The Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority ( THEA ) owns, operates and maintains the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway in Tampa. The Selmon Expressway is a tolled highway. The Reversible Express Lanes (REL), a highway within a highway, runs in the middle on the eastern side of the highway with two non-tolled feeder roads, Brandon Parkway in Brandon and Meridian Avenue in Tampa, providing the entrance and exit to the REL. Additionally, THEA owns and operates the Selmon Greenway, a multipurpose recreational pathway running beneath and alongside the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway.
27-524: THEA was established by statute in 1963 (pursuant to Fla. Stat. § 348.0001 et seq.). THEA was established as a way to bring roadway infrastructure projects online sooner than with conventional department of transportation funding, with the first roadway opening in 1973. THEA originally planned the neighboring Veteran's Expressway; however, Florida's Turnpike Enterprise actually built the project. The state legislature has attempted to shut down THEA on numerous occasions during its history and transfer ownership to
54-511: A $ 49 million project to reconstruct the Lake Jesup toll plaza, allowing for the inclusion of SunPass/E-PASS express lanes. The project was completed in April 2011. On December 14, 2011, the northern terminus of SR 417 was extended from Interstate 4 to International Parkway. The $ 11.4 million project began construction on November 29, 2010. The Turnpike Enterprise and OOCEA (now CFX) agreed to build
81-484: A booth, as well as lanes dedicated to cash collection. The Celebration toll plaza has one ETC lane, and all of the others have at least two ETC lanes. The ramp toll plazas have a lane dedicated to ETC and exact change only, with no change provided. While both E-Pass and SunPass are accepted at all interchanges along the toll road, portions maintained by CFX are signed as E-Pass and portions maintained by FTE are signed as SunPass. The first phase of SR 417, then termed
108-539: A cost of $ 105 million, with $ 35 million being spent on acquiring the right-of-way for the 6-mile (9.7 km) route. Phase II, the "Southeastern Beltway", was considered one of the most important parts of the Eastern Beltway because motorists could use this portion to travel from downtown Orlando to the Orlando International Airport without ever getting off the expressway system. This portion of
135-924: A limited interchange was completed with SR 417 and Florida's Turnpike . The remaining ramps to complete the full interchange were opened May 21, 2021. The Seminole Expressway , the northern leg of SR 417, is located in Seminole County and is owned and operated by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. The section south of Aloma Avenue to the county line (less than one mile) was acquired from the Seminole County Expressway Authority in April 1990 as part of Florida's Turnpike Expansion Program authorized by Senate Bill 1316. The initial stretch, from just south of Aloma to US 17 / 92 opened in phases in 1994. The final six miles (10 km) connect to Interstate 4 near Sanford / Lake Mary , and opened to traffic on September 15, 2002, approximately seven months ahead of
162-402: A new interchange between SR 429 (Wekiva Parkway), SR 417, and Interstate 4 , and was completed in 2024 to finish the beltway around Orlando. The OOCEA 2030 Master Plan suggested widening the entire expressway to six lanes from International Drive to the Seminole County line. Florida's Turnpike Enterprise has also completed a project development & environment study (PD&E) to evaluate
189-506: A partial interchange between SR 417 and Florida's Turnpike in the late 2000s, after negotiations dating back to a 1991 field study. The interchange was built in two phases. The first phase, built by CFX, added ramps from southbound SR 417 to southbound Florida's Turnpike and from northbound Florida's Turnpike to northbound SR 417. Construction on the first phase began in September 2013 and opened on January 26, 2015. The second phase to complete
216-772: Is a unit of the Florida Department of Transportation that operates toll roads in Florida. The current executive director is Nicola Liquori. The Florida State Turnpike Authority was authorized by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Dan McCarty as the Turnpike Authority Act on June 11, 1953. The Authority was reorganized and incorporated into the newly formed Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in July 1969. The Turnpike’s functions became part of
243-499: Is owned and maintained by the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) and Florida's Turnpike Enterprise . The CFX section was posthumously named after former Orlando Orange County Expressway Authority chairman Jim Greene. SR 417 was originally planned to be a full beltway around Orlando. Eventually, the beltway was divided, with the west side being designated SR 429 , and the east side retaining
270-628: The Eastern Beltway , extended from what was the east end of the East–;West Expressway northward to SR 426 (Aloma Avenue) in Seminole County . It allowed commuters to bypass the crowded Semoran Boulevard , as well as give expressway access to the University of Central Florida . The OOCEA began construction of phase I in July 1987 and the road was opened to the public on December 16, 1988, at
297-910: The Florida's Turnpike Enterprise . The most recent attempt occurred in March, 2011 when the legislature attempted to pass a bill that would eliminate THEA, the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority , and Mid-Bay Bridge Authority ostensibly to save the state money. The plan was later abandoned when the state's budget was written [3] . Since its establishment, THEA has been responsible for development of numerous roadway projects in Hillsborough County. 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2007 Florida%27s Turnpike Enterprise Florida's Turnpike Enterprise ( FTE )
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#1732850992447324-534: The Garcon Point and Mid-Bay Bridges in Florida's Panhandle. Florida State Road 417 State Road 417 ( SR 417 ), also known as the Central Florida GreeneWay , Seminole County Expressway (depending on the location), Eastern Beltway and Orlando East Bypass , is a controlled-access toll road forming the eastern beltway around the city of Orlando, Florida , United States . It
