Florida's Turnpike 50 Year Celebration

Florida Department of Transportation 

605 Suwannee Street 

Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0450 

(850) 414-4590 

www.myflorida.com 

Florida Department of Transportation, 

Turnpike Enterprise Headquarters 

Milepost 263, Florida’s Turnpike 

Turkey Lake Service Plaza 

Building 5315 

PO Box 613069 

Ocoee, Florida 34761 

(407) 532-3999 

Toll Free: (800) 749-7453 

www.FloridasTurnpike.com 

04032 | PL | 07

florida in the 1940s 

— a tiMe and place 

ripe for a turnpike 

Marking the route of florida’s turnpike, 

May 28, 1956: okeechobee cowboys use trucks 

to stretch woven wire fence before nailing 

it to poles placed in the ground. 

Looking back to the 1940s, World War II had come to an end, the United 

States had a new President, and the state of Florida was flourishing. 

The state’s population had more than doubled over that of the previous 

decade, tourism was increasing, and the 

citrus industry was recovering from a 

harsh freeze early in the decade. Though 

the growth in residents and visitors was 

a good, healthy thing for the state, it 

brought with it a problem – an over-burdened highway system. But 

several things were working in favor of a solution to this problem. 

First, the war had invigorated the state’s economy, and highway 

construction was increasing in preparation for a post-war environment. 

Also, during this time Florida businessman Charles B. Costar had 

watched as the state’s population had grown and the roadways had become 

increasingly congested. Costar had a vision to build a turnpike, similar to 

the one he had just driven on while vacationing in Pennsylvania. 

Finally, Governor Fuller Warren had just seen his 1949 Revised Citrus 

Code passed through legislation. Established to provide strict guidelines 

for quality production of citrus, the code included preliminary plans 

for a turnpike. In order to assure quality, citrus needed to be delivered 

promptly, which meant the transportation system must be efficient. An 

efficient transportation system would also positively affect the Florida 

Trucking Association (FTA), which was formed just 17 years prior, and 

much like the Citrus Code, had been created, in part, to “encourage 

high standards.” Governor Warren’s farm-to-market road network plan, 

of which the Turnpike was part, would work toward alleviating the 

overcrowded highway system and help citrus haulers and other delivery 

truckers meet their schedules. 

5 0 Y e a r s o f F l o r i d a ’ s T u r n p i k e 

1

2 

Moving into the 1950s, President Truman authorized 

the use of U.S. forces in Korea; the Soviet Union 

launched the first space satellite, Sputnik 1; the 

U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the landmark 

Brown vs. Board of Education decision that racial segregation in schools 

is unconstitutional; and the first 

missile and first Space Satellite, 

Explorer 1, were launched from 

Cape Canaveral. 

That decade also marked the birth of Florida’s 

Turnpike. In 1953, Charles B. Costar, following 

his vision from the previous decade, led a group of 

citizens to lobby state officials to create Florida’s first 

toll road. The legislature 

created the Florida State Turnpike Authority, 

which had the ability to plan, design, and 

construct bond-financed toll roads. The bonds 

were to be repaid through the collection of 

tolls from Turnpike customers. Costar, as 

the owner of a major certified public accounting firm in South Florida, 

was also instrumental in creating the bond financing that lead to the 

creation of this “Florida Turnpike Act” legislation, which Governor Dan 

McCarty signed into law on June 11, 1953. Costar had served as the 

chairman of the early Turnpike Committee of the Miami-Dade Chamber 

of Commerce, but once the Turnpike Authority was formed, Governor 

McCarty appointed Earl P. Powers as the first Turnpike 

Authority Chairman – a position he held 

until McCarty’s death in September 1953. 

the 1950 s — a turnpike is born 

charles b. costar 

The U.S. space 

program launched 

its first missile 

from Cape Canaveral 

on July 24, 1950, 

and the first U.S. 

satellite, Explorer I, 

on January 31, 1958. 

Much of the credit for the successful building of the Turnpike also goes 

to Thomas B. Manuel. Known as the “Father of the 

Turnpike,” Manuel was a former rancher turned Fort 

Lauderdale county commissioner, and chairman of 

the Florida State Turnpike Authority from January 

1955 to January 1961. 

There were legislators in the 1950s with voting 

power in the state capitol that were opposed to the creation of toll 

roadways. Manuel sought to educate them, emphasizing the need for a 

good highway system in a state that depended so heavily upon tourism. 

During a 1955 legislative session many of those opposed to the Turnpike, 

mainly small-county legislators, formed a “kill the ‘Pike’” coalition. In 

response, Manuel set up headquarters in the Floridian Hotel near the 

capitol and won over the legislators. 

By the time the roll call was finished at the 

end of the session, only four votes against 

the Turnpike were entered, and the legislature 

granted permission to build. 

In June 1955, a $74-million bond issue was 

floated and construction on the Turnpike 

began a month later. However, the Turnpike 

Authority shelved their plans for a state- 

long Turnpike when Interstate 95 (I-95) 

was slated to connect Jacksonville with the 

rest of the state. This resulted in completion 

of a “bob-tail” version of the superhighway 

that ran from Miami to Fort Pierce. 

Less than 19 months after Governor LeRoy Collins turned the first spade 

of earth for the new Turnpike on July 4, 1955, and proclaimed, “We must 

bring forth a highway that is fine and good in every detail – a highway 

that is safe to ride and beautiful to see,” the Sunshine State Parkway 

opened. The date was January 25, 1957. 

thoMas b. Manuel 

5 0 Y e a r s o f F l o r i d a ’ s T u r n p i k e

a new way of driving 

Most Floridians had never driven on a turnpike before. They didn’t know 

what to expect. Local newspapers printed articles offering tips on how to 

drive the Turnpike, warning drivers: 

One article was titled, “How to 

Drive on the Superhighway and 

How to Drive Away From it Alive.” 

Ads hawking tires for driving the 

Turnpike offered advice on “How to 

Handle 200 H.P. on the Turnpike.” 

