Alligator Alley
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| Everglades Parkway | |
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| Route information | |
| Maintained by FDOT | |
| Length: | 84.28 mi[1] (135.64 km) |
| Existed: | 1969 – present |
| Major junctions | |
| West end: |  CR 951 near East Naples |
 SR 29 near Immokalee |
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| East end: |  US 27 in Weston |
| Highway system | |
Alligator Alley (also known as Everglades Parkway[2]) is a section of Interstate 75 (State Road 93) and State Road 84 extending from Naples on the west coast of Florida to Weston on the east. First opened in 1969,[3] most of the highway traverses the Everglades.
The name was given by the American Automobile Association during planning; they believed it would be useless to cars, merely an "alley for alligators". However, as alligators often frequent the waterways beside the road, and occasionally the road itself, the nickname has developed a somewhat literal meaning.
Contents |
Route description [edit]
Alligator Alley itself is currently the portion of Interstate 75 that carries the hidden designation of Florida State Road 84. SR 84 is picked up at the east point at Exit 22, after straddling I-595 and I-75 as a frontage road for about 14.4 miles (23.2 km) prior. It then continues across rural Broward and Collier Counties, passing the lands of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, until letting go of SR 84 at Exit 101 in Naples.
Currently, automobile drivers pay a $3.00 toll ($2.75 for SunPass users) both eastbound and westbound, and it is one of only three tolled sections of Interstate 75. There are two exits along the roadway, neither of which charges a toll to enter or exit the highway.
History [edit]
It was originally built by H. L. Mills Construction Company as a two-lane tollway connecting the two coasts of Florida, as a part of State Road 84 (which is currently the hidden designation of the highway). After it was determined that I-75 was using this route for the Tampa-Miami extension instead of the Tamiami Trail in 1973, it was widened to four lanes between 1986 and 1992, with many bridges designed to let water and wildlife pass underneath.[4] This helped to reduce the environmental impact of the highway somewhat, especially upon the severely endangered Florida panther, as well as reducing the danger of the highway, which was notorious for high-speed accidents.
A state effort to privatize Alligator Alley failed in May 2009 when no bids were received for the highway that met the required terms.[5]
In January 2000, the west end toll plaza of Alligator Alley was dedicated to the memory of Edward J. Beck, a toll taker who was murdered while on the job, January 30, 1974.
Rest areas [edit]
- Broward County – Rest Area half-way between Exits 23 & 49 at mile marker 35. BSO Fire Station 106 is located next to the rest area.
- Collier County – Rest Area half-way between Exits 49 & 80 at mile marker 63
Exit list [edit]
Note: Mileage is based on I-75 mileage.
| County | Location[6] | Mile[7] | km | Old exit | New exit | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collier |
101.284 | 163.001 | 15 | 101 |  CR 951 (Collier Boulevard) to SR 84 – Naples, Marco Island |
Northern terminus of Alligator Alley | |
| Toll Plaza ($3.00 southbound, $2.75 with SunPass) | |||||||
| 80.048 | 128.825 | 14A | 80 | SR 29 – Immokalee |
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| Collier County rest area | |||||||
| Broward |
Miccosukee Indian Reservation | 49.4284 | 79.5473 | 14 | 49 |  CR 833 (Snake Road) |
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| Broward County rest area | |||||||
| Toll Plaza ($3.00 northbound, $2.75 with SunPass) | |||||||
| Weston | 23.494 | 37.810 | 13 | 23 | US 27 – Miami, South Bay |
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| 22.064 | 35.509 | 12 | 22 | Glades Parkway | |||
| 21.119 | 33.988 | 11 | 21 | SR 84 (Indian Trace) |
Northbound only | ||
| Sunrise | 17.379 | 27.969 | 10 | 19 |   I-595 east (Port Everglades Expressway) / SR 869 north (Sawgrass Expressway) – Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, West Palm Beach |
Southern terminus of Alligator Alley | |
References [edit]
| KML file (edit) |
- ^ "National Highway Planning Network GIS data". FHWA. version 2005.08. Archived from the original on July 01 2007. Retrieved July 9, 2007.
- ^ "Alligator Alley Story. Taken from Alligator Alley by August Burghard". Retrieved June 25, 2012.
- ^ "South Florida Roads". Archived from the original on November 8, 2004. Retrieved July 3, 2006.
- ^ "It Will Be 7 Years Before Highway Network Is A Reality". Sarasota Herald-Tribune April 2, 1973: 9A
- ^ Wayne, Leslie (June 5, 2009). "Politics and the Financial Crisis Slow the Drive to Privatize". New York Times. Archived from the original on June 09 2009. Retrieved June 4, 2009.
- ^ Staff. "2009 Boundary and Annexation Survey Maps". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved June 4, 2009.
- ^ Staff. "FDOT Interchange Report" (PDF). Florida Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 4, 2007.
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