Florida State Road 826

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State Road 826 marker

State Road 826
Palmetto Expressway
North Miami Beach Boulevard
Route information
Maintained by FDOT
Length: 29.965 mi[1][2][3] (48.224 km)
24.712 miles (39.770 km) expressway section
Existed: 1945
June 1961 (freeway) – present
Major junctions
South end: US 1 in Pinecrest—Kendall
  SR 874 in Glenvar Heights—Olympia Heights
SR 836 in Fountainbleau
I-75 / SR 924 / SR 916 in Hialeah—Miami Lakes
I-95 / US 441 / SR 9 / Turnpike in Miami Gardens
US 1 in North Miami Beach—North Miami
North end: SR A1A in Sunny Isles Beach
Location
Counties: Miami-Dade
Highway system
← SR 825 SR 827 →

State Road 826 (SR 826) is a bypass route around the greater Miami area, extending approximately 30 miles (48 km) in a north-easterly arc from U.S. Route 1 in Pinecrest to its terminus at Florida State Road A1A in Sunny Isles Beach. Between its southern terminus and the Golden Glades Interchange, State Road 826 is known as the Palmetto Expressway, a heavily-travelled freeway with portions of the road carrying in excess of 250,000 vehicles a day.[2] Unlike many of the other expressways in Miami-Dade County, the Palmetto Expressway is untolled.[4][5] East of the interchange, State Road 826 is a surface road connecting North Miami and North Miami Beach to Sunny Isles Beach over the Intracoastal Waterway.[6]

Contents

Route description [edit]

Palmetto Expressway [edit]

The Palmetto Expressway northbound near Hialeah in metropolitan Miami

State Road 826 begins at an interchange with US 1 in Pinecrest, just south of the Dadeland Mall, and heads north as the Palmetto Expressway into Kendall. The first interchange, less than a mile (1.6 km) north of US 1, is with Kendall Drive, which provides access to the mall. SR 826 continues north, crossing under the Snapper Creek Expressway without an interchange before meeting SR 986 at a diamond interchange. It then leaves Kendall, continuing into Glenvar Heights, with an interchange with Southwest 56th Street/Miller Drive, which provides access to the University of Miami. About half a mile (0.8 km) later, the Don Shula Expressway merges with the Palmetto Expressway at its northern terminus, with a southbound exit and a northbound entrance point. Between this interchange and the next (at Bird Road/SR 976), SR 826 forms the border between Glenvar Heights and Olympia Heights; past it, the expressway marks the boundary between Westchester and Coral Terrace.[7] After an exit with Southwest 24th Street/Coral Way, the expressway meets the Tamiami Trail (US 41), providing access to the Florida International University. This interchange also marks the Tamiami Trail's entrance into incorporated Miami, the boundary of which lies on the eastern side of the expressway.[8]

North of the Tamiami Trail interchange, the Palmetto Expressway forms the eastern boundary of Fountainbleau as it continues north to an exit with Flagler Street, the east-west baseline for Miami-Dade County roads. The freeway then has an interchange with the Dolphin Expressway (SR 836) just south of Doral, creating access to Miami International Airport. This interchange is currently being improved due to the current configuration causing severe congestion.[9] Now forming Doral's eastern boundary,[8] SR 826 continues north to Northwest 25th Street, which connects to the western end of the airport, followed by an exit with SR 948, that links to the Doral Golf Resort & Spa, and then an exit with Northwest 58th Street. After a brief crossing through unincorporated Miami-Dade county, the expressway reaches an interchange with SR 934 in Medley adjacent to the Palmetto Metrorail station, followed by a diagonal interchange with US 27 at the southern end of Hialeah Gardens and Hialeah.[10] It then enters Hialeah proper just after an interchange with SR 932,[11] which allows access to the Westland Mall. An exit with Northwest 122nd Street then follows.

At the boundary between Hialeah and Miami Lakes, SR 826 reaches an interchange with the national southern terminus of I-75, the western terminus of the Gratigny Parkway (SR 924), and SR 916. The Palmetto Expressway goes into Miami Lakes, interchanges with Northwest 154 Street, then turns through 90 degrees to the east at a point known as "The Big Curve"[12]. The road then proceeds straight east, forming the boundary between Miami Lakes and Country Club,[13] soon interchanging with Northwest 67th Avenue. At the next exit, Red Road (SR 823), the expressway forms the boundary between an unincorporated section of Miami-Dade county and Miami Gardens, with the expressway entering the city proper at the next exit, Northwest 47th Avenue. The expressway then passes through Florida Memorial University before the Northwest 37th Avenue exit, where it creates the northeast border with St. Thomas University. Still in Miami Gardens, it has exits with Northwest 27th Avenue (SR 817), Northwest 17th Avenue and Northwest 12th Avenue before reaching the Golden Glades Interchange.