People were excited about the Turnpike. Omero C. Catan, aka 

Mr. First, made it a point to be the first customer on the new 

Sunshine State Parkway on opening day. He presented the Golden 

Glades Interchange toll house his fare, two shiny dimes taped to 

a card that read, “First toll paid on Florida Turnpike by Mr. First. 

May God bless it with a constant sunshine of success.” 

For quite some time after it opened, the Turnpike was still a novelty. An 

article in a trade journal warned in 1958, “When you embark upon 

your first Turnpike trip, don’t forget to check your gas supply, and make 

REGULAR 

certain your tires are in good shape, for you will be 

traveling faster and longer than on most other roads 

West Palm Beach service plaza 

in Florida.” 

4 5 

In fact, the occurrence of Turnpike customers 

running out of gas was such a chronic problem 

that Turnpike management adopted a policy 

of providing two gallons of gasoline free 

to stranded drivers. During the first year of 

service, the Turnpike provided 1,919 gallons of 

emergency fuel. 

• don’t do anything but 

drive while you’re at the 

wheel. don’t look at maps, 

toll tickets, or the scenery. 

• stay awake, 

really awake. 

• don’t allow yourself to 

become confused. 

Then 

Then 

Now 

Now

6 

Then 

looking north on the 

turnpike in broward 

county. broward 

boulevard is in the 

foreground, with the 

sunrise boulevard 

interchange near the 

top of the page. 

Now

8 

Where now? 

Two years may not have seemed like a long period of time to the 

public, but the Turnpike had accomplished a lot in that time. After only 

two full years of operation, $7 million in bonds had been retired, putting 

the Authority into its seventh year of scheduled amortization. The rest of 

the state was struggling to find money for roads, but the Turnpike had its 

own source of money – tolls and concession fees. 

In January 1959 Governor LeRoy Collins announced that interstate 

highways had killed the need for building the Florida Turnpike north 

of Orlando. He instead turned his attention to what he believed was 

an excellent chance for the toll road to be extended from Fort Pierce to 

Orlando. Thus, debates ensued on where the Turnpike would go from 

there. Would traffic warrant a full Turnpike? Where would the second 

phase of the Turnpike go? Would the Turnpike Authority be able to 

finish the job? 

the 1960s was a decade of diversity, a time 

of free love and open hatred. In that decade President John F. Kennedy 

was both elected and assassinated, the United States unsuccessfully 

attempted to invade Cuba and overthrow Premier Castro at the Bay 

of Pigs, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, Senator Robert F. 

Kennedy was shot and died, and Apollo 11 successfully completed the 

first manned spaceflight to the moon. 

Also, with the emergence of the 1960s the state’s population had nearly 

doubled to 4,951,560 and the Turnpike extension was needed more than 

ever. Governor Collins approved the sale of over $80 million worth of 

bonds to finance the extension from its current terminus in Fort Pierce 

onward to Wildwood. To make this feasible, the route for Interstate 75 

(I-75) was shifted 6 miles eastward to tie in with the Turnpike. 

Then 

Pompano Beach service plaza 

Now 

the 1960 s — florida’s turnpike 

phase ii 

As part of a growing Florida, this second section of the Sunshine State 

Parkway, constructed from Fort Pierce to Wildwood, and opened to 

traffic in 1964, added another 157 miles of roadway. An engineering 

department was established in 1961 to plan this extension and to assume 

responsibility for all maintenance and engineering on the existing system. 

With new segments of I-75 opening as well, a continuous north-south 

route between Macon, Georgia, and Miami had become available. 

The Sunshine State Parkway 

became known as Florida’s 

Turnpike in April 1968. 

Officials of the Turnpike 

Authority made the 

name change for closer 

identification to the state 

and for less confusion. 


9

10 

Revenues were exceeding forecasts, and Florida’s public was embracing the 

concept of limited-access toll roads as acceptable alternatives to interstates 

and other highways. By 1967 revenue traffic on Florida’s Turnpike had 

exceeded 10 million trips; 7 million more than just 10 years prior. 

groundbreaking for the fort pierce-to-wildwood extension 

Quality as a part of business practice 

Even in the early days, conservative fiscal practices characterized the 

Turnpike Authority, which was organized to run much like a private 

business. As the Central Florida region began to develop and property 

values increased, the Authority experienced higher than expected right- 

of-way costs for the extension to Wildwood. But the continuing increase 

in toll revenue, combined with the Authority’s fiscal policies, offset 

these costs. Still, the commitment to maintaining a strict budget did 

not overshadow the Authority’s goal of providing a quality product to 

its customers. In 1962, the Authority established its own testing lab to 

assure quality control for construction. 

As population growth continued to strain the capacity of the state’s 

highway system, preliminary studies began for expanding portions 

of the Turnpike to six lanes in South Florida and for much-needed 

additional north-south capacity in that area. Dade County and the 

State Road Department developed a plan for a West Dade Expressway. 

Then 

service plazas 

Now 

The Florida State Turnpike 

Authority, which served 

the state from 1953 until 

1969, left a legacy of 

progress. In addition to 

the construction of the 

first 267 miles of Florida’s 

Turnpike Mainline, these 

accomplishments include: 

• retireMent of $1 ,429,000 in 

bonds, placing the authority 

More than 15 years ahead in 

aMortization. 

• institution of an advertising 

prograM, helping to 

increase traffic 56 percent. 

• construction of aid-to-thehandicapped 

facilities at 

service plazas. 

• addition of paved shoulder 

and Median guardrails. 

• opening of tandeM trailer 

operations. 

• iMpleMentation of a sMoothrunning 

operation that is 

Managed like a business. 

here we grow again 

In November 1963 Walt Disney first flew over the site that would later 

be the home of his Magic Kingdom in Central Florida. He chose the site, 

on the border of Orange and Osceola counties, because of its proximity to 

the intersection of Florida’s Turnpike and Interstate 4 (I-4). 

New developments in Central Florida, like Walt Disney World, and 

increased use of existing transportation facilities generated a need for an 

extension of the Bee Line Connector. A plan had also been developed to 

expand the connector from its existing western terminus on State Road 

528 (SR 528) near McCoy Air Force Base (later renamed the Orlando 

International Airport), westward 8 miles to connect with Florida’s 

Turnpike and I-4. 

