State Road 84 (Florida)
Encyclopedia
Originally extending from the Tamiami Trail
(US 41-SR 45
) in Naples
to Federal Highway (U.S. Route 1-SR 5
) in Fort Lauderdale
, State Road 84 now consists of two noncontiguous pieces:
• A 7-mile-long section in Collier County, Florida
with an eastern terminus at Alligator Alley
(Interstate 75 and Collier County Road 951 near Golden Gate
. East of Collier County Road 31, it goes through woodland
s. From 1969 until the completion of Interstate 75 in 1993, it was a primary route (through Alligator Alley) across the Florida
peninsula
. Residents of Collier County also know it as Davis Boulevard.
• A 12-mile-long stretch in Broward County, Florida
that is now primarily a service road for Interstate 595
(SR 862), with the westbound lanes adjacent to the New River Canal. The easternmost three miles (5 km) comprise a divided four lane highway traversing a Fort Lauderdale neighborhood, with the most eastern mile of SR 84 locally known as Southeast 24th Street. The present Interstate 595 follows the original route of SR 84 west of the split between the two roads. This section of State Road 84 is called Marina Mile Boulevard.
was becoming insufficient to handle the rapidly growing traffic between Tampa and southeastern Florida, and adding lanes to the road that was once considered a major engineering feat was not feasible in light of the demands of nearby Everglades National Park
and the Miccosukee
Tribe living near the Trail. It was finally decided that a second transpeninsular road would be best to serve the need of motorists to go from “coast to coast” south of Lake Okeechobee
, the new one featuring a toll limited access two-lane freeway
, the Everglades Parkway (the original name of the road that became better known as “Alligator Alley”). On January 15, 1969, the highway was completed, and the State Road 84 designation and signs were placed along the entire length of the road (101 miles) from Naples to Fort Lauderdale.
Two decades later, the southern extension of Interstate 75 from Tampa
was moving forward with earnest, as was the construction of Interstate 595. Because the population and traffic of southern Broward County were growing at a fast rate, Interstate 595 was being built to improve the connections between the Alley and US 1 (and improve access to Port Everglades
and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
), and the eastbound lanes of SR 84 were shifted southward to accommodate the new expressway that runs down what once was a large grassy median with limited cross-overs/turnarounds for SR 84. I-595 was opened to traffic in the mid 1980s.
When four-laning of Alligator Alley was completed to Interstate highway and environmental standards (several tunnels were constructed at various points under the road for the critically endangered
Florida Panther
), signs along the toll road
identifying it as SR 84 were removed, and I-75 signs went up to replace them in early 1993. While the SR 84 could have remained the hidden designation of the road, the Florida Department of Transportation
decided to supersede it with the hidden designation already in place for I-75 south of Gillette: SR 93
. This created the disconnection of SR 84 that exists to the present day.
Tamiami Trail
The Tamiami Trail is the southernmost of U.S. Highway 41 from State Road 60 in Tampa to U.S. Route 1 in Miami. The road also has the hidden designation of State Road 90....
(US 41-SR 45
State Road 45 (Florida)
A major north–south highway extending almost the entire length of the Florida peninsula, State Road 45 is the unsigned Florida Department of Transportation designation of most of the current U.S. Route 41 in Florida. The southern terminus of SR 45 is an intersection with SR 951 just east of...
) in Naples
Naples, Florida
Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of July 1, 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 21,653. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839 on July 1, 2007...
to Federal Highway (U.S. Route 1-SR 5
State Road 5 (Florida)
State Road 5 is a mostly-unsigned state highway in the state of Florida. It is mainly signed as U.S. Route 1 from its south end in Key West, Florida to Jacksonville, Florida, and U.S. Route 17 from Jacksonville to the Georgia state line at the Saint Marys River. U.S...
) in Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
, State Road 84 now consists of two noncontiguous pieces:
• A 7-mile-long section in Collier County, Florida
Collier County, Florida
Collier County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 251,377. The U.S. Census Bureau 2007 estimate for the county is 315,839...
with an eastern terminus at Alligator Alley
Alligator Alley
Alligator Alley is a section of Interstate 75 and State Road 84 extending from Naples on the west coast of Florida to Weston on the east...
(Interstate 75 and Collier County Road 951 near Golden Gate
Golden Gate, Florida
Golden Gate is a community and census-designated place in Collier County, Florida, United States. The population was 20,951 as recorded in the 2000 census...
. East of Collier County Road 31, it goes through woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
s. From 1969 until the completion of Interstate 75 in 1993, it was a primary route (through Alligator Alley) across the Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
. Residents of Collier County also know it as Davis Boulevard.
