Florida State Road 52

State Road 52 marker

State Road 52
Schrader Memorial Highway
21st Street
Meridian Avenue

Major roads in the northern Tampa area with SR 52 in red
Route information
Maintained by FDOT
Length: 33.403 mi[1] (53.757 km)
Major junctions
West end: US 19 in Bayonet Point
  SR 589 near Shady Hills
US 41 in Gowers Corner
CR 577 in San Antonio
East end: US 98 / US 301 in Dade City
Highway system
← SR 51SR 53 →

State Road 52 (SR 52) is the major east–west road through northern Pasco County, Florida. The road begins in Bayonet Point at US 19 (SR 55), passes through San Antonio, runs past Saint Leo University, in Saint Leo, and terminates in Dade City at US 98 / US 301 (SR 533).

Route description

State Road 52 exists primarily as a six-lane commercial strip between US 19 and Moon Lake Road. In 2007, the road was widened to six lanes between Moon Lake Road and Suncoast Parkway, but most of the development taking place here has been residential so far. On the Southeast corner of the Suncoast Parkway interchange, there is a Florida State Police barracks and Florida Division of Forestry fire tower. The road narrows down to four lanes and then two as it enters Fivay Junction and approaches Shady Hills Road, before crossing the Pithlachascotee River. As the road runs along the north side of some agricultural land, it eventually meets with a railroad crossing, and then passes a saw mill before encountering US 41 (SR 45) at a section of Pasco County which is known as Gowers Corner. Plans to widen SR 52 in the vicinity of US 41 include the realignment of both roads.

East of US 41 is a community known as the Pilot Country Estates Airport, where residents have their own private airplanes.[2] Beyond that, most of the features surrounding SR 52 consist of fledgling farmland and minor lakes. At least one other gated community exists east of this point. Other sites along this segment include the Dirt Devil's Speedway[3] and a concrete factory on the southwest corner of CR 583 (Ehren Cutoff). A winery was established at some point in the early 21st Century and a model aviation club existed in one of two locations along this segment of the road.

After a pair of bridges over two dry creeks, SR 52 encounters Bellamy Brothers Boulevard (CR 581 North), which leads drivers north through farms and woods before entering the City of Brooksville. Meanwhile, SR 52 climbs a hill and then drops before approaching the Pasco County Juvenile Detention Center. Almost immediately, the road enters the unincorporated hamlet of Pasco[4] as it crosses a former railroad right-of-way that once ran from St. Petersburg to Trilby.[5] The interchange with Interstate 75 (Exit 285) is easily in view of motorists before reaching the former grade crossing, but not without approaching a gated community and two truck stops.

Immediately after the I-75 interchange, SR 52 passes by and industrial park and Recreational Vehicle dealership, then curves to the northeast as it crosses another dry creek bridge. The road turns back east as it enters San Antonio and instantly makes a direct left curve into Saint Leo. The north-to-eastbound ramp takes drivers though the St. Leo Abbey Historic District and Saint Leo University on a steep hill.

Between CR 579 and Alternate CR 35, there's an CR 52 Alternate along Clinton Avenue south of State Road 52 that has no direct connection to the main road. Immediately after the CR 579 intersection, the road takes another sharp northeast curve, and despite a sharp curve back to the right, continues to move to the northeast.

Dade City welcomes eastbound drivers

After SR 52 enters the Dade City Limits, it runs along the northwestern border of Pasco High School, until the intersection of Old San Ann Drive and moves north onto 21st Street. Eventually, County Road 41 replaces SR 52 as the designation for 21st Street when it makes a sharp right onto Meridian Avenue, but eastbound SR 52 and southbound CR 41 overlap each other until 17th Street, where CR 41 turns south unexpectedly. As the road divides again east of 10th Street, drivers truly enter the heart of Dade City when they encounter local parkland that was once part of a Seaboard Air Line right-of-way, and then intersects 7th Street (former US 98-301), where the historic Pasco County Courthouse can be found on the southeast corner. After passing by more local government buildings including the Dade City Branch of the Pasco County Library, State Road 52 ends at US 98-301 on the opposite side of the Dade City Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot. This was a Truck Detour for US 98-301 until February 2007.

History

Former segments of State Road 52, have included Roth Lane, in Saint Leo, and North 21st Street and Lock Street in Dade City.

Major intersections

The entire route is in Pasco County.

Locationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
Bayonet Point0.0000.000 US 19 (SR 55) – Port Richey, St. Petersburg, Hudson
​2.0123.238 CR 1 (Little Road) – New Port Richey
​6.1629.917 CR 587 west (Moon Lake Road) – Pasco-Hernando Community College
​9.3315.02 SR 589 (Suncoast Parkway) – Brooksville, TampaSR 589 exit 27
Gowers Corner12.43820.017 US 41 (SR 45) – Masaryktown, Land O' Lakes
​17.82328.683 CR 583 south (Ehren Cutoff) – State Veterans Nursing Home, Land O' Lakes
​21.39334.429 CR 581 north (Bellamy Brothers Boulevard) – Darby
Pasco23.4337.71 I-75 (SR 93) – Ocala, Tampa, St. PetersburgI-75 exit 285
San Antonio26.63442.863 CR 577 (Curley Street) – St. Joseph, Zephyrhills
St. Leo29.09846.829 CR 579 (Prospect Road / Happy Hill Road)
Dade City32.21751.848 CR 41 north (21st Street) to I-75 north – St. Joseph, BrooksvilleWest end of CR 41 overlap
32.46852.252 CR 41 south (17th Street)East end of CR 41 overlap
33.12753.3137th Street (SR 35 / SR 700) - Ridge Manor, Zephyrhills
33.40353.757 US 98 / US 301 (Lakeland Road / SR 533)
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

County Road 52 Alternate
Location: Saint Leo-Clinton Heights

County Road 52 Alternate is the bannered route of SR 52 south of Dade City. It begins at County Road 579 just south of the intersection with SR 52, and runs east along Clinton Street.

References

  1. 1 2 FDOT straight line diagrams Archived March 6, 2014, at the Wayback Machine., accessed February 2014
  2. ↑ Pilot Country Estates Airport
  3. ↑ Dirt Devils Speedway (Official site)
  4. ↑ Origins of Place Names (History of Pasco County)
  5. ↑ History of Railroads in Pasco County (History of Pasco County)

Route map: Google

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