In 1967 Florida’s legislature authorized the Florida State Turnpike 

Authority to perform engineering studies to determine the feasibility of 

both the previously mentioned West Dade Expressway, which became 

known as the Homestead Extension of Florida’s Turnpike (HEFT), and 

the Bee Line West Expressway, now known as the Beachline West 

Expressway. Both of these projects were financed as extensions of Florida’s 

Turnpike by revenue bond issues. 

On July 1, 1969, Chapter 69-106, Laws of Florida, Acts of 1969 

created the state of Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The 

original Turnpike Authority was disbanded, and a newly reorganized 

Florida’s Turnpike operation was made a part of the FDOT. Under the 

new organization, the Turnpike work program and its operations and 

maintenance were managed by the individual FDOT Districts. 


11

The 1970s was a decade of change. In October 1971 Disney’s Magic 

Kingdom welcomed its first visitors; Sea World of Florida opened 

in 1973; Richard Nixon resigned as President of the United 

States on August 8, 1974; NASA announced the end of the Apollo space 

program on July 14, 1975, resulting in the 

layoff of 1,500 employees at the Kennedy Space 

Center; the Vietnam War officially ended on 

April 30, 1975; and an international oil crisis 

was under way. Despite the chaotic times, Florida’s population grew to 

6,791,418 and the state’s tourism industry was booming. 

The Space Coast continued to be a popular tourist destination, increasing 

the need for the construction of the Bee Line West Expressway, which 

fully opened on December 15, 1973. And despite some downturn in the 

space program, the new connector linked I-4 to Cape Canaveral and 

provided a straight shot for tourists, media, and others who continued to 

flock to Cape Canaveral and Florida’s East Coast. 

In 1974 the 47-mile-long HEFT opened to the public. This section of 

the Turnpike begins at the interchange with the existing Mainline near 

the Dade County/Broward County line, turns westward and southward, 

and terminates at Florida City in southern Dade County. Construction 

of the HEFT also included construction of three Mainline toll plazas, 

the addition of a service plaza and Florida Highway Patrol Troop K 

heft interchange 

the 19 0 s — florida 

a Magical place to be 

12 administration facilities at Snapper Creek, and the building of three park- 

1 

and-ride facilities. 

the bee line west expressway was 

the first turnpike project to be 

built with the help of partners. 

of the 42 acres of land 

reQuired for the construction 

of the bee line west expressway, 

294 of theM were donated by 

the florida land coMpany and 

Martin-Marietta corporation. 

the florida land coMpany also 

paid the cost of the orangewood 

boulevard interchange. 


14 

As the 1980s began, another 3 million people called 

themselves Floridians, the first Space Shuttle was launched 

from Cape Canaveral, 30 percent of Florida citrus was lost 

to a crop-killing freeze and citrus canker, and a new tourist attraction, 

Walt Disney World’s EPCOT, opened as tourism flourished. 

the 1980 s — preparing for 

More growth 

By 1986, most of 

the Turnpike’s origi- 

nal bonds, including 

the Series 1961 and 1970, were retired, and Florida’s Turnpike was at a 

crossroads. Would maintaining the status quo be the Turnpike’s primary 

responsibility, or would Florida use the bonding capacity of the system to 

finance new Florida Intrastate Highway projects? 

At the direction of the state’s newly formed Transportation 

Commission, led by Chairman David C.G. Kerr, a 

study to explore the role of Florida’s Turnpike in 

david c.g. kerr 

addressing the state’s mobility challenges was completed in 1987. FDOT 

Secretary Thomas E. Drawdy had submitted recommendations about the 

Turnpike’s future role to Florida’s legislature. These recommendations 

were reevaluated and presented by FDOT Secretary Kaye Henderson to the 

legislature in 1987 in a study called The Future of Florida’s Turnpike. 

Alternative scenarios were presented, but the recommended plan for the 

Turnpike was an aggressive program based on four main objectives: 

• alleviate urban congestion. 

• address the specific needs of turnpike 

customers while providing value in 

exchange for the toll they pay. 

• expand the system. 

• coordinate with local governments and 

other expressway authorities. 

A financing plan for major system improvements and expansion was 

approved, and in 1988 the legislature created the Office of Florida’s Turnpike 

within FDOT, granting greater management discretion and flexibility. 


15

16 

Then 

Also included in this plan was a well-defined organizational plan, with 

private sector staff making up the majority of the personnel. 

It was the beginning of the state’s most dynamic period of highway 

improvement and construction, as from this point forward the Turnpike 

became known for its commitment to modernization, expansion, 

and technology. 

Under the authority of FDOT Secretary Ben G. Watts and Turnpike Director 

James L. Ely, both newly appointed, $220 million in Turnpike revenue 

ben g. watts 

jaMes l. ely 

bonds were sold in April 1989 to help fund service 

plaza renovations, safety enhancements, toll facility 

modernization, and system upgrades that involved 

roadway widenings and new or improved interchanges. 

A three-stage toll rate increase was planned, and the 

sale of an additional $800 million in Turnpike revenue 

bonds was authorized to fund new projects. 

One of the first priorities of the new organization was 

to speed up toll transactions. A program to completely 

rehabilitate all of the Mainline toll plazas – some of 

which still had their original 1957 equipment – quickly got under way 

to increase capacity and throughput. Looking into the future, the Office 

of Florida’s Turnpike also began strategizing for the implementation 

of electronic toll collection and investigating issues like legislative 

authorization of video enforcement technology. 

Now 


1

18 

The 1990s brought major milestones to Florida and the world. 

On August 24, 1992, one of Florida’s worst hurricanes ever, 

Hurricane Andrew, ripped through South Florida, destroying 

parts of Homestead, killing 18 people, and leaving thousands homeless or 

without water and power. In March 1995 Florida celebrated 150 years of 

statehood. And on December 31, 1999, the world 

welcomed in a new millennium while worrying 

about potential Y2K computer problems. 

