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04/29/07 |
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Interstate 75 through the Tampa Bay area in pictures Page 2: Exit 265 (Fowler Avenue) to Exit 309 (Sumter County Road 476) Welcome to the second half of our Interstate 75 section here at Interstate275Florida.com. Here we will showcase more of Interstate 75 in pictures from Exit 265 (Fowler Avenue) all the way to Exit 309 (Sumter County Road 476). All pictures are northbound on Interstate 75. Feel free to scroll through or use one of the links below to jump to a specific interchange on Interstate 75: Exit 265 - FL 582/Fowler Avenue Exit 270 - Bruce B Downs Blvd. Exit 274 - Interstate 275 south Exit 279 - FL 54/Pasco County Road 54 Exit 293 - Pasco County Road 41 Exit 309 - Sumter County Road 476 The Overpasses of Interstate 75 Exit 265, FL 582/Fowler Avenue Fowler Avenue is a local highway that runs from Business US 41 (Florida Avenue) through the northern half of Tampa and Temple Terrace to US 301 just east of Interstate 75. Major points of interest on Fowler Avenue include the University of South Florida (USF), the Museum of Science and Industry (known to most Tampa Bay area residents as MOSI) and Busch Gardens which is reached by way of McKinley Drive. Various shopping centers dot the landscape of Fowler Avenue west of Temple Terrace. Advance signage for Exit 265 coming up in one mile. Notice that the right lane is an exit only lane as Interstate 75 drops from six lane to four lane at this interchange and will remain as four lane until the Florida Turnpike. The University of South Florida and Busch Gardens is easily reached from Exit 265. Another reminder that the right lane exits at Exit 265. Final opportunity to exit at Fowler Avenue as well as advance signage for Exit 266, Fletcher Avenue. Again the right lane drops at this point. Exiting Interstate 75 north at Exit 265 gives you a choice as to which way you want to go on Fowler Avenue. Westbound takes you to Temple Terrace and USF while eastbound takes you to US 301. Southbound Interstate 75 at Exit 265 Advance signage for Exit 265 coming up in one mile. This is an overhead at the exit for Fletcher Avenue (Exit 266). The University of South Florida and Busch Gardens is easily reached from Exit 265. Fowler Avenue is just around the corner on Interstate 75 south. Make sure you use the right lane as indicated by the Exit Only sign. Final opportunity to exit at Fowler Avenue from Interstate 75 southbound. You have a choice for Fowler Avenue from Interstate 75 southbound: Eastbound will take you to the end of Fowler Avenue at US 301, while westbound will take you to Temple Terrace and the University of South Florida. Also follow westbound Fowler Avenue to McKinley Drive, then left on McKinley Drive for Busch Gardens. Exit 266, Hillsborough County Road 582A/Fletcher Avenue Like its Fowler Avenue counterpart, Fletcher Avenue is another local highway that runs from Dale Mabry Highway to Interstate 75. East of Interstate 75 the road name changes from Fletcher Avenue to Morris Bridge Road and the highway changes orientation from an east-west to a northeast-southwest orientation. Except for a small part of Fletcher Avenue that is Florida DOT maintained as it passes under Interstate 275 (Exit 52), Fletcher Avenue is Hillsborough County maintained. Advance signage for Exit 266 which is just ahead. The right lane is not a through lane - instead, it is a dedicated entrance and exit lane as it serves northbound Interstate 75 motorists entering from Fowler Avenue and those exiting to Fletcher Avenue. Final opportunity to exit at Fletcher Avenue. Too bad Morris Bridge Road isn't signed here. Exit 270, Hillsborough County Road 581/Bruce B Downs Blvd. Another regional highway, Bruce B Downs Blvd. runs from Bearss Avenue (where the road name for Bruce B Downs changes to 56th Street) through the community of New Tampa northward to the intersection of FL 54 at Wesley Chapel. After all, New Tampa is part of the City of Tampa and there have been efforts by the community to secede from Tampa and form their own municipality like the folks over in Ruskin are trying to do. New Tampa is a community within itself, boasting a movie theater and various shopping strip malls, not to mention plenty of residences. Construction is underway (as of 2007) to build a dedicated flyover ramp from southbound Bruce B Downs Blvd. to southbound Interstate 75 to help with traffic flow, especially on the morning commute when most residents are commuting to jobs in downtown Tampa or elsewhere. Exit 270 is coming up in