Florida's Turnpike
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Template:Infobox FL State Road Florida's Turnpike is a toll road that runs 312 miles (497 km) down the Florida peninsula through 11 counties, from US 1 in Florida City to Interstate 75 at Wildwood. It runs through Orlando, where it crosses Interstate 4; and West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, where it parallels Interstate 95, often literally next to it.
The Turnpike itself is actually in two sections. The Mainline is a 269-mile route from the Golden Glades Interchange north of Miami to Wildwood that carries the hidden designation of State Road 91. This page's exit list describes the mainline only. The Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike (HEFT) runs from Florida City (near Homestead) through the suburbs to the west and north of Miami. It connects to the Mainline four miles north of the Golden Glades Interchange.
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Tolls
Image:Floridas Turnpike old south end.jpg Tolls on the turnpike are set at 7.5 cents per mile US for two-axle vehicles. As the turnpike system is a primary route useful for evacuations, when necessary, the state may suspend tolls on the Turnpike, as well as other roads in the system when a hurricane watch is issued or when other state or national emergencies warrant rapid movement of the population. Payment is via coin or SunPass electronic toll collection near the urban and suburban areas of Miami and Orlando, and via ticket the rest of the way (south of Kissimmee and north of Lantana).
Tolls collected on Turnpike-owned roads are used to meet debt service obligations, and for operation and maintenance of the system. Profits, in conjunction with the issuance of revenue bonds, may fund new Turnpike-system roads or major system enhancement projects.
Management
Management is by the Florida's Turnpike Enterprise, a division of the Florida Department of Transportation. Originally formed on July 11, 1953 as the Florida State Turnpike Authority, the Turnpike was reorganized and incorporated into the newly-formed Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in July 1969. The Turnpike’s functions became part of the FDOT pursuant to the reorganization of the State Government Act. At that time, individual FDOT Districts managed the Turnpike work program, operations and maintenance in their areas. In 1988, the Florida Legislature created the Office of Florida's Turnpike. In 1990, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 1316, authorizing the expansion of Florida's Turnpike to include construction of non-contiguous road projects. On April 11, 2002, Governor Bush signed House Bill 261, creating Florida's Turnpike Enterprise, and directing the Turnpike to pursue innovation and best private-sector business practices, to improve cost-effectiveness and timeliness in project delivery, to increase revenues and expand its capital program, and to improve quality of service to its customers. At that time, the Office of Toll Operations, formerly a separate division of the State of Florida, was folded into the Enterprise.
In addition to the Turnpike Mainline and HEFT, the Turnpike Enterprise also owns the Polk Parkway (SR 570), Suncoast Parkway (SR 589), Sawgrass Expressway (SR 869), and portions of SR 528 (the Beachline Expressway West), the northern and southern ends of SR 417 (known as the Seminole Expressway and the Southern Connector Extension), as well as the southern-most end of SR 429 (the Western Beltway). The Turnpike Enterprise collects tolls on FDOT-owned facilites in West Central Florida (the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and Pinellas Bayway System), South Florida (Alligator Alley) and the Space Coast (Beachline East). All of these facilities are interoperable with the SunPass, O-Pass and E-Pass electronic toll collection systems. Local residents in Pinellas County may purchase a Bayway yearly pass, which is good only on the Bayway system.
Additionally, the Turnpike collects tolls on the Selmon Crosstown Expressway (SR 618), which is owned by the Tampa-Hillborough County Expressway Authority, the Garcon Point Bridge (SR 281), which is owned by the Santa Rosa Bay Bridge Authority, and the Mid Bay Bridge (SR 293), owned by the Mid-Bay Bridge Authority. All of these facilities are also interoperable with the SunPass, O-Pass, E-Pass and LeeWay electronic toll collection systems.
SunPass electronic toll collection is available on all toll roads in Florida, including the OOCEA System (interoperating with E-Pass), Osceola Parkway in Kissimmee (interoperating with O-Pass), Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway in Tampa, the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority System and the LeeWay system in Southwest Florida.
Interchanges
Exits on the highway are on the mile-log system. The Turnpike started using this system long before Florida's interstates were on the system, but originally used a sequential system, and then a hybrid where adjacent exit numbers differed by 4 south of SR 60 (exit 60 at the time) and 5 north of SR 60. Motorist-aid call boxes are located on both outside shoulders of the road every mile (1.6 km), and send only a signal indicating the need for gasoline, repair (tire or engine), or emergency services (police, ambulance, or firefighters).
Service plazas
Eight service plazas are located along the Turnpike mainline, spaced about 45 miles apart. The plazas are open 24 hours per day, most having Burger King and other fast food. Other services include fuel, minor mechanical repairs, Internet access, travel and tourism info and tickets, picnic areas, TV news, Florida Lottery, restrooms, and public phones. SunPass transponders are available at all locations.
In 1998, the Florida Legislature designated the turnpike the Ronald Reagan Turnpike, after the 40th U.S. President. However, this designation did not replace the turnpike's existing name, only appearing on a few signs along the route.
Trivia
The 51 mile (82 km) stretch of Florida's Turnpike south from exit 244 in Kissimmee to exit 193 in Yeehaw Junction is the longest stretch of controlled access highway in the United States without an exit, though there is a service area approximately midway (Canoe Creek Service Plaza).
Other roads
Image:Floridas Turnpike Enterprise.jpg Florida's Turnpike Enterprise also operates a number of other toll roads:
- Beachline Expressway (State Road 528)
- Polk Parkway (State Road 570)
- Sawgrass Expressway (State Road 869)
- Seminole Expressway (State Road 417)
- Southern Connector (State Road 417)
- Suncoast Parkway (State Road 589)
- Veterans Expressway (State Road 568 and State Road 589)
- Western Beltway (State Road 429)
Exit list
Today, all exits on Florida's Turnpike are milage-based from the south end of the Homestead Extension. Once the HEFT reaches the mainline, the mainline continues the numbering. The spur of the mainline from the HEFT to the Golden Glades Interchange assumes an alternate numbering system that suffixes an X to each exit number.
Any exit or location in parentheses does not have an exit number-- the number indicates the approximate mile of the location.