The 1990s was also the decade that the Turnpike invested in several 

new alignment projects as a part of alleviating urban congestion. Nine 

new interchanges opened on the Turnpike Mainline and many miles of 

widening projects and other roadway, toll, and service plaza improvements 

were added. 

Senate Bill 1316 was signed into law by Governor Bob Martinez in June 

1990, officially authorizing the major expansion of Florida’s Turnpike 

system. With an increased bonding capacity of $1.1 billion, the Office 

of Florida’s Turnpike began studying the development of 9 

candidate expansion projects and 15 new interchanges, subject 

to newly mandated environmental and financial feasibility 

tests. And under Governor Lawton Chiles, the 23-mile-long 

Sawgrass Expressway/State Road 869 (SR 869), originally 

constructed by the Broward County Expressway Authority, 

was purchased by Florida’s Turnpike in 1990 as part of 

an expansion program to meet the needs of an increasing 

population and tourism trade. 

The 1990 Florida’s Turnpike work program included the letting of almost 

$90 million in new interchanges, roadway, and safety improvements. 

In January 1991, $337 million in Turnpike revenue bonds were sold 

to finance right-of-way acquisition and construction of the Seminole 

Expressway, Project 1 – the northern leg of SR 417 in Central Florida 

– and right-of-way acquisition for the Veterans Expressway near Tampa. 

These projects represented the first steps toward expanding the Turnpike 

system in nearly 20 years. 

t h e 199 0 s —b l a s t o f f to growth 

a n d e x p a n s i o n 

purchase of the sawgrass expressway 

sr 50 interchange groundbreaking 

The Sawgrass Expressway’s 

mascot, a swamp frog 

named Cecil B. Sawgrass, is 

a rare find these days, as 

signs featuring his smiling 

green face are 

replaced with the 

more standard 

TOLL 869 shields. 

polk parkway groundbreaking 

and ribbon cutting cereMony 

suncoast parkway groundbreaking 

By July 1991 four new interchanges were opened, and planning and 

construction of new system access were well under way at 11 other 

locations. Florida’s Turnpike Director James Ely’s delivery of such an 

aggressive program was considered especially crucial, considering that 

FDOT Secretary Watts’ primary concerns included the department’s 

credibility, public perception, and one year later, “right-sizing” the agency 

according to a directive from Governor Chiles. 

By July 1992 the Florida’s Turnpike expansion program was moving full 

speed ahead. In addition to the construction of the Seminole Expressway, 

Project 1, and the Veterans Expressway, final design of the Southern 

Connector Extension portion of SR 417 and the Polk Parkway in Lakeland 

were under way. Both of these roadways underwent and subsequently 


19

20 

these award-winning, 1. -Mile 

bridges spanning lake jesup are 

part of the seMinole expressway, 

project 1, opened in 1994. 

The Office of 

Florida’s Turnpike’s 

organizational strength 

and ability to respond 

to the state’s unique 

transportation needs were 

tested when Hurricane 

Andrew hit South Florida 

in August 1992. The 

Turnpike played a key role 

in supporting emergency 

response efforts and 

administering a total of $6 

million in cleanup/repair 

contracts, most of which 

were under way within only 

a few days after the storm. 

Despite having suffered an 

estimated $10.7 million 

in damages as a result 

of Hurricane Andrew, 

the Turnpike continued 

on course toward the 

opening of its first two 

expansion projects and the 

implementation of system- 

wide toll facilities upgrades 

and access- and capacity- 

related improvements. 

passed their final tests of financial feasibility during fiscal year (FY) 

1994. Made possible through an agreement with Osceola County 

and a group of local landowners, the Southern Connector Extension 

represented one of the largest public/private sector partnerships in the 

nation at the time. 

In this same decade, Florida’s Turnpike introduced an innovative pre- 

paid toll program, 

saving drivers time, 

money, and the hassle 

of digging for change. 

Signifying a major leap 

forward in the modern- 

ization of the state’s 

toll collection systems, 

the 1993 legislature 

authorized the Turnpike to begin development of SunPass ® , the new 

statewide system of electronic toll collection. By the end of FY1997, a 

$39-million contract was awarded for the implementation of SunPass, 

which ultimately occurred on April 24, 1999. SunPass lanes can process 

up to 1,800 vehicles per hour — 300 percent more than a manual toll 

lane, and more than 450 lanes of SunPass equipment were installed 

at 160 toll plazas statewide. SunPass transponders were initially made 

available for purchase through Florida’s Turnpike service plazas and the 

SunPass website. 

veterans expressway 

FY1993 also brought significant progress on the development of 19 

new interchanges and five of the nine legislatively approved candidate 

expansion projects. The success of the Turnpike’s work program under 

Senate Bill 1316 became evident in 1994 when the opening of the 

Seminole Expressway, Project 1, and the Veterans Expressway added 

27 miles of new alignment to the Florida Intrastate Highway System 

(FIHS). At the same time, work was also in progress on another 79 

miles of new expressway to be opened by 2005. 


21

22 

a profitable systeM 

The ability of the Office of Florida’s Turnpike to fulfill legislative 

initiatives, and the system’s financial stability and overall importance to 

mobility within the state, brought about the Office of Florida’s Turnpike’s 

designation as FDOT’s eighth district by the 1994 legislature. 

This change in status granted the Turnpike greater leeway in 

managing a system that had doubled its total operating revenues 

since 1988. By August 1995 nearly $1.1 billion in Turnpike 

revenue bonds had been sold to finance the Turnpike District’s 

improvement and expansion programs, and more than $80 million 

in toll facilities and interchange improvements were completed. 

Maintaining the momentum, the Turnpike District broke ground for the 

Polk Parkway and opened the Southern Connector Extension in FY1996. 

Together, these new roadways would contribute more than 30 miles to 

the FIHS. Construction was well under way on $55 million in Turnpike 

Mainline improvements and $185 million in system expansion. 

bird road Mainline toll plaza with dedicated sunpass lanes 

2

24 

southern connector extension grand opening 

In June 1996 Florida’s Turnpike hosted an open forum with many of 

the nation’s most highly respected transportation professionals, where 

valuable experience was shared and used to predict future challenges for 

the Turnpike. 