one mile on Interstate 75 northbound. Advance signage for Exit 270 which is just ahead. Notice the missing exit number tab as well as a dedicated right lane for the exit. Final opportunity for Exit 270, Bruce B Downs Blvd. Upcoming mileage for FL 54 as well as Zephyrhills and Ocala. Southbound Interstate 75 at Exit 270 Bruce B Downs Blvd is coming up in three miles just after Interstate 275. Also notice that Temple Terrace is 10 miles ahead using Fowler Avenue (Exit 265) while Naples - being the next control city after Tampa on Interstate 75 south and this is the second mention (the very first mention of Naples was before FL 56 (Exit 275)) - is 172 miles ahead. Exit 270 is coming up in one mile on Interstate 75 southbound. You can reach the VA Hospital here at Exit 270. Simply proceed south on Bruce B Downs Blvd. for about five miles until you pass Fletcher Avenue; the University of South Florida main Tampa campus will be on your left and the hospital will be on your right (in fact, there is a pedestrian bridge connecting both USF and the VA hospital and you cannot miss it). Final opportunity for Exit 270, Bruce B Downs Blvd., on Interstate 75 southbound. Just before you cross the bridge over Bruce B Downs Blvd. construction is underway on the flyover ramp from westbound Bruce B Downs Blvd. to southbound Interstate 75. The flyover ramp is scheduled for completion in Spring of 2009 according to the Florida DOT's Tampa Bay Interstates site. This flyover ramp will give motorists a free flow transition from westbound Bruce B Downs Blvd. to southbound Interstate 75 without having to wait at the traffic light, which will be a benefit for commuters who live in New Tampa and commute to downtown Tampa. Northbound on Bruce B Downs Blvd. as we go under Interstate 75. Notice Ocala being the next control city for Interstate 75 north. Mileage signage for the next exit, Fletcher Avenue (Exit 266), as well as Brandon (15 miles at FL 60 (Exit 257) and Naples (167 miles ahead). This is after you pass the Bruce B Downs exit. Exit 274, Interstate 275 southbound to Tampa and St. Petersburg This is the northern terminus of Interstate 275 and is only accessible to southbound Interstate 75 travelers. Unlike Interstate 275's southern terminus at Exit 228, there is no access to southbound Interstate 275 from northbound Interstate 75; instead, motorists must make a legal U-turn at Exit 275, FL 56 in order to access Interstate 275 southbound from Interstate 75 northbound. When the interchange was constructed in 1982 the overpass carrying County Line Road was completely reconstructed to allow for the main travel lanes of Interstate 75 as well as the northbound Interstate 275 ramp onto Interstate 75. More coverage of the northern terminus of Interstate 275 at Interstate 75 (Exit 274) can be found at our Interstate 275 Tampa section of Interstate275Florida.com. Exit 275, FL 56 to Land-O-Lakes and Tarpon Springs Recently constructed in 2001, FL 56 is a new highway that connects FL 54 with FL 581. At its western terminus with FL 54 one can proceed west and access the Suncoast Parkway as well as the Trinity communities (a new housing development in Pasco County straddling the Pasco-Pinellas county line) and Tarpon Springs, a city known for its Greek culture and heritage that has been around for a long time located in northern Pinellas County. In fact, you will enjoy browsing in the shops that line Dodecanese Blvd located north of downtown Tarpon Springs just before the Anclote River west of US Alternate 19; it makes for a great day trip! Once FL 56 was constructed the section of FL 54 from the terminus at FL 56 to FL 581 in Wesley Chapel just east of Interstate 75 was turned over from Florida DOT maintenance to Pasco County maintenance. At the same time, FL 581 from FL 54 to FL 56 used to be Pasco County Road 581 and that segment was turned over from Pasco County maintenance to Florida DOT maintenance. Already development is sprouting around FL 56 in the vicinity of Interstate 75. I believe a shopping mall is being planned in this general vicinity that will be the booster for future development in years to come. After all, what used to be wooded areas in Florida is giving way to development in leaps and bounds. Advance signage for Exit 275, FL 56. Notice that traffic in the right lane (which is traffic coming from Interstate 275 northbound) will have to exit. You can also reach New Port Richey from Exit 275 by heading west on FL 56 and FL 54 to US 19. Final opportunity to exit at Exit 275, FL 56. Exit 279, FL 54 and Pasco County Road 54 to Zephyrhills and Wesley Chapel Now