State Road 589 (Florida)
Encyclopedia
The Veterans Expressway and Suncoast Parkway (State Road 589) is a north–south 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...

 near 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...

 Gulf Coast. Maintained and operated by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise
Florida's Turnpike
Florida's Turnpike , designated as the Ronald Reagan Turnpike, and originally known as the Sunshine State Parkway is a north–south toll road that runs through 11 counties in the Florida peninsula, from U.S...

, this 57 miles (91.7 km) transportation corridor extends from State Road 60
State Road 60 (Florida)
State Road 60 is an east–west route transversing Florida from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. The western terminus of SR 60 is at the Sunsets at Pier 60 in Clearwater...

 in 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....

, north to U.S. Route 98
U.S. Route 98 in Florida
U.S. Route 98 is an east-west United States highway that runs from western Mississippi to southern Florida. It was established in 1933 as a route between Pensacola, Florida and Apalachicola, Florida, and has since been extended eastward across the Florida Peninsula and westward into Mississippi...

 near Chassahowitzka. The Veterans Expressway was built to accommodate the increasing commuter traffic in the 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....

-St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...

 metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...

, with the Suncoast Parkway opening in 2001, extending from near the northern terminus of the Veterans Expressway to US Route 98, with a possible northern extension to U.S. Route 19
U.S. Route 19 in Florida
U.S. Route 19 in Florida runs along Florida's west coast from an interchange with U.S. Route 41 in Memphis, Florida, south of Tampa, and continues to the Georgia border north of Monticello, Florida....

/U.S. Route 98 in Crystal River
Crystal River, Florida
Crystal River is a city in Citrus County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,485 at the 2000 census. . According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city had a population of 3,539. The city was incorporated in 1903 and is the self professed "Home of the Manatee"....

 in Citrus County in the planning and development stages.

Veterans Expressway

The Veterans Expressway extends 15 miles (24.1 km) from State Road 60
State Road 60 (Florida)
State Road 60 is an east–west route transversing Florida from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. The western terminus of SR 60 is at the Sunsets at Pier 60 in Clearwater...

 (the Courtney Campbell Causeway) west of Tampa International Airport
Tampa International Airport
Tampa International Airport is a major public airport located six nautical miles west of the central business district of Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. This airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority...

 to State Road 597 (Dale Mabry Highway) in northern Hillsborough County
Hillsborough County, Florida
As of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...

. The southern two miles (3 km), between Courtney Campbell Causeway and Hillsborough Avenue (on the west side of Tampa International Airport), upgraded Eisenhower Boulevard to expressway standards with frontage roads and is not tolled. North of Hillsborough Avenue, the remaining 13 miles (20.9 km) are tolled.
Between Courtney Campbell Causeway and Dale Mabry Highway, intermediate interchanges
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...

 are provided at Independence Parkway, Memorial Highway, Hillsborough Avenue, Waters Avenue, Anderson Road, Linebaugh Avenue/Wilsky Boulevard, Gunn Highway, Erlich Road, Hutchison Road and Van Dyke Road. There are two mainline barrier plazas (Anderson and Sugarwood) and six ramp plazas. The "N minus 1" formula is used for truck toll rate schedule.

Suncoast Parkway

The 42-mile-long Suncoast Parkway (SR 589) proceeds north from the Veterans Expressway to US 98 in Hernando County, 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...

, near Chassahowitzka. Drivers of automobiles traveling the entire length of the Suncoast Parkway pay $3.00 US toll.

The Suncoast Parkway is the first Florida's Turnpike Enterprise
Florida's Turnpike
Florida's Turnpike , designated as the Ronald Reagan Turnpike, and originally known as the Sunshine State Parkway is a north–south toll road that runs through 11 counties in the Florida peninsula, from U.S...

 toll road to feature open road tolling
Open road tolling
Open road tolling or free-flow tolling is the collection of tolls on toll roads without the use of toll booths. An electronic toll collection system is usually used instead. The major advantage to ORT is that users are able to drive through the toll plaza at highway speeds without having to slow...