The results of this forum were considered in a second futures study, which 

was presented on the 40th anniversary of the Turnpike, January 25, 1997, 

by FDOT Secretary Ben Watts, to Malcom Kirschenbaum, Chairman of 

the Florida Transportation Commission. The Florida’s Turnpike: Building 

on the Past - Preparing for the Future report helped legislators determine 

the role that Florida’s Turnpike would play in the state’s transportation 

system beyond 2000. 

The Transportation Commission and FDOT fully endorsed maximizing 

the potential of the Turnpike and, through Senate Bill 2060, provided 

the ability for the Turnpike District and the state of Florida to: 

• deploy electronic toll collection statewide. 

• retain the statutory economic feasibility 

tests for new projects, but apply fifth-year 

revenues and test only the bonded portion 

of the project. 

• allow advance right-of-way acquisition to 

reduce costs and impacts as is done in other 

fdot districts. 

• relocate the turnpike headquarters. 

following a move from broward county to 

leon county in 1988, a second move in the 

year 2000, to orange county, would allow 

the turnpike to reduce program management 

costs and better serve customers. 

• improve access and capacity on the turnpike 

in urban areas of the state. 


25

...still growing... 

With its expanding mission and under the leadership of newly appointed 

Secretary of Transportation, Thomas F. Barry, Jr., the Turnpike District 

continued the momentum that characterized its work program of the 

1990s. In July 1998 construction began on the 42-mile Suncoast 

Parkway, Project 1 on Florida’s West Coast. And then, the $265-million 

Seminole Expressway, Project 2 broke ground in October 1999, funded 

through a combination of Turnpike District funds, State Transportation 

Trust Funds, and Federal State Infrastructure Bank loans. 

On the west side of metropolitan Orlando, the Western Beltway (SR 

429), Part C became a reality and design began through a partnership 

involving the Turnpike District, the Orlando-Orange County Expressway 

Authority, Reedy Creek Improvement District, Walt Disney World, and 

private landowner Horizons West. The project connects I-4 to Florida’s 

Turnpike and the Western Beltway, Part A. 

western beltway (sr 429), part c 

the 2000 s — a current turnpike 

as the 20th century ended and the 21st century was born, the country 

lived through one of its closest-ever presidential elections, Florida’s 

Then 

Now 

t u r n p i k e h e a d Q u a r t e r s 

26 

population hit an all-time high of nearly 16 million, and federal 

legislation to help restore the Everglades was signed into law. 

2 

On April 11, 2002, Florida Governor Jeb Bush signed House Bill 261, 

changing Florida’s Turnpike District into Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise. 

Considered a unique experiment in governance at the time, this was an 

important change for several reasons. It allows the FDOT to leverage the 

financial capabilities of the state’s largest revenue-producing asset. And 

it also allows the Enterprise to implement private-sector best business 

practices, resulting in: improved cost effectiveness, timely project delivery, 

increased revenue, improved customer service, and expanded Turnpike 

capital program capability. 

located in broward county 

located in orange county

the 41-Mile-long suncoast trail, constructed by florida’s turnpike as part of the 

suncoast parkway, coMpleMents the region’s natural environMent. also, the suncoast 

parkway was the first toll road designated as a florida scenic highway. 

turnpike awards 

Florida’s Turnpike has 

won many prominent 

awards over the years. The 

following is just a sampling 

of these honors. 

International Bridge, 

Tunnel and Turnpike 

Association’s (IBTTA’s) 

most prestigious award, 

the President’s Award, 

given to the best example 

of excellence among toll 

agencies worldwide, and 

IBTTA’s Toll Excellence 

Award, in the category of 

Social Responsibility, were 

both awarded in 2003 to 

Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise 

for the Suncoast Parkway 

Aesthetic Design Guidelines. 

The success of the retail sales 

program was validated by the 

Turnpike’s receipt of the IBTTA’s 

2004 Toll Excellence Award in 

the area of Customer Service. 

And in 2005 the 

Turnpike’s Call Center 

was recognized by J.D. 

Power and Associates 

for customer service 

excellence – one 

of only two call 

centers worldwide to score 

in the 90th percentile. 

28 29

0 

With the House Bill 261 legislation, toll operations were incorporated 

as part of the Enterprise’s domain, expanding the Enterprise’s 

responsibilities, and making Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise the second 

largest toll agency in the country based on revenue, and the third largest 

based on miles of roadway. 

And now, in the last half of the first decade of the 2000s, Florida’s 

Turnpike and its extensions take motorists from the top of the Florida 

Keys up to I-75 north of Orlando in North Central Florida and include 

projects near Tampa, Orlando, and Lakeland. This includes the Homestead 

Extension, the Sawgrass Expressway, the Seminole Expressway, the Veterans 

Expressway, the Suncoast Parkway, a section of the Beachline Expressway, 

the Southern Connector Extension of the Central Florida GreeneWay, 

and the Polk Parkway. But the need to expand the transportation system 

to keep goods and people moving in support of a healthy state is more 

prominent than ever. 

recent projects 

Seminole Expressway, Project 2, SR 417 

The $265-million Seminole Expressway, Project 2 broke ground in 

October 1999, and opened to traffic in September 2002. This new 

facility extends SR 417 in Central Florida to I-4. 

The Daniel Webster Western Beltway - Part C, SR 429 

This new 11-mile, $313-million, limited-access toll road provides an 

alternate north-south route between Florida’s Turnpike and I-4. Located 

west of Orlando near the Disney/Celebration attractions corridor, the 

Western Beltway also provides easy access to Toll 417 (the Central 

Florida GreeneWay). Full interchanges are located at I-4, Sinclair Road, 

US 192, and Western Way, and a full interchange is planned at Seidel 

Road. The final leg of the Western Beltway, Part C opened to traffic on 

December 9, 2006. 

seMinole expressway, project 2 

officially launched on 

april 24, 1999, More 

than 100,000 sunpass 

transponders had been 

sold by october 1 of 

that saMe year. 

