State Road 972 (Florida)
Encyclopedia
State Road 972, part of the historic road Coral Way
, is a short east–west divided highway entirely within the city of Miami, Florida
, USA. Its current western terminus is Douglas Road (Southwest 37th Avenue); its eastern terminus is U.S. Route 1 (SR 5
) in the Brickell area of Miami. Although it has had the FDOT designation as a State Road only since 1980 (and as State Road 956 until 1983), Coral Way has been an important route for Miami for much longer: it was a main street for the short-lived city of Silver Bluff, which merged with Miami in 1926.
Currently SR 972 is routed on Southwest 22nd Street from Douglas Road to Southwest 12th Avenue (SR 933
) in the Five Points neighborhood, then on Southwest 3rd Avenue between Southwest 12th Avenue and Southwest 13th Street, and on Southwest 13th Street between Southwest 3rd Avenue and Brickell Avenue (US 1).
In addition to being a major artery, SR 972 is noted for its spreading banyan
trees in the median throughout much of its length, with arching branches with aerial roots extending from sidewalk to sidewalk.
(U.S. Route 1) in the downtown Miami Financial District. It is Southeast 13th Street (SR 972
) from Biscayne Boulevard west for one block until it crosses Miami Avenue, where it becomes Southwest 13th Street.
It is a 2-lane dual direction main road in downtown Miami from Brickell Avenue until it crosses Broadway (SW 15th Road) and curves to the southwest as is goes under I-95
. At this point it becomes a 4-lane divided road (Southwest 3rd Avenue) with many old ficus
and banyan
trees in its median
. This is where the historical scenic drive of Coral Way begins, with a sign marking this.
It continues southwest through the city of Miami as Southwest 3rd Avenue until it curves due west and becomes Southwest 22nd Street.
It continues west through the city of Miami until it crosses Douglas Road (Southwest 37th Avenue) and enters the city of Coral Gables
. This is the western terminus of SR 972.
For half a mile (between Douglas Road and LeJeune Road or Southwest 42nd Avenue) it is the major east–west road through downtown Coral Gables and is known also as Miracle Mile
. It is still divided by a median, although along this stretch the median has large date palm trees and flower beds.
After crossing LeJeune Road, it is one-way westbound for two blocks until crossing Segovia Street, where it is again two-way, but without a median.
After crossing Segovia Street, it borders the Granada Golf Course for two blocks until it enters a residential area after crossing South Greenway Drive/Anderson Road. From this point west it is covered by large oak, mahogany
and other hardwood
trees which form a natural canopy
from each side of the road.
It continues west through the city of Coral Gables with its natural tree canopy until it crosses Red Road
(Southwest 57th Avenue) and emerges into unincorporated Miami-Dade County as Coral Way and Southwest 24th Street.
It continues west as SW 24th Street through Miami-Dade County until a short distance after crossing the Florida Turnpike (after Southwest 117th Avenue) where it curves slightly farther south and becomes Southwest 26th Street.
It continues west through Miami-Dade County as SW 26th Street until its western terminus at Southwest 157th Avenue.
Originally, SR 972 extended seven miles (11 km) further west along Southwest 24th Street to Southwest 107th Avenue (SR 985
), near Tamiami Park
and Florida International University
. A series of truncations started in the late 1990s, first moving the western terminus two miles (3 km) eastward to SR 973
(Galloway Road/Southwest 87th Avenue), then another 4.5 miles (7.2 km) to SR 953
(LeJeune Road) in Coral Gables
-- the exit signs on the Palmetto Expressway
were replaced with ones without the State Road designation in 2001—and, at the request of businesses along the Miracle Mile
stretch of Coral Way, a final move of the western terminus one-half mile to its current location. Ironically, the final move re-established SR 972 on the original, pre-1926 configuration of Coral Way (many commercially-prepared maps still show an intersection with LeJeune Road as the western terminus).
In the years after the merger of Silver Bluff and Miami, Coral Way has been extended many times. Westward from SR 972, it now travels along Southwest 24th Street (Miracle Mile in eastern Coral Gables) until after passing under Florida's Turnpike
, rounding a gentle chicane, and following Southwest 26th Street until its current terminus just west of Southwest 162nd Avenue. Although the newer sections of Coral Way west of Coral Gables do not have the scenery or the history of the current SR 972, they form an extremely important commercial link for Miami-Dade County
.