SR 826 takes a convoluted path through the Golden Glades Interchange. It first meets the connector ramps between Florida's Turnpike and Interstate 95 (I-95), allowing access from northbound SR 826 to I-95 southbound as well as US 441/SR 9 southbound, and from the Turnpike southbound and I-95 northbound to southbound SR 826. After turning to the northeast, SR 826 moves off its mainline at the next exit onto the mainline of the Turnpike which passes over it; SR 826's former mainline, meanwhile, continues on as an at-grade extension of Northwest 7th Avenue to US 441 northbound. Traffic moving from eastbound SR 826 to the northbound Turnpike must pass through an unsignalised intersection here.[2] Headed back southeast, SR 826 first crosses over the former Seaboard Coast Line railroad, begins to form the northern boundary of Golden Glades,[14] then passes under the I-95's express lanes, meeting the onramp between I-95 southbound and the Turnpike northbound, and the onramp between southbound US 441 and eastbound SR 826. It then passes over Interstate 95 proper, which lies between the southbound and northbound carriageways of US 441, as it swings back to the northeast and then to the east once more. Here it meets its last three ramps, one which allows access from US 441 and I-95 northbound to eastbound SR 826, another from westbound SR 826 to US 441 and I-95 southbound, and from westbound SR 826 to northbound US 441. SR 826 resumes its east-west orientation once more at a signalised intersection with Northwest 2nd Avenue, marking the end of SR 826's expressway.[3][15][6][16]

Non-expressway section [edit]

Northeast 163rd Street in North Miami Beach is also denoted as Florida State Road 826.

State Road 826 heads east from the Golden Glades Interchange as Northwest 167th Street, a six-laned surface road, along the boundary between Golden Glades and North Miami Beach.[17] Through here, the road is also known as North Miami Beach Boulevard, lined with shops, offices, hotels and other commercial services. Two blocks after leaving the interchange, the road crosses North Miami Avenue, the longitudinal baseline for Miami-Dade County; thus, the road becomes Northeast 167th Street once it passes this point. Approximately 0.75 miles (1.21 km) later, SR 826 intersects with Northeast 6th Avenue (SR 915). Two blocks later, at Northeast 8th Avenue, North Miami Beach Boulevard starts to swing to the southeast, leaving Northeast 167th Street's orientation, reaching Northeast 163rd street approximately 0.6 miles (0.97 km) later at Northeast 12th Avenue, and taking its eastbound orientation. It immediately passes the Mall at 163rd Street on its left, continuing on as a shopping strip for another 1.25 miles (2.01 km) where it meets the northern terminus of SR 909 at the West Dixie Highway. One block later, after crossing the Florida East Coast Railway tracks, SR 826 meets US 1 once more at Biscayne Boulevard.

To the east of US 1, SR 826's character changes as it passes through mangroves and crosses the Oleta River, having expanded to eight lanes. With North Miami Beach lying on the left and North Miami to its right,[18], SR 826 passes between more mangroves to its south and more businesses to the north as it approaches the Intracoastal Waterway. Here, the road splits into separate eastbound and westbound streets before it crosses the Waterway over a drawbridge in each direction,[19] and enters Sunny Isles Beach. Apartment buildings line the outside of the two road-halves, with some commercial services in the middle, as it continues on for another 0.36 miles (0.58 km) to SR 826's northern terminus at SR A1A, one block shy of the Atlantic Ocean. A flyover allows traffic on northbound SR A1A to move onto westbound SR 826 without having to stop twice for eastbound SR 826 traffic and to cross SR A1A.[3][15][16][18]

History [edit]

Wikisource has original text related to this article:
The Palmetto Expressway southbound at the SR 948 interchange near Doral

State Road 826's designation originally applied to a two-lane road (Golden Glades Drive, Northwest 167th Street) connecting US 1 in North Miami Beach to US 27 to the west.