SunPass Challenge 

While there are many changes planned for the Turnpike’s future, to 

date, the SunPass electronic toll collection program, implemented in 

April 1999, has been the most significant change to the Florida’s 

Turnpike system in the past 50 years. SunPass streamlines and 

simplifies the toll collection process for Turnpike customers 

by helping to significantly improve throughput at toll plazas. 

By fall of 2006, 2.8 million SunPass transponders had been 

issued, and more than 60 percent of all transactions were through 

the SunPass system. 

Soon after becoming an Enterprise, the Turnpike organization challenged 

itself to find ways to increase SunPass usage across the system more 

rapidly in order to expedite its benefits. Programming an infusion of $98 

million into SunPass over a two-year span, the Turnpike Enterprise set 

the goals of making necessary improvements to support higher SunPass 

usage system wide, increasing the number of SunPass-only lanes from 

100 to 200, and doubling the percentage of SunPass transactions from 

25 percent to 50 percent by December 2004. Signing and operational 

improvements were also implemented and the Turnpike marketed the 

benefits of SunPass. This initiative was titled the SunPass Challenge. 

The SunPass Challenge initiative to drive SunPass participation on the 

Turnpike system to 50 percent by December 2004 was achieved in April 

2004, eight months ahead of schedule. 

With the SunPass Challenge largely met, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise 

set a new target: 75 percent of all transactions processed electronically by 

December 2008. A review of current and long-range strategies, as well as 

2008 SunPass traffic projections, resulted in a series of recommendations 

that will increase the use of SunPass to help meet this goal. 


1

2 

These recommendations include: 

• sunpass-only interchanges, both new 

interchanges and conversions of 

existing interchanges. 

• open road tolling facilities at 

heavily congested turnpike Mainline 

toll locations. 

• lower-cost transponders. 

• business partnerships with airports 

to promote the use of sunpass as an 

efficient means of paying for airport 

parking. 

• additional retail locations for sunpass 

transponder sales. 

Sunpass Transponders 

(in millions) 

3.0 

2.5 

2.0 

1.5 

1.0 

0.5 

.05 

.21 

.42 

.66 

.90 

1.47 

1.99 

2.53 

3.00 

0 

99 00 01 02 03 

Year 

04 05 06 07 

Marketing strategies have been creative, varied, and critical to the success 

of SunPass: Eye-catching billboards tout the good life of the SunPass user; 

a Burma-Shave-style ad campaign, using a series of signs along one-mile 

stretches of roadway, convey humorous and memorable messages; car wraps 

reflecting the popular Florida’s Turnpike toll collector shirt design 

turn work vehicles into traveling billboards; agreements with CVS 

Corporation and Publix Supermarkets place SunPass transponders 

at more than 1,000 retail locations statewide; SunPassages, the 

Turnpike Enterprise’s SunPass customer newsletter, provides a steady 

stream of information to customers; radio spots run at various key times 

on top-rated stations; 30-second customer testimonials appear on TV; 

and Sunny SunPass, the Turnpike’s mascot, promotes SunPass through 

his vibrant presence. Each of these marketing avenues has proven to be 

very successful in increasing SunPass transponder sales.

Marketing Strategies 

Since its inception in 2003, the Turnpike’s marketing effort 

has included a variety of strategies, including billboards 

along the roadway and posters at toll plazas. 

ITS ImprovemenTS 

In addition to SunPass, there are several other important traffic 

management projects under way. 

The Turnpike is an active participant in SunGuide SM , Florida’s intelligent 

transportation system. The goal of SunGuide is to give motorists precise 

and current information about traffic conditions. Participating agencies 

are in various stages of developing technologies for use in South Florida. 

The Turnpike now has two operational Traffic Management Centers 

(TMCs) from which SunGuide technologies are deployed. Both the 

Turkey Lake Operations Center, located on the Turnpike Headquarters 

campus, and the Pompano Operations Center are operated by Turnpike 

personnel 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

The Turnpike installed 19 dynamic message signs along the Turnpike 

Mainline. These fiber-optic displays were installed on structures spanning 

the Turnpike and are linked to the Pompano and Turkey Lake TMCs. The 

signs are used to inform Turnpike customers of downstream roadway 

conditions and are supplemented by nine highway advisory radios, which 

transmit voice messages through the 1640 AM radio frequency. 

The Turnpike also substantially completed the SunNav SM Intelligent 

Transportation System (ITS) Phase 2 Fiber Project in FY2006. This 

design-build project included the installation of 80 miles of fiber-optic 

34 cable and 85 pan-tilt-zoom closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras on 35 

the Turnpike Mainline from Boca Raton to Fort Pierce. 

The completion of the com- 

munications backbone ex- 

tension of the fiber from 

Fort Pierce to Wildwood in 

2007 will connect the ITS 

components to the two 

Turnpike TMCs and provide a link to the Turnpike’s operational part- 

ners. This infrastructure will accommodate vehicle detection systems 

and cameras every mile of the Turnpike Mainline. 


6 

responding to crisis 

Based on valuable experience 

gained from hurricanes that 

damaged areas through 

which the Turnpike passes, 

the Turnpike Enterprise has 

now completed emergency 

traffic routing plans for 

each service plaza on the 

Turnpike system, including 

both regular traffic flow 

and contraflow operations. 

In addition, the Turnpike 

Enterprise has established 

emergency “strike teams” – 

employees who volunteer to 

assist at service plazas during 

emergency situations. 