that we are on the original Interstate 75 built in the 1960's, FL 54 is a highway that runs from US 19 north of Holiday to Zephyrhills. Originally constructed as a two-lane highway, FL 54 from US 19 to FL 56 was widened from two lanes to four and six lanes each direction (in fact, there is a section of FL 54 being widened as of February 2006). If you are wondering why you see two shields, one for FL 54 and one for Pasco County Road 54, here is an explanation of why this came to be. Back in its heydays, FL 54 was a continuous state highway but when the neighboring FL 56 was built, apparently a trade-off of maintenance jurisdictions occurred where FL 54 from FL 56 to FL 581 in Wesley Chapel was turned over from Florida DOT maintenance to Pasco County maintenance, where FL 581 - previously Pasco County Road 581 - was turned over from Pasco County maintenance to Florida DOT maintenance. The segment south of FL 56 continues south as Pasco County Road 581 to the Hillsborough county line at County Line Road where the road number stays the same but it also picks up the Bruce B Downs Blvd name as it makes it way through New Tampa. Exit 279, FL 54 and Pasco County Road 54. Notice the two shields as explained in the above paragraph. Reassurance shield for Interstate 75 north just north of Exit 279. FL 52 is 5 miles ahead, while Ocala is another 75 miles away. Exit 285, FL 52 to Dade City and San Antonio (Florida, that is) FL 52 is another state highway that basically parallels FL 54 from US 19 in New Port Richey to Dade City. San Antonio is a little community on FL 52 east of Interstate 75. Mostly two lanes for the good part of the route, FL 52 is six and four lanes from US 19 to the Suncoast Parkway; from there FL 52 goes into two lanes for the remainder of the route. Exit 285 is coming up in one mile. You can reach Saint Leo University as well as Pasco-Hernando Community College on FL 52 east. Final opportunity for Exit 285, FL 52. Exit 293, Pasco County Road 41 to Dade City Another one of these back roads as we head further north on Interstate 75, Pasco County Road 41 runs southeast to Dade City while westbound the road turns into a northbound road and terminates at FL 50/US 98 east of Brooksville in Hernando County. The section from Interstate 75 to Dade City is a good scenic highway. Advance signage for Exit 293 in one mile. Final opportunity for Exit 293. Notice that the ramp speed is lowered to 25 mph due to the design of the ramp, which is a circular right turn ramp like Interstate 275's Exit 26B, 54th Avenue North. US 98 and FL 50 is 7 miles ahead, while Ocala is 61 miles and Gainesville is 99 miles away. Exit 301, FL 50 and US 98 to Orlando and Brooksville FL 50 is a cross state highway from US 19 at Weeki Wachee on the west coast to Titusville on the east coast, while US 98 is a US highway entering Florida from Alabama just west of Pensacola running all the way to West Palm Beach. It is possible to use FL 50 to reach Orlando as a good alternate route to Interstate 4; however, I would recommend it during the daytime hours as this stretch of FL 50 is a two lane highway from where it splits off from US 98 all the way to the Florida Turnpike. Word To The Wise: As you pass through the town of Groveland on FL 50 on your way to Orlando or vice versa, you may want to check your speed as strict enforcement reigns in this little town. Advance signage for Exit 301, FL 50 and US 98 coming up in one mile. Notice that the word "mile" on the bottom of the sign is in lower case than the standard upper case by MUTCD standard. You can reach Ridge Manor (a small community just east of Interstate 75) as well as Weeki Wachee including the tourist attraction of the same name on FL 50. A tourist information center is also located here as well. Final opportunity for Exit 301. FL 48 is 11 miles ahead while Ocala is just another 53 miles away. Exit 309, Sumter County Road 476 to Webster Another one of these county back roads as we head away from the Tampa Bay area on Interstate 75 north, Sumter County Road 476 takes motorists to the community of Webster at the intersection of US 301. The Florida National Cemetery is also reached at this exit by heading west (actually, the road turns north after the interchange). Advance signage for Exit 309 coming up in 1/4 of a mile. Signage for the Florida National Cemetery at Exit 309. Final opportunity for Exit 309. Like its counterpart at Exit 293 the ramp speed is lowered due to the configuration of the exit ramp. The Overpasses of Interstate 75 Interstate 75 has so many overpasses that I can't showcase all of them here, but I