. The three mainline toll plazas on the Suncoast Parkway feature bypasses where those paying cash remain on the mainline and stop at the toll plaza while those with Sunpass
SunPass
SunPass is an electronic toll collection system in use by the State of Florida and was originally created by the Florida Department of Transportation's Florida's Turnpike...

 or related transponders exit the mainline roadway, bypass the toll plaza and then re-enter the mainline. This differs from other open road tolling
Open road tolling
Open road tolling or free-flow tolling is the collection of tolls on toll roads without the use of toll booths. An electronic toll collection system is usually used instead. The major advantage to ORT is that users are able to drive through the toll plaza at highway speeds without having to slow...

 locations in Florida where transponder users remain on the mainline and bypass toll booths built to the side.

Suncoast Trail

As part of the Suncoast Parkway project, a multi-use paved recreational trail called the Suncoast Trail, was constructed parallel to the western side of the highway, and opened along with the Parkway itself in 2001. The trail begins at Lutz-Lake Fern Road (Exit 16), and continues north for 41 miles to the highway's terminus at US 98. Four miles north of State Road 54, an additional 6.5 mile paved bicycle trail connects the Suncoast Trail to the J.B. Starkey Wilderness Park in New Port Richey. Use of the Suncoast Trail is free, but in late 2010, a $2.00 parking fee was implemented at the Lutz-Lake Fern (Hillsborough County) and State Route 54 (Pasco County) trailheads. Both counties offer annual passes, which are valid only within the county of issue. Motor vehicles are prohibited along the entire trail.
For most of its length, the Suncoast Trail stays close to the parkway, separated by fences, grass, and in some places concrete barriers. Bridges that cross rivers and streams were built with enough width to accommodate trail users. Where roads cross above the Parkway, particularly north of State Road 52, the trail briefly strays from the parkway, allowing users to cross the intersecting road at-grade.

Pedestrian/cyclist crossing of minor cross streets is regulated by posted signs. At busier intersections, pedestrian crossing signals are part of the traffic signal systems already in place. The notable exception is at the State Road 50 interchange near Brooksville
Brooksville, Florida
Brooksville is an incorporated city in Hernando County, Florida, in the United States. It is the county seat of Hernando County. It is a suburban city included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

, where a dedicated overpass has been constructed to cross State Road 50, approximately 500 feet west of the main parkway.

Veterans Expressway

The Veterans Expressway is the north-south portion of what was the Northwest Hillsborough Expressway
Northwest Hillsborough Expressway
The Northwest Hillsborough Expressway and its present-day counterpart, the East-West Road, in Tampa, Florida, have been the subject of heavy controversy since their beginnings in the 1980s...

, originally proposed in the 1960s as the northwest beltway around Tampa's outer limits. As the plans finalized, the communities along the route grew, leading to rising land costs and opposition to the expressway dividing the towns. Lutz
Lutz, Florida
Lutz is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The population was 19,344 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Lutz is located at ....

 was especially vocal, eventually rallying state politicians to cancel the expressway construction altogether. By the mid-1980s, the expressway was broken in two segments, the Veterans Expressway and the Lutz Expressway. In the early 1990s, the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority
Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority
The Tampa Hillsborough County Expressway Authority is a regional expressway authority based in Hillsborough County, Florida, which includes the city of Tampa....

 began to build the Veterans Expressway, but was depleted of funds, leading to Florida's Turnpike Enterprise
Florida's Turnpike Enterprise
Florida's Turnpike Enterprise is a business unit of the Florida Department of Transportation , employing private sector business practices to operate its 460-mile system of limited-access toll highways for the benefit of Florida's traveling public...

 purchasing the right of way using the existing design to complete construction of the expressway. State Road 589 was designated the Veterans Expressway in 1992 and was completed in October 1994.

Former sections

With the completion of the Suncoast Parkway in 2001, the stub of the Veterans Expressway from Exit 13 to Dale Mabry Highway was designated State Road 568
Florida State Road 568
Florida State Road 568 is a short stub of the Veterans Expressway in Cheval, Florida north of Tampa. The road was built in 1994, but was reassigned as SR 568 in 2001 when SR 589 moved to the new Suncoast Parkway. It connects the aforementioned SR 589 to SR 597...

.

Originally, State Road 589 was concurrent with State Road 60 between Exit 2A and Exit 1, then extended to West Spruce Street and Boy Scout Boulevard. These roads were re-designated as SR 616
State Road 616 (Florida)
State Road 616 is an east–west road consisting of two wide streets near Tampa International Airport; West Spruce Street, and Boy Scout Boulevard. It runs from the interchange with Veterans Expressway and George J. Bean Parkway to Dale Mabry Highway...