STATE FARM 

Safety Patrol 

Mailnline safety prograM 

Over the years, Florida’s Turnpike has been a leader in implementing 

programs that promote safe travel. In FY2005, recognizing that increases 

in traffic mean a greater potential for crossover accidents, Florida’s 

Turnpike Enterprise implemented a life-saving initiative to install median 

guardrails to protect the entire length of the Turnpike Mainline. The 

Turnpike Enterprise adjusted its annual Work Program to allocate the 

$75 million necessary to expedite completion of the Median Guardrail 

Program. A team of Turnpike Enterprise staff, six consultant firms, and 

five contractors completed the design and installation of 187 miles of 

guardrail in nine counties in only 15 months – 3 months earlier than 

originally planned. 

rendering of turnpike contraflow for eMergency evacuations 


8 

Completion of the barrier protection systems in FY2005 is already paying 

safety dividends. Crash data compiled by Turnpike Traffic Operations 

confirms a nearly 70-percent reduction in crossover accidents as a result of 

the installation of median guardrails. And as the next step towards safety, 

in FY2006 the Turnpike began implementing a Canal Protection Plan. 

In Support of the Mainline 

Safety Program, the 

Turnpike Safety Break 

Program provides free coffee 

to holiday 

travelers at the 

24-hour plaza 

restaurants on 

the busiest travel 

days of the year. Customers 

have to agree to use their 

safety belts to receive their 

free coffee. 

The guardrail installation project is the cornerstone of the Turnpike’s Five- 

Point Mainline Safety Program, which also includes: public awareness, 

educating motorists on the importance of traveling safely through 

construction zones and wearing safety belts; holiday safety breaks, 

providing free coffee to holiday travelers at the 24-hour plaza restaurants 

on the busiest travel days of the year; expanded law enforcement presence, 

including 15 new Troop K Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) investigation 

officers; and incident management, designed to help reduce the time 

involved in restoring travel lanes back to service after an accident. 


9

40 

sr 10 interchange in palM beach county 

jog road interchange under construction 

interchanges and widenings 

Towards the goal of keeping goods and people moving in Florida by 

providing interchange access and alleviating traffic where necessary, 

there are several new interchanges and widenings on the Turnpike. 

Current widenings are located throughout South and Central Florida, 

and the following highlights a sampling of new interchanges. 

State Road 710 Interchange - This new interchange in Palm 

Beach County opened in FY2006 and helps relieve traffic congestion 

at adjacent interchanges. This was the first fully SunPass-only 

interchange, setting the precedent for future interchanges. 

Interchange at Kissimmee Park Road – This $18.9-million 

project includes construction of a SunPass-only northbound on-ramp 

and a SunPass-only southbound off-ramp at Kissimmee Park Road 

near its intersection with Old Canoe Creek Road. Included in the 

project are the reconstruction of the Kissimmee Park Road Bridge over 

the Turnpike, and the reconstruction of Kissimmee Park Road. 

Jog Road Interchange – Construction of a partial interchange 

at Jog Road in Palm Beach County, just north of Southern Boulevard, 

consists of SunPass-only ramps to and from the south only, and 

includes bridge-widening work, signs and pavement markings, 

lighting, signalization, and landscaping. 

At a cost of approximately $12.8 million, the interchange will 

increase access to Florida’s Turnpike and reduce traffic congestion at 

Okeechobee Boulevard. 


41

42 

pompano beach service plaza, broward county 

Then 

Now 

4

Northwest 74th Street Interchange and Okeechobee 

Mainline Toll Plaza Conversion – A new Turnpike interchange, 

with an approximate cost of $63.4 million, will be constructed at Northwest 

74th Street in conjunction with the conversion of the Okeechobee Mainline 

toll plaza into a SunPass open road tolling plaza. 

The toll plaza conversion will allow motorists with SunPass to travel at 

highway speeds while their tolls are collected via SunPass equipment 

overhead, alleviating the need for gates, tollbooths, and slowing down. 

Cash-paying motorists will need to pull off the highway onto ramps 

with traditional tollbooths and then merge back onto the travel lanes. 

The new interchange at Northwest 74th Street will have SunPass-only 

toll plazas on the northbound exit and southbound entrance ramps. 

Motorists entering the northbound Turnpike and southbound motorists 

exiting the Turnpike at Northwest 74th Street will have the option to pay 

cash at the Okeechobee Mainline toll plaza. Mainline widening in palM beach county 

turnpike Mainline widening at the beachline west expressway 

Then NowFuture 

then, now, and future – The Golden Glades Interchange in Miami, 

the southern-most entry point to the Turnpike Mainline, will 

offer drivers the option of open road tolling. The Golden Glades 

Toll Plaza is shown in the two photographs. The future Golden 

Glades Plaza is shown in the rendering. 

converting to open road tolling 

The Turnpike’s Toll System Replacement Project is a multiyear effort 

under way to bring new or substantially upgraded in-lane hardware and 

software, plaza hardware and software, and transaction host hardware 

and software to the Florida’s Turnpike system. Lane- and host-level 

systems will provide open road tolling capability as well as automated 

cash collection to reduce operating costs. 

44 45 

During FY2006, the Turnpike Enterprise acquired The Sunshine 

Speedway, a quarter-mile track located north of St. Petersburg. The new 

Toll Equipment Test Track, opened in April 2006, allows the Turnpike’s 

Toll Systems Engineering group to test and monitor toll equipment 

configured for conventional and open road tolling lanes, with the 

ultimate goal of helping to provide safe and convenient road travel for the 

millions of customers using Florida’s toll roads. 

In July 2006, the reversible expressway on the Tampa-Hillsborough 

Expressway Authority’s (THEA’s) Selmon Crosstown Expressway opened for 

traffic. Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise operates the toll collection for THEA. 


Opened in July 2006, THEA’s Selmon Crosstown 

Expressway has a three-lane open road tolling 

location that tolls SunPass traffic westbound 

during the morning rush hour, and in the 

eastbound direction when the road reverses 

for evening rush hour. This is the first 

reversible open road tolling gantry in the 

United States. 

46 4

48 

This reversible, three-lane, open road tolling location tolls SunPass traffic 

westbound during the morning rush hour and in the eastbound direction 

when the road reverses for evening rush hour. The Turnpike Enterprise and 

its contractors worked to advance the open road tolling design, creating a 

time-synced, network-based, redundant toll collection system. 

