Gateway Express
| |
|---|---|
| Gateway Express | |
| Route information | |
| History: |
|
| Major junctions | |
| East end: |
 I-275 |
| West end: |
 US 19 (SR 690) and Bayside Bridge (SR 686) |
| Location | |
| Counties: | Pinellas |
| Highway system | |
The Gateway Express project is a planned toll road in Pinellas County, Florida. The project consists of two branches: an elevated highway to be designated State Road 690 (SR 690) above 118th Street North between Interstate 275 (I-275) and U.S. Highway 19 (US 19) and a raised highway in the median of SR 686 from 118th Street to the Bayside Bridge. Construction was approved in February 2014 and is expected to begin in 2017, taking five years to complete.
Route description
The Gateway Express project consists of two connected segments.
A four-lane, elevated segment will run above 118th Avenue from US 19 to I-275. This section will be designated SR 690.
A raised, four lane expressway will be built in the median of SR 686 and carry the same designation. This segment will run from the planned SR 690 segment north to the Bayside Bridge and connect to St. Petersburg–Clearwater International Airport.
Both segments will be tolled using electronic toll gantries for SunPass transponders or pay-by-plate billing.[1]
History
The Gateway Express project aims to solve transportation problems in Pinellas County, where several expressway projects were cancelled in the 1970s and 1980s, leaving the county without any major limited-access thoroughfares except for I-275. Significant upgrades to US 19 in the 2000s improved traffic flow north–south in the county. However, only local roads travel east–west. The Gateway Express project had been identified for a long time as a priority project to improve traffic flow in Pinellas County.[2]
The project was announced by Governor Rick Scott in a press conference with local officials on February 17, 2014. It had been in the works for 15 years. Construction is expected to begin in early 2017 and take five years to complete at a cost of $330 million. The project was not expected to be funded for another 15–20 years.[3] Funding will be provided by the Federal Highway Administration ($153 million), Penny for Pinellas funds ($53 million), and the State of Florida (remainder of project costs).[2]
Major intersections
State Road 690
The entire route is in Pinellas County.
| Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Petersburg | 0.00 | 0.00 | I-275 | Eastern terminus | |
| 28th Street North | Eastbound entry only. No toll to I-275 | ||||
| 118th Avenue North | Westbound exit only. No toll from I-275. | ||||
| Toll gantry | |||||
| Pinellas Park |  SR 686 | Connects with raised, express lanes only. Westbound exit and eastbound entry. | |||
| 118th Avenue North | Westbound exit and eastbound entry. Provides access from northbound US 19 and access to southbound US 19. | ||||
| US 19 | Western terminus of SR 690 segment. Westbound exit (to northbound US 19 only) and eastbound eastbound entrance (from southbound US 19 only) | ||||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
State Road 686 express lanes
The entire route is in Pinellas County.
| Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinellas Park | 0.00 | 0.00 |  SR 690 | Southern terminus. Access only from westbound SR 690 and access to eastbound SR 690. | |
 SR 688 (Ulmerton Road) | No exit southbound. Toll gantry on northbound entrance. | ||||
| Access to St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport | No entry northbound | ||||
| Largo | SR 686 (Roosevelt Boulevard) | Northern northbound terminus. | |||
 CR 611 | Northern southbound terminus. Southbound entry only. | ||||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
See also
- Florida portal
- U.S. Roads portal
References
- ↑ Schorsch, Peter (February 17, 2014). "Game-Changer: FDOT Plans Elevated Toll Road to Connect I-275 and US 19". Saint Peters Blog. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
- 1 2 O’Donnell, Christopher (February 17, 2014). "Accelerated Plan will link I-275, US 19 in Pinellas". Tampa Tribune. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
- ↑ Staff (February 17, 2014). "Governor Scott Announces Advancement of Gateway Express Project in Pinellas County" (Press release). Office of the Governor of Florida. Retrieved May 3, 2014.