.

South of the southern terminus, SR 589 was planned to be branched off onto the West Crosstown Expressway and become part of the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway, at the Selmon Expressway's Exit 4. The West Crosstown was canceled due to a freeway revolt, and the SR 589 and SR 449 designations were eliminated from the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway.

Suncoast Parkway

Construction began on the Suncoast Parkway in 1998, and opened in 2001 in two stages at a cost of $507 million. The section from the Veterans Expressway to State Road 50 opened in February 2001 and the section from State Road 50 north to U.S. Route 98 opened in August 2001.

Reconstruction and other improvements

From its opening in 1994, the Veterans Expressway saw very little changes in its roadway configuration. When the Suncoast Parkway was constructed in 1998 (through 2001), the Van Dyke Road interchange was reconfigured.

Tampa Airport Interchanges

In August 2005, a massive reconstruction project began on the interchanges between I-275 and Memorial Highway, near Tampa International Airport
Tampa International Airport
Tampa International Airport is a major public airport located six nautical miles west of the central business district of Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. This airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority...

 after being shelved for over fifteen years. The project consisted of a four-level stack interchange
Stack interchange
A stack interchange is a free-flowing grade separated junction between two roads.In countries where one drives on the right, left turns are handled by semi-directional flyover/under ramps...

 at the Spruce St Interchange, a three-level interchange at the Courtney Campbell Causeway, and an extensive auxiliary exit ramp system stretching from Independence Pkwy to just north of I-275. The first phase, dealing with the northbound lanes to the airport was completed on March 31, 2010 at a cost of $202 million. The second phase, which upgrades the southbound lanes is currently in the early design stages and there is currently no timetable set for construction.
The project has resulted in better access from southbound Veterans Expressway to the Courtney Campbell Causeway on State Road 60, the Airport to I-275
Interstate 275 (Florida)
Interstate 275 in Florida serves the Tampa Bay metropolitan area, measuring 60.696 miles in length. The southern terminus is I-75 near Palmetto, just five miles east of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, a toll bridge crossing Tampa Bay. The highway passes through St...

 and the WestShore Business District. According to the Florida Department of Transportation, the tallest flyover is 2096 feet (638.9 m) long and 75 feet (22.9 m) high at its peak.

As of August 2007 video cameras have been added on the road every 10th of a mile down the span of the toll road.

Widening of the Veterans Expressway and Open-Road Tolling

During the course of 2006 through 2010, a study was performed on a project that would widen the Veterans Expressway to eight lanes between Memorial Highway and Van Dyke Road. In August, 2011, FDOT awarded $172 million dollars to fund widening between Gunn Hwy the Tampa Airport interchanges. The project could begin as early as summer 2012 and will coincide with a project to convert the entire stretch of the Veterans Expressway and Suncoast Parkway to Open Road Tolling, eliminating all cash collection along both thoroughfares in favor of SunPass and the "We Bill You" (Toll-by-Plate) programs. The Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway
Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway
The Lee Roy Selmon Expressway, originally known as the Southern Crosstown Expressway is a all-electronic, limited access toll road in Hillsborough County, Florida, It connects the South Tampa neighborhood near MacDill Air Force Base with Downtown Tampa and the bedroom community of Brandon...

 underwent such a conversion during the course of 2010.

Suncoast Parkway Extension

With the Suncoast Parkway extension in Citrus County
Citrus County, Florida
Citrus County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 118,085. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county was 141,416 . Its county seat is Inverness, Florida...

 still unresolved, ten different alignments, with four southern segments, twelve central segments, and one northern segment, have been brought to attention regarding the parkway's routing. Regardless of the alignment (if selected and built), the list of proposed interchanges is as follows.
Intersecting Roadway Notes
Current northern terminus. Four alignments are proposed for this interchange
Cardinal Street Four alignments are proposed for this interchange
Three alignments are proposed for this interchange
One alignment is proposed for this interchange
One alignment is proposed for this interchange


Critics of the Suncoast Parkway extension believe that such a plan would disrupt the quiet, undisturbed sections of Citrus County and bring forth more urban sprawl to the county. Furthermore, impacted residents fear that the parkway alignments come too close to their residences and will cause excessive noise and decreased property values.