All Florida’s Turnpike system Mainline plazas are being converted to 

provide open road tolling. In support of this, the Turnpike Enterprise has 

developed a new toll gantry that is not only attractive, but also highly 

functional. New interchanges on the Turnpike system will support 

SunPass-only tolling. This will lower construction costs and improve the 

operational efficiency of toll collection. 

value for your tolls 

When the Florida 

Legislature named Florida’s 

Turnpike an “Enterprise” in 

2002, the Turnpike began 

creating a new business 

model to better serve the 

mobility needs of the state 

and provide greater value 

for the tolls paid by 

Turnpike customers. In fact: 

• toll rates have increased few 

tiMes over the years. 

• factoring in inflation, 

traveling florida’s turnpike 

Mainline is actually less 

expensive now than it was when 

it was first built. 

• rates for sunpass custoMers 

were not increased with the 

Most recent, 2004, toll rate 

increase. 

• the Most recent toll rate 

increase brought in additional 

revenue, enabling the turnpike 

to construct a nuMber of 

projects earlier than scheduled. 

The toll system replacement project can be directly linked to several 

Enterprise strategies and performance measures. Most notably, it supports 

the Turnpike’s 75-percent electronic toll collection participation goal and 

its ongoing efforts to provide innovative customer service. Performance 

measures related to the rating for toll operations, cost per transaction, 

and toll collection efficiency are also directly impacted. The expected 

toll system replacement will provide expanded in-lane customer services, 

increase back-office efficiency and reporting, and support the Turnpike 

Enterprise’s open road tolling initiatives, while maximizing investment 

return and toll collection efficiency. 

a new way of doing business 

Since being charged by the 2002 Florida Legislature to create a new 

business model that would better serve the mobility needs of the state, 

Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise has worked diligently to implement best 

practices from the private sector, while maintaining focus on its public- 

sector responsibility. 

To provide the state with a “dashboard” for measuring success, Florida’s 

Turnpike Enterprise has established a series of performance measures. 

These measurements actively gauge the organization’s progress in the 

areas of safety, customer service, staffing, project delivery speed, and 

financial soundness. 

Performance Measure: 

Customer Perceived Value for Toll 

92% 

90% 

88% 

86% 

84% 

82% 

80% 

02 

03 04 


05 06 


49

50 

secretary 

Stephanie Kopelousos 

executive director and 

chief executive officer 

James L. Ely, DPA 

planning and 

production 

Nancy Clements, PE 

florida 

transportation 

commission 

chief financial general 

officer 

counsel 

William F. Thorp, CPA J. Walter Spiva 

toll 

operations 

Evelio D. Suarez 

fhp troop k 

coMMander 

Chief James M. Lee 

coMMunications 

and Marketing 

Kimberlee L. Poulton 

deputy executive director and 

chief operating officer 

Christopher L. Warren, PE 

highway 

operations 

Jennifer Olson, PE 

There have been many 

organizational structures in 

the history of Florida’s 

Turnpike, but the one in place 

during the 50th Anniversary 

of the Turnpike, on January 25, 

2007, exhibits the Enterprise’s 

business model. 

business developMent and 

concessions ManageMent 

Richard D. Nelson 

In addition, Florida’s Turnpike is measuring up to expectations in other 

ways. Consultants and contractors compose 90 percent of Florida’s 

Turnpike Enterprise staff. Ongoing employee education, including 

“We Drive Smiles” training, is creating a work culture that encourages 

involvement, responsibility, and superior performance by all those involved 

in Turnpike activities. Partnerships forged with other public and private 

entities are making new roads and interchanges possible. Investments in 

innovative technologies are improving both revenue collection efficiency 

and customer service. And new safety programs, public information 

initiatives, and operations strategies are making a difference. 

Moving into the next 50 years 

Today, Florida is the 15th largest economy in the world, with 1,100 

additional people a day deciding to call Florida home. There is no 

question that the appeal of the “Sunshine State” is riper than ever. 

Demographers agree that when the U.S. Census is completed in 2010 

Florida will officially overtake New York as the third largest state in 

the union. This continued increase in population and economic activity 

will mean a continued increase in the need for high-volume, high-speed 

transportation facilities. 

Simultaneously, the aging baby-boomer generation is straining federal 

resources with no extra revenue in Washington D.C. for transportation. 

Likewise, state resources fall farther behind in their ability to fully 

fund needed transportation projects. These demographic, economic, and 

financial realities are converging to form the transportation equivalent of 

a “perfect storm,” thrusting modern-day transportation funding beyond 

the tipping point and squarely into the 21st century. With 50 years of 

experience in providing user-financed infrastructure, Florida’s Turnpike is 

poised to continue its leadership role well into the future. 


51

52 

then and now Florida’s Turnpike 

Toll ColleCTors 

above: florida’s turnpike toll collectors, 

decked out in their 1968 garb, display their 

governor’s award for Most courteous toll 

plaza. 

left: custoMer service excellence award 

recipient linda sMith-collins wearing today’s 

toll collector apparel. 

The last 50 years of Florida’s Turnpike were built upon a solid foundation 

of constructing, widening, and improving facilities to meet the insatiable 

demand of Florida’s residents, businesses, and visitors. The next 50 

years of Florida’s Turnpike will be marked by major investments in 

technology and a broader distribution of user-financed transportation 

products throughout the state. In 20 years, paying tolls with cash on 

Turnpike roads will be a thing of the past as the Turnpike becomes all 

electronic, and toll roads and interchanges constructed in the future will 

not accommodate cash transactions. 

A fully electronic Turnpike will mean no one will ever wait in line to 

pay a toll, resulting in safer roads and a more efficient agency that can 

put more toll revenue directly into new transportation projects for the 

state. New transportation products like managed express lanes in the 

medians of congested urban interstates will turn frustrated commuters 

into satisfied Turnpike customers. The future of transportation is 

also one of partnerships, and the Turnpike Enterprise will seek out 

other transportation agencies to help provide a seamless multi-modal 

transportation solution for the future of Florida. 

As Florida’s population has grown over the past 50 years, so too has the 

need for and mission of Florida’s Turnpike. The success of Florida and 

Florida’s Turnpike has become increasingly bