | dead end at North Beach | ||
| 3.4[2] | 5.5 | Anderson Boulevard - East Beach | |||
| 5.144 | 8.278 | south end of state maintenance | |||
| 5.144– 5.420 | 8.278– 8.723 | Bridge over Bunces Pass | |||
| Tierra Verde | 5.598 | 9.009 | toll plaza (southbound only) | ||
| 8.476– 8.739 | 13.641– 14.064 | Bridge over Boca Ciega Bay Main Channel (Gulf Intracoastal Waterway) | |||
| St. Petersburg | 9.960 | 16.029 | SR 682 (Pinellas Bayway) to I-275 (Sunshine Skyway) – St. Pete Beach, St. Petersburg | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
- SR 682
The entire route is in Pinellas County.
| Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Pete Beach | 0.000 | 0.000 | SR 699 north (Gulf Boulevard) – Pass-A-Grille, Treasure Island, Historic District | ||
| 0.312 | 0.502 | toll plaza (eastbound only) | |||
| 0.429– 0.906 | 0.690– 1.458 | Bridge over Boca Ciega Bay (Gulf Intracoastal Waterway) | |||
| St. Petersburg | 1.424 | 2.292 |  SR 679 south – Tierra Verde, Fort Desoto Park, Shell & Egmont Keys Ferry | ||
| 2.821 | 4.540 | toll plaza (westbound only) | |||
| 3.568 | 5.742 | I-275 north (SR 93) – Tampa | I-275 exit 17 | ||
| 3.721 | 5.988 | US 19 (34th Street South / SR 55) to I-275 south – Bradenton | |||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 FDOT straight line diagrams, accessed March 2014
- ↑ Google Maps distance
External links
- Discussion of the Pinellas Bayway at the Drawbridges of Pinellas County page
- Discussion of the Tierra Verde Bridge at the Drawbridges of Pinellas County page
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Coordinates: 27°42′46″N 82°41′49″W / 27.7128072°N 82.6970441°W