In 1956, plans were unveiled for several expressways throughout Dade County. The routes proposed were a North-South Expressway (now part of I-95), an East-West Expressway (now the Dolphin Expressway), a 36th Street Expressway (now the Airport Expressway), the Biscayne Bay Malecon (a proposed downtown loop, never built), a Dixie Expressway (proposed; most was never built, a portion became I-95), and the Palmetto Road Expressway.[20] In 1957, Dade County Commissioner Ralph Fossey proposed an alternative alignment of the Palmetto Expressway. The new alignment would begin at Miller Road (Southwest 56th Street) and then turn southwesterly to follow the Seaboard Coast Line railroad tracks for about ten miles. The route would then turn south at Southwest 117th Avenue and follow it into US 1.[21] While the alternate route plan ultimately failed, eventually the Don Shula Expressway, a northeast-southwest expressway, was built along the railroad tracks in the 1970s.[22]

In 1958, the Florida State Roads Department started construction on the bypass expressway under their authority.[23] A north–south section along West 77th Avenue (Palmetto Road) was built to connect US 1 in Pinecrest to an improved Golden Glades Drive (complete with 90 degree eastward turn) and the portion of Northwest 167th Street west of the curve would be abandoned. Many land owners were forced to sell their property to the county to make way for the construction of the expressway.[24] The Palmetto Bypass Expressway was opened in June 1961 at the cost of $30 million, four years after the opening of Florida's Turnpike and six months before the opening of Dade County's second expressway, the Airport Expressway (SR 112).[25][26]

The completion of the Palmetto Expressway (the "Bypass" faded from public usage in the 1960s) and the building of Interstate 95 were the impetus of the construction of the massive Golden Glades Interchange involving Florida's Turnpike, US 441, Interstate 95, and SR 9.

When the Palmetto Expressway was first opened, it went through tracts of woodland and farmland which have since been urbanized. Originally there were four at-grade intersections in Hialeah and Miami Lakes which were either transformed into full interchanges or blocked off in the 1970s. In addition, increasing traffic loads on the Palmetto prompted plans for extending Florida's Turnpike to "bypass the bypass." In 1974, the Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike was opened to traffic four miles (6.4 km) to the west of the Palmetto to reduce the traffic demands on Miami's original bypass.[27]

Future [edit]

A new overpass under construction at Miller Drive to alleviate congestion at the Bird Road exit

The Florida Department of Transportation is currently in the final stages of improving a 16.7-mile-long (26.9 km) section of the Palmetto Expressway from the southern terminus to just north of the Northwest 154th Street interchange, widening the highway by two lanes (from eight lanes to ten and ten lanes to twelve) and improving the interchanges. Reconstruction of the Miller Drive, Bird Road (SR 976) and Don Shula Expressway (SR 874) interchanges began in 2008, and is scheduled to be completed in 2012. The Dolphin Expressway interchange construction began on November 30, 2009 and will be completed in 2015.[28][9]

Exit list [edit]

The entire route is in Miami-Dade County. All exits are unnumbered.

Location[16][29] Mile[1][2][3] km Destinations Notes
Pinecrest—Kendall 0.000 0.000 US 1 south (South Dixie Highway) Southern terminus; Southbound exit and northbound entrance
Kendall 0.858 1.381 SR 94 (Southwest 88th Street / North Kendall Drive) – Dadeland South Metrorail, Dadeland Mall Circle No direct access to Dadeland Mall Circle from SR 826 northbound
1.857 2.989 SR 986 (Southwest 72nd Street / Sunset Drive)
Glenvar Heights 2.876 4.628 Southwest 56th Street / Miller Drive To University of Miami
Glenvar Heights—Olympia Heights 3.412 5.491 SR 874 south (Don Shula Expressway) – Kendall, HEFT Southbound exit and northbound entrance; Northern terminus of SR 874
Glenvar Heights—Olympia Heights—Westchester—Coral Terrace 3.932 6.328 SR 976 (Southwest 40th Street / Bird Road)
Westchester—Coral Terrace 4.984 8.021 Southwest 24th Street / Coral Way To Florida International University
Westchester—Coral Terrace—Fountainbleau—Miami 5.977 9.619 US 41 (Southwest 8th Street / Tamiami Trail)
Fountainbleau 6.491 10.446 SR 968 (West Flagler Street)
7.230 11.636 SR 836 (Dolphin Expressway) / Northwest 87th Avenue / Northwest 12th Street – HEFT, Miami International Airport No access from SR 826 northbound to SR 836 west or NW 12th St
Doral 8.372 13.473 Northwest 25th Street / PBA Memorial Boulevard To Miami International Airport
9.216 14.832 SR 948 (Northwest 36th Street) – Miami International Airport, Airport Metrorail Western terminus of SR 948
10.381 16.707 Northwest 58th Street
Medley 11.383 18.319 SR 934 (Northwest 74th Street / Hialeah Expressway) Western terminus of SR 934
Medley—Hialeah Gardens—Hialeah 12.310 19.811 US 27 (Okeechobee Road) / South River Drive
Hialeah Gardens—Hialeah 13.173 21.200 SR 932 (Northwest 103rd Street / West 49th Street)
Hialeah 14.374 23.133 NW 122nd Street / West 68th Street
Hialeah—Miami Lakes 15.379 24.750 I-75 north / SR 924 east (Gratigny Parkway) / SR 916 (Northwest 138th Street) – Naples, Opa-locka No access from SR 826 north to SR 916; Southern terminus of I-75; Western terminus of SR 924
Miami Lakes 16.393 26.382 Northwest 154th Street / Miami Lakes Drive
Miami Lakes—Country Club 18.006 28.978 Northwest 67th Avenue / Ludlam Road
Miami Lakes—Country Club—Miami Gardens 19.016 30.603 SR 823 (Northwest 57th Avenue / Red Road)
Miami Gardens 20.047 32.263 Northwest 47th Avenue
21.048 33.873 Northwest 37th Avenue / Douglas Road
22.052 35.489 SR 817 (Northwest 27th Avenue)
23.060 37.111 Northwest 17th Avenue Also signed for Northwest 12th Avenue on SR 826 east
23.485 37.795 NW 12th Avenue Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Golden Glades Interchange 24.097 38.780 I-95 south / US 441 south / SR 9 south Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
24.236 39.004 Turnpike north – Orlando SR 826 moves onto the Turnpike mainline; original mainline continues on as Northwest 7th Avenue Extension
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
24.708 39.764 I-95 north / US 441 north Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
24.712 39.770 Eastern terminus of Palmetto Expressway
Western terminus of Golden Glades Drive
At-grade intersections eastbound; begin limited-access westbound
North Miami Beach 25.715 41.384 SR 915 (Northeast 6th Avenue)
27.806 44.749 SR 909 south (Northeast 22nd Avenue / West Dixie Highway) Northern terminus of SR 909
North Miami Beach—North Miami 27.933 44.954 US 1 (Biscayne Boulevard)
Intracoastal Waterway 29.338–
29.602		 47.215–
47.640		 Twin drawbridges
Sunny Isles Beach 29.965 48.224 SR A1A (Collins Avenue) Eastern terminus
  •       Concurrency terminus
  •       Closed/former
  •       HOV only
  •       Incomplete access
  •       Tolled/ETC
  •       Unopened