The St. Petersburg Times reported on March 7, 2009 that the Suncoast Parkway extension project will be on hold indefinitely due to lower toll revenues resulting from the slow economy. The $140 million already allocated for the project will be spent on other projects and expenses instead.

Exit list

{| class=wikitable
!County
!Location
!Mile
!#
Exit number
An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit, as well as a sign in the gore....


!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=20|Hillsborough
Hillsborough County, Florida
As of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...


|rowspan=16|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....


|bgcolor=#ddffdd|
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|Southern terminus of SR 589; Roadway continues east as SR 60; southbound exit and northbound entrance
|-
|rowspan=1|
|rowspan=1|1A
| Tampa International Airport
Tampa International Airport
Tampa International Airport is a major public airport located six nautical miles west of the central business district of Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. This airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority...

 via George J Bean Parkway
|
|-
|
|1B
| – Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...


|Access to O'Brien Street is provided at both directions. Southbound (ONLY) access to Cypress Street is also provided.
|-
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|2A
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|
|bgcolor=#ddffdd|End of SR 60 concurrency
|-
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|0.700
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|2B
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|Independence Parkway
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|Northbound exit and southbound entrance (northbound exit is only accessed through central "thru" lanes. C/D lanes utilize the Memorial Highway exit)
|-
|1.042
|3
|
|
|-
|2.052
|4
|
|
|-
|4.082
|6A
|Waters Avenue
|
|-
|colspan=4 align=center|Anderson Toll Plaza ($1.00, $0.75 with SunPass)
|-
|-
|4.694
|6B
|Anderson Road
|
|-
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|5.653
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|7
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|Linebaugh Avenue West
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|Northbound exit and southbound entrance
|-
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|6.250
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|8
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|Wilsky Boulevard
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|Southbound exit and northbound entrance
|-
|7.741
|9
|
|
|-
|8.682
|10
|Ehrlich Road – Citrus Park, Northdale
Greater Northdale, Florida
Greater Northdale is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The population was 20,461 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Greater Northdale is located at ....


|
|-
|colspan=4 align=center|Sugarwood Toll Plaza ($0.75, $0.50 with SunPass)
|-
|10.606
|12
|Hutchison Road
|
|-
|rowspan=4|Cheval
Cheval, Florida
Cheval is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The population was 10,702 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Cheval is located at ....


|bgcolor=#ffdddd|12.136
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|13
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|
|bgcolor=#ffdddd|Northbound exit and southbound entrance
|-
|colspan=4 align=center|Veterans Expressway begins southbound, Suncoast Parkway begins northbound
|-
|12.814
|14
|
|
|-
|
|16
|
|Opened August 15, 2009. Suncoast Trail begins here.
|-
|rowspan=6|Pasco
Pasco County, Florida
Pasco County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 344,765. The July 1, 2007 census estimate according to the U.S. Census Bureau for the county is 462,715. Its county seat is Dade City, Florida which is in the northeast part of the county - somewhat...


|
|17.338
|19
|
|
|-
|colspan=5 align=center|Anclote Toll Plaza ($1.00)
|-
|bgcolor=#ffdead|
|bgcolor=#ffdead|
|bgcolor=#ffdead| 24
|bgcolor=#ffdead|
|bgcolor=#ffdead|
|-
|Shady Hills
Shady Hills, Florida
Shady Hills is a census-designated place in Pasco County, Florida, United States. The population was 7,798 at the 2000 census. It is in the Tampa-St...


|27.154
|27
|
|
|-
|colspan=5 align=center|Spring Hill Toll Plaza ($1.00)
|-
|rowspan=2|
|rowspan=2|35.937
|rowspan=2|37
|rowspan=2|
|rowspan=2|
|-
|rowspan=5|Hernando
Hernando County, Florida
Hernando County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 130,802. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 165,409 . Its county seat is Brooksville, Florida. The majority of the county's population is in Spring Hill, west portion of Hernando...


|-
|rowspan=2|Spring Hill
Spring Hill, Florida
Spring Hill is a census-designated place in Hernando County, Florida, United States. The estimated population was 92,144 in 2007 by the United States Census. Spring Hill belongs to Florida's Nature Coast and is in the Tampa-St...


|39.390
|41
|
|
|-
|43.148
|46
|
|
|-
|colspan=5 align=center|Oak Hammock Toll Plaza ($1.00)
|-
|
|53.648
|54
|
|
|-

External links

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