State Road 417 (Florida)
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State Road 417, also known as the Central Florida GreeneWay, Southern Connector and Seminole Expressway, is tolled freeway forming the eastern beltway around the city of Orlando, Florida, United States. It is owned and maintained by the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority (OOCEA) and Florida's Turnpike Enterprise from 1987 to 2002. The OOCEA section was posthumously named after former OOCEA chairman Jim Greene.
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History
Phase I: The Eastern Beltway
Image:SR 417 University Toll Plaza.jpgThe first phase of SR 417 extended from the Spessard Holland East-West Expressway in the South to Aloma Avenue in Seminole County. It allowed drivers to bypass the crowded Semoran Boulevard to get to and from their homes.
The OOCEA began construction of phase I in July 1987 and the road was opened to the public on December 16, 1988. The total cost of Phase I was $105 million, with $35 million being spent on acquiring the right-of-way for the six mile route.
Phase II: The Southeastern Beltway
Image:GreeneWay shield.jpg Phase II, the Southeastern Beltway was considered one of the most important parts of the GreeneWay because motorists could use this portion to travel from downtown Orlando to the Orlando International Airport without ever getting off the expressway system. This portion of the GreeneWay passes through some of the most barren portions of Orange County. It skirts the Econlockhatchee marshes that cover most of eastern Orange, northern Osceola, and western Brevard counties.
The OOCEA began construction of the Southeastern Beltway, the 7.6 mile extension of the GreeneWay connecting the East-West Expressway and the Beachline Expressway began in January of 1989. The road opened ahead of schedule in July of 1990. The 7.6 mile route cost $72 million, with an estimated $13 million being spent on acquiring the right-of-way.
Phase III: The Southern Connector
The Southern Connector was to become a route extending from the Beachline Expressway all the way to SR 535. OOCEA began construction of the 22-mile road in November of 1991 and completed construction July 1, 1993. The cost of the route totaled $273 million. It was during the construction of this section that the entire beltway project was renamed the Central Florida GreeneWay. This section does not have an interchange with Florida's Turnpike, so motorists heading north can not use SR 417 as a beltway around Orlando, although there are future plans to construct such an interchange.
Phase IV: The Seminole Expressway
Image:Seminole County Expressway logo.jpg
The Seminole Expressway, the northern leg of State Road 417, is located in Seminole County and is owned and operated by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. The section south of Aloma Avenue to the county line (less than one mile) was acquired from the Seminole County Expressway Authority in April 1990 as part of Florida's Turnpike Expansion Program authorized by Senate Bill 1316.
The initial stretch, from just south of Aloma to US 17/92 opened in phases in 1994. The final six miles connects to I-4 near Sanford/Lake Mary, and opened to traffic on September 15, 2002. This leg features only one mainline toll plaza (just south of CR 427), but it is also the priciest toll plaza on SR 417 at $2 per vehicle.
Phase V: Southern Connector Extension
The 6.4-mile missing link between I-4 and the GreeneWay was a complicated route to finish. The complexity stemmed from the sheer number of governmental and corporate entities that were involved: OOCEA, Walt Disney World, Osceola County, private landowners, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, and the Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. The agreement that was reached included a 12.4-mile Osceola Parkway, as well as the 6.4-mile Southern Connector Extension.
Florida's Turnpike began construction of the 6.4-mile extension in 1994 and completed construction in mid 1996. The project cost almost $153 million, with $74 million coming from contributions from the private parties involved in building this route. It is now possible to get from Walt Disney World to the Orlando International Airport without ever driving on the congested I-4.
Future construction
Starting in late 2008, the section in Seminole County will be expanded to six lanes. [1]
References
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