Coral Way
Coral Way is a primarily east-west street that begins in the Brickell neighborhood of Downtown, Miami, Florida, United States, ending in Westchester.-Route description:...
, is a short east–west divided highway entirely within the city of Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, USA. Its current western terminus is Douglas Road (Southwest 37th Avenue); its eastern terminus is 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 the Brickell area of Miami. Although it has had the FDOT designation as a State Road only since 1980 (and as State Road 956 until 1983), Coral Way has been an important route for Miami for much longer: it was a main street for the short-lived city of Silver Bluff, which merged with Miami in 1926.
Currently SR 972 is routed on Southwest 22nd Street from Douglas Road to Southwest 12th Avenue (SR 933
State Road 933 (Florida)
State Road 933, locally known as Southwest 12th Avenue, Northwest 12th Avenue, and Ronald W. Reagan Avenue, is a 4.25-mile-long north–south street entirely within the city limits of Miami, Florida...
) in the Five Points neighborhood, then on Southwest 3rd Avenue between Southwest 12th Avenue and Southwest 13th Street, and on Southwest 13th Street between Southwest 3rd Avenue and Brickell Avenue (US 1).
In addition to being a major artery, SR 972 is noted for its spreading banyan
Banyan
A banyan is a fig that starts its life as an epiphyte when its seeds germinate in the cracks and crevices on a host tree...
trees in the median throughout much of its length, with arching branches with aerial roots extending from sidewalk to sidewalk.
Route description
The eastern terminus is at Brickell AvenueBrickell Avenue
Brickell Avenue is the name given to the stretch of U.S. Route 1 in Miami, Florida just south of the Miami River. North of the Brickell Avenue Bridge, US Route 1 is known as Biscayne Boulevard...
(U.S. Route 1) in the downtown Miami Financial District. It is Southeast 13th Street (SR 972
State Road 972 (Florida)
State Road 972, part of the historic road Coral Way, is a short east–west divided highway entirely within the city of Miami, Florida, USA. Its current western terminus is Douglas Road ; its eastern terminus is U.S. Route 1 in the Brickell area of Miami...
) from Biscayne Boulevard west for one block until it crosses Miami Avenue, where it becomes Southwest 13th Street.
It is a 2-lane dual direction main road in downtown Miami from Brickell Avenue until it crosses Broadway (SW 15th Road) and curves to the southwest as is goes under I-95
Interstate 95 in Florida
Interstate 95 is the main Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States; it serves the Atlantic coast of Florida. It begins at a partial interchange with U.S. Highway 1 just south of downtown Miami, and heads north past Daytona Beach and Jacksonville to the Georgia state line at the St...
. At this point it becomes a 4-lane divided road (Southwest 3rd Avenue) with many old ficus
Ficus
Ficus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
and banyan
Banyan
A banyan is a fig that starts its life as an epiphyte when its seeds germinate in the cracks and crevices on a host tree...
trees in its median
Median
In probability theory and statistics, a median is described as the numerical value separating the higher half of a sample, a population, or a probability distribution, from the lower half. The median of a finite list of numbers can be found by arranging all the observations from lowest value to...
. This is where the historical scenic drive of Coral Way begins, with a sign marking this.
It continues southwest through the city of Miami as Southwest 3rd Avenue until it curves due west and becomes Southwest 22nd Street.
It continues west through the city of Miami until it crosses Douglas Road (Southwest 37th Avenue) and enters the city of Coral Gables
Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami, in the United States. The city is home to the University of Miami....
. This is the western terminus of SR 972.
For half a mile (between Douglas Road and LeJeune Road or Southwest 42nd Avenue) it is the major east–west road through downtown Coral Gables and is known also as Miracle Mile
Miracle Mile (Coral Gables)
Miracle Mile is a section of Coral Way between Douglas Road and LeJeune Road in the city of Coral Gables, Florida, United States...
. It is still divided by a median, although along this stretch the median has large date palm trees and flower beds.
After crossing LeJeune Road, it is one-way westbound for two blocks until crossing Segovia Street, where it is again two-way, but without a median.