• A 12-mile-long stretch in Broward County, Florida
Broward County, Florida
-2000 Census:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623,018 people, 654,445 households, and 411,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,346 people per square mile . There were 741,043 housing units at an average density of 615 per square mile...
that is now primarily a service road for Interstate 595
Interstate 595 (Florida)
Interstate 595 , also known as the Port Everglades Expressway and as the unsigned State Road 862, is a Interstate highway that connects Interstate 75 and Alligator Alley in the west with Florida's Turnpike, Interstate 95, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, US 1, and SR A1A before...
(SR 862), with the westbound lanes adjacent to the New River Canal. The easternmost three miles (5 km) comprise a divided four lane highway traversing a Fort Lauderdale neighborhood, with the most eastern mile of SR 84 locally known as Southeast 24th Street. The present Interstate 595 follows the original route of SR 84 west of the split between the two roads. This section of State Road 84 is called Marina Mile Boulevard.
History
In the 1960s it was becoming apparent that the Tamiami TrailTamiami Trail
The Tamiami Trail is the southernmost of U.S. Highway 41 from State Road 60 in Tampa to U.S. Route 1 in Miami. The road also has the hidden designation of State Road 90....
was becoming insufficient to handle the rapidly growing traffic between Tampa and southeastern Florida, and adding lanes to the road that was once considered a major engineering feat was not feasible in light of the demands of nearby Everglades National Park
Everglades National Park
Everglades National Park is a national park in the U.S. state of Florida that protects the southern 25 percent of the original Everglades. It is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, and is visited on average by one million people each year. It is the third-largest...
and the Miccosukee
Miccosukee
The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida are a federally recognized Native American tribe in the U.S. state of Florida. They were part of the Seminole nation until the mid-20th century, when they organized as an independent tribe, receiving federal recognition in 1962...
Tribe living near the Trail. It was finally decided that a second transpeninsular road would be best to serve the need of motorists to go from “coast to coast” south of Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee , locally referred to as The Lake or The Big O, is the largest freshwater lake in the state of Florida. It is the seventh largest freshwater lake in the United States and the second largest freshwater lake contained entirely within the lower 48 states...
, the new one featuring a toll limited access two-lane freeway
Two-lane freeway
A two-lane expressway is an expressway with only one lane in each direction, and usually no median barrier. It may be built that way because of constraints, or may be intended for expansion once traffic volumes rise. The term super two is often used by roadgeeks for this type of road, but traffic...
, the Everglades Parkway (the original name of the road that became better known as “Alligator Alley”). On January 15, 1969, the highway was completed, and the State Road 84 designation and signs were placed along the entire length of the road (101 miles) from Naples to Fort Lauderdale.
Two decades later, the southern extension of Interstate 75 from Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
was moving forward with earnest, as was the construction of Interstate 595. Because the population and traffic of southern Broward County were growing at a fast rate, Interstate 595 was being built to improve the connections between the Alley and US 1 (and improve access to Port Everglades
Port Everglades
Port Everglades is a port in Broward County, Florida. As one of South Florida's leading economic powerhouses, Port Everglades is the gateway for international trade and cruise vacations. Already one of the three busiest cruise ports worldwide, Port Everglades is also one of Florida's leading...
and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport is an international commercial airport located in unincorporated Broward County, Florida, three miles southwest of the central business district of Fort Lauderdale...
), and the eastbound lanes of SR 84 were shifted southward to accommodate the new expressway that runs down what once was a large grassy median with limited cross-overs/turnarounds for SR 84. I-595 was opened to traffic in the mid 1980s.
When four-laning of Alligator Alley was completed to Interstate highway and environmental standards (several tunnels were constructed at various points under the road for the critically endangered
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
Florida Panther
Florida Panther
The Florida panther is an endangered subspecies of cougar that lives in forests and swamps of southern Florida in the United States. Its current taxonomic status is unresolved, but recent genetic research alone does not alter the legal conservation status...
), signs along the toll road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
identifying it as SR 84 were removed, and I-75 signs went up to replace them in early 1993. While the SR 84 could have remained the hidden designation of the road, the Florida Department of Transportation
Florida Department of Transportation
The Florida Department of Transportation is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the powers of the Florida State Road Department...
decided to supersede it with the hidden designation already in place for I-75 south of Gillette: SR 93
State Road 93 (Florida)
State Road 93 is the hidden Florida Department of Transportation designator for the following routes:*Interstate 75 from the Georgia state line to the interchange with the Palmetto Expressway and the Gratigny Parkway in Miami Lakes....
. This created the disconnection of SR 84 that exists to the present day.