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b "Florida Department of Transportation Interchange Report" (PDF). Florida Department of Transportation. November 24, 2008. p. 15. Retrieved July 27, 2009. 
  2. ^ a b c d "Straight Line Diagram of Road Inventory" (PDF). Florida Department of Transportation. September 20, 2012. Retrieved May 16, 2013. 
  3. ^ a b c d "Straight Line Diagram of Road Inventory" (PDF). Florida Department of Transportation. February 11, 2012. Retrieved May 16, 2013. 
  4. ^ "About - MDXWay". Miami-Dade Expressway Authority. Retrieved May 17, 2013. 
  5. ^ "Florida's Turnpike | About Us | System Description". Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. 2005. Retrieved May 17, 2013. 
  6. ^ a b Florida Department of Transportation (April 2007). General Highway Map Miami-Dade County, Florida (Map). http://www.dot.state.fl.us/surveyingandmapping/geomap/mida_c.pdf. Retrieved 2010-06-25.
  7. ^ U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau (January 7, 2011). P.L. 94-171 County Block Map (2010 Census): Miami-Dade County, FL (Map). Cartography by U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division. Sheet 72. http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/pl10map/cou_blk/st12_fl/c12086_miami-dade/PL10BLK_C12086_072.pdf. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  8. ^ a b U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau (January 7, 2011). P.L. 94-171 County Block Map (2010 Census): Miami-Dade County, FL (Map). Cartography by U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division. Sheet 58. http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/pl10map/cou_blk/st12_fl/c12086_miami-dade/PL10BLK_C12086_058.pdf. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  9. ^ a b "Project Information | Project Information". Florida Department of Transportation. 2011. Retrieved May 17, 2013. 
  10. ^ U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau (January 7, 2011). P.L. 94-171 County Block Map (2010 Census): Miami-Dade County, FL (Map). Cartography by U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division. Sheet 44. http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/pl10map/cou_blk/st12_fl/c12086_miami-dade/PL10BLK_C12086_044.pdf. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  11. ^ U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau (January 7, 2011). P.L. 94-171 County Block Map (2010 Census): Miami-Dade County, FL (Map). Cartography by U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division. Sheet 30. http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/pl10map/cou_blk/st12_fl/c12086_miami-dade/PL10BLK_C12086_030.pdf. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  12. ^ "Delays persist on northbound I-95 near Griffin Road". Sun-Sentinel. March 13, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013. 
  13. ^ U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau (January 7, 2011). P.L. 94-171 County Block Map (2010 Census): Miami-Dade County, FL (Map). Cartography by U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division. Sheet 16. http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/pl10map/cou_blk/st12_fl/c12086_miami-dade/PL10BLK_C12086_016.pdf. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  14. ^ U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau (January 7, 2011). P.L. 94-171 County Block Map (2010 Census): Miami-Dade County, FL (Map). Cartography by U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division. Sheet 17. http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/pl10map/cou_blk/st12_fl/c12086_miami-dade/PL10BLK_C12086_017.pdf. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  15. ^ a b MapQuest, Inc. (2009). Map of Florida State Road 826 (Map). http://mapq.st/P7OhgI. Retrieved 2012-10-16.
  16. ^ a b c Google Inc. Google Maps – overview map of Palmetto Expressway (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Pinecrest+Pkwy&daddr=25.917765,-80.325025+to:Sunny+Isles+Blvd&geocode=FQDNhwEd5G82-w%3BFUV5iwEdX1Y2-yklzW9k16TZiDFBbWNuxHjdlg%3BFYuoiwEdaW85-w&hl=en&mra=ls&dirflg=t&sll=25.913431,-80.198822&sspn=0.074267,0.110378&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=11&via=1. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  17. ^ U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau (January 7, 2011). P.L. 94-171 County Block Map (2010 Census): Miami-Dade County, FL (Map). Cartography by U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division. Sheet 18. http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/pl10map/cou_blk/st12_fl/c12086_miami-dade/PL10BLK_C12086_018.pdf. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  18. ^ a b U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau (January 7, 2011). P.L. 94-171 County Block Map (2010 Census): Miami-Dade County, FL (Map). Cartography by U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division. Sheet 19. http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/pl10map/cou_blk/st12_fl/c12086_miami-dade/PL10BLK_C12086_019.pdf. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  19. ^ "Straight Line Diagram of Road Inventory" (PDF). Florida Department of Transportation. February 4, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2013. 
  20. ^ "Questions on Expressway? – Here Are Some Answers". The Miami News. December 19 1956. p. 21A. Retrieved April 16, 2010. 
  21. ^ "Dispute On By-Pass Blocks Work Start". The Miami News. April 20, 1957. p. 8A. Retrieved April 16, 2010. 
  22. ^ "Expressway link opens Thursday". The Miami News. July 29, 1975. 
  23. ^ "Florida Pushes Road Improvements". New York Times. December 8, 1957. p. XX13. 
  24. ^ "Palmetto Road Suit Enters Final Stages". The Miami News. March 3, 1957. p. 22A. Retrieved April 16, 2010. 
  25. ^ "Florida's New Palmetto Expressway". New York Times. June 18, 1961. p. XX23. 
  26. ^ "Miami's Highways Set". The Evening Independent. June 16, 1961. p. 2. 
  27. ^ "Turnpike Lengthened: Section Cuts Travel Time to Homestead". The Palm Beach Post. May 21, 1974. p. 1B. 
  28. ^ "Project History | Project History". Florida Department of Transportation. 2011. Retrieved May 17, 2013. 
  29. ^ U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau (January 7, 2011). P.L. 94-171 County Block Map (2010 Census): Miami-Dade County, FL (Map). Cartography by U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division. Index Sheet. http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/pl10map/cou_blk/st12_fl/c12086_miami-dade/PL10BLK_C12086_000.pdf. Retrieved May 17, 2013.

External links [edit]

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Route map: Google / Bing

KML file (edit)
Expressways in South Florida
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Miami-Dade Expressway Authority
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