351-542: The right-of-way . The "Southern Connector" was to become a route extending from SR 528 all the way to SR 535 . The OOCEA began construction of the 22-mile (35 km) road in November 1991 and completed construction July 1, 1993, at a cost of $ 273 million. It was during the construction of this section that the Orange County portion of the beltway project was renamed the Central Florida GreeneWay . From 2015 through 2016,
378-534: The 6.4-mile (10.3 km) extension from the GreeneWay to I-4 in 1994 and completed construction in mid 1996. The project cost almost $ 153 million, with $ 74 million coming from contributions from the private parties involved in building this route, making it possible to get from Walt Disney World to the Orlando International Airport without ever driving on Interstate 4. In 2008, the Turnpike Enterprise began
405-785: The FDOT pursuant to the reorganization of the State Government Act. At that time, individual FDOT Districts managed the Turnpike work program, operations, and maintenance in their areas. In 1988, the Florida Legislature created the Office of Florida's Turnpike. In 1990, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 1316, authorizing the expansion of Florida's Turnpike to include construction of non-contiguous road projects as an alternative to assist in meeting
432-707: The GreeneWay had passed through some of the most barren portions of Orange County . It skirts the Econlockhatchee River marshes that cover some of eastern Orange and northern Osceola . The OOCEA began construction of the Southeastern Beltway, from Colonial Drive to the Beachline Expressway in January 1989, and opened ahead of schedule in July 1990. The 7.6-mile (12.2 km) route cost $ 72 million, with an estimated $ 13 million being spent on acquiring
459-525: The SR ;417 designation. Until 2024, the two expressways were non-continuous. SR 429 is now extended via Wekiva Parkway to meet SR 417 in the Sanford/Heathrow area. Although SR 417 is signed north–south throughout its entire route, it runs east–west between Celebration and CR 15. After the latter road, it runs north–south through the rest of its route. The Southern Connector as well as
486-538: The Turnpike to pursue innovation and best private-sector business practices, to improve cost-effectiveness and timeliness in project delivery, to increase revenues and expand its capital program, and to improve quality of service to its customers. At that time, the Office of Toll Operations, formerly a separate division of the State of Florida, was folded into the FTE and is exempt from FDOT policies, procedures, and standards, subject to
513-700: The beltway begins at an interchange with I-4 in Celebration . This section, run by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise is 6.4-mile-long (10.3 km), extending to the International Drive interchange. Between the International Drive interchange and the Orange – Seminole county line, the tollway is known as the Central Florida GreeneWay, and is operated by CFX. The Seminole Expressway section of
540-412: The final schedule. This leg features only one mainline toll plaza (just south of CR 427 ), but it is also the priciest toll plaza on SR 417 at $ 2.50 per vehicle. This section also features the only "free movement" on SR 417. No toll is collected for motorists traveling between I-4 and Rinehart Road (whose interchange with SR 417 is used for travelers on SR 46 and CR 46A to get to and from SR 417). Due to
567-482: The interchange was built by the FTE, with construction beginning in late 2014 and completed in 2017, several years ahead of its original completion date. In January 2015, the speed limit along the entire highway was raised to 70 mph (110 km/h) from the previous 65 mph (105 km/h) speed limit. The increase followed a study that found 85% of drivers on the highway already drove between 70–80 mph (110–130 km/h). In 2019, construction started on
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#1732850992447594-602: The multiple entities involved, which included OOCEA, Walt Disney World , Osceola County, private landowners, the Reedy Creek Improvement District , and the Florida's Turnpike Enterprise, building the southernmost 6.4-mile (10.3 km) between I-4 and the GreeneWay became a complex task. Eventually, they agreed on the Southern Connector Extension , as well as the 12.4-mile (20.0 km) Osceola Parkway . Florida's Turnpike began construction of
621-536: The projects are consistent, to the maximum extent feasible, with approved local government comprehensive plans were projects are located, and completion of a statement of the project’s significant environmental impacts. Fifty road projects were submitted for consideration and, ultimately, ten new roads were identified for possible construction, subject to meeting the feasibility requirements, and 15 new interchanges. On April 11, 2002, Gov. Jeb Bush signed House Bill 261, creating Florida's Turnpike Enterprise, and directing
648-589: The secretary having the authority to apply any such policies, procedures, and standards to the FTE from time to time as deemed appropriate. The flagship route of the FTE is Florida's Turnpike along with the Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike . The FTE also operates Polk Parkway (SR 570), Suncoast Parkway (SR 589), Veterans Expressway (SR 589), Sawgrass Expressway (SR 869), the Seminole Expressway and Southern Connector portions of SR 417 ,
675-635: The southern 11 miles (18 km) of Daniel Webster Western Beltway (SR 429) and the western eight miles (13 km) of Beachline Expressway (SR 528), known as Beachline West. The FTE collects tolls on the portion of Interstate 75 known as Alligator Alley , the Sunshine Skyway Bridge , the Pinellas Bayway System and the Beachline East (State Road 528), all FDOT-owned roads and bridges. It also provides toll collection services for
702-476: The state’s backlog of needed highway facilities. The Legislature set environmental and financial feasibility standards, authorized toll increases on the existing system, and allowed higher rate per mile tolls on the new projects through Chapter 339.2275(3) of the Florida Statutes. The Legislature approved expansion projects and new interchanges subject to verification of economic feasibility, determination that
729-452: The tollway begins at the county line. This section, also run by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise is 17-mile-long (27 km), extends to an interchange with I-4 in Sanford at the end of the beltway. There are six mainline toll plazas on the tollway and have at least one express lane dedicated to E-Pass / SunPass for electronic toll collection (ETC), which do not require motorists to stop at
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