After crossing Segovia Street, it borders the Granada Golf Course for two blocks until it enters a residential area after crossing South Greenway Drive/Anderson Road. From this point west it is covered by large oak, mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
and other hardwood
Hardwood
Hardwood is wood from angiosperm trees . It may also be used for those trees themselves: these are usually broad-leaved; in temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen.Hardwood contrasts with softwood...
trees which form a natural canopy
Canopy (forest)
In biology, the canopy is the aboveground portion of a plant community or crop, formed by plant crowns.For forests, canopy also refers to the upper layer or habitat zone, formed by mature tree crowns and including other biological organisms .Sometimes the term canopy is used to refer to the extent...
from each side of the road.
It continues west through the city of Coral Gables with its natural tree canopy until it crosses Red Road
Red Road (Miami)
Red Road, also known as West 57th Avenue, is a north-south street that runs west of downtown Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida and into Broward County. Red Road is signed as State Road 959 from U.S. 1 to the Dolphin Expressway, and State Road 823 from U.S...
(Southwest 57th Avenue) and emerges into unincorporated Miami-Dade County as Coral Way and Southwest 24th Street.
It continues west as SW 24th Street through Miami-Dade County until a short distance after crossing the Florida Turnpike (after Southwest 117th Avenue) where it curves slightly farther south and becomes Southwest 26th Street.
It continues west through Miami-Dade County as SW 26th Street until its western terminus at Southwest 157th Avenue.
History
The Coral Way Corridor was built in 1922, connecting the city of Miami to Coral Gables with citrus lined streets. A few years later streetcar tracks were laid down the middle. In 1929 a roadside beautification program was started and 1200 banyan trees were planted along it.Originally, SR 972 extended seven miles (11 km) further west along Southwest 24th Street to Southwest 107th Avenue (SR 985
State Road 985 (Florida)
State Road 985, locally known as West 107th Avenue, FIU Avenue, and Avenue of the Americas, is a -long north–south street in western Miami-Dade County, Florida, serving the communities of Kendall, University Park, Sweetwater, and Doral....
), near Tamiami Park
Tamiami Park
Tamiami Park is a public urban park in metropolitan Miami, just south of the Modesto Maidique campus of Florida International University.-Background:...
and Florida International University
Florida International University
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
. A series of truncations started in the late 1990s, first moving the western terminus two miles (3 km) eastward to SR 973
State Road 973 (Florida)
State Road 973, locally known as Galloway Road and Southwest or Northwest 87th Avenue, is a long north–south street connecting U.S. Route 1 in Pinecrest with the Dolphin Expressway in Doral...
(Galloway Road/Southwest 87th Avenue), then another 4.5 miles (7.2 km) to SR 953
State Road 953 (Florida)
State Road 953 - locally known as LeJeune Road , West 42nd Avenue, Southeast 8th Avenue, and East 8th Avenue - is a long north–south street in Miami-Dade County, Florida, and running a few miles west of central Miami. Its southern terminus is an intersection with U.S. Route 1 in Coral...
(LeJeune Road) in Coral Gables
Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami, in the United States. The city is home to the University of Miami....
-- the exit signs on the Palmetto Expressway
State Road 826 (Florida)
State Road 826, also known as the Palmetto Expressway, is a bypass route around the greater Miami area, extending from U.S. Route 1 in Pinecrest, going through the inner Miami suburbs in a north-east semicircle to the Golden Glades Interchange, reverting to a surface street to its terminus at...
were replaced with ones without the State Road designation in 2001—and, at the request of businesses along the Miracle Mile
Miracle Mile
-Places in the United States:*Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, California, a district of Los Angeles*Miracle Mile , New York, a premium shopping district on the North Shore of Long Island*Miracle Mile , a shopping area in Coral Gables, Florida...
stretch of Coral Way, a final move of the western terminus one-half mile to its current location. Ironically, the final move re-established SR 972 on the original, pre-1926 configuration of Coral Way (many commercially-prepared maps still show an intersection with LeJeune Road as the western terminus).
In the years after the merger of Silver Bluff and Miami, Coral Way has been extended many times. Westward from SR 972, it now travels along Southwest 24th Street (Miracle Mile in eastern Coral Gables) until after passing under Florida's Turnpike
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...
, rounding a gentle chicane, and following Southwest 26th Street until its current terminus just west of Southwest 162nd Avenue. Although the newer sections of Coral Way west of Coral Gables do not have the scenery or the history of the current SR 972, they form an extremely important commercial link for Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
.