have selected a few for your viewing enjoyment. These overpasses usually carry a minor highway over Interstate 75 but the construction of a full interchange is not justified, mainly because of the low amount of traffic the minor road carries. Upgrading from an overpass-only to a full interchange is not an easy task. After the feasibility studies are conducted (usually by a consultant retained by the Florida DOT) and the results show that an upgrade to a full interchange is recommended, then it has to be designed and taken through the standard review processes like any other engineering project. Once the design is completed work cannot begin on the conversion to an interchange yet - since this is federal interstate highway you are playing with the design has to be submitted to the US DOT's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) as an Interchange Modification Report (IMR). The IMR is usually prepared by the design consultant as part of the interchange design package. Once the FHWA gives its favorable blessing on the IMR then bids can be solicited from contractors for the conversion to full interchange following standard procedures. Secondly, upgrading from an overpass-only to a full interchange can get expensive, as additional land has to be acquired in the vicinity of the overpass to allow for construction of the ramps. Also take into account if the existing overpass will have to be replaced based on the age and the condition of the structure plus some evening work by the contractor when new overpass beams have to be set requiring a temporary interruption of traffic on the mainline interstate highway as well as relocation of other existing minor roads within the immediate vicinity of the overpass being converted. No matter why there has to be a very good justification for a road to go from overpass only to a full interchange! Presently, to my knowledge there are no plans to upgrade any of these overpasses shown below in the future. Let's take a look at not only one but two overpasses in detail, which is Overpass Road just north of Exit 279 in Pasco County and Lockhart Road south of Exit 301 in Hernando County. It will give you a basic idea of what Interstate 75 looks like from the top as you travel across it on an overpass. Then we'll take a perspective look at the other overpasses as seen from Interstate 75 northbound. Overpass Road - North of Exit 279 in Pasco County Just north of Exit 279 is Overpass Road, which is so named as it used to be a dirt road in its earlier heydays with the exception of the paved sections flanking either side of the interstate. Overpass Road has now been paved allowing for all weather travel, as a dirt road can get very inconvenient when it rains! Looking at Interstate 75 south from Overpass Road. Overpass Road as it crosses Interstate 75. The terminus of the overpass bridge railing with the legend "Interstate Route 75". The 140052 number is a Florida DOT bridge inventory number as all bridges in Florida have an inventory number for tracking purposes such as maintenance, etc. Perspective of Overpass Road from Interstate 75 northbound. Lockhart Road - south of Exit 301 in Hernando County Lockhart Road as seen on northbound Interstate 75. The terminus of the overpass bridge railing with the legend "Interstate Route 75". The 080920 number is a Florida DOT bridge inventory number. The terminus of the overpass bridge railing directly across the street on Lockhart Road showing the year the overpass was built along with this section of Interstate 75, 1965. Interstate 75 as it goes under Lockhart Road. Notice how diagonal the bridge piers are in relation to the highway below. Looking north on Interstate 75 from Lockhart Road: At the beginning of the overpass and at the center of Interstate 75. A view of the northbound lanes of Interstate 75 from Lockhart Road. Lockhart Road looking north as it crosses Interstate 75. A view of the expansion joint on the Lockhart Road overpass. The center of the median of Interstate 75 is directly below. Church Road - midway between Exit 293 in Pasco County and Exit 301 in Hernando County Church Road as seen from Interstate 75 northbound. Church Road as seen from Interstate 75 southbound. Westbound on Church Road as we cross Interstate 75. Other overpasses on Interstate 75 Buckeye Road - north of Exit 229 in Manatee County. Darby Road - north of Exit 285 in Pasco County. A view of Interstate 75 southbound looking from the Darby Road overpass. St. Joe Road - just north of Darby Road in Pasco County and halfway between Exit 285 and Exit 293. |
This site was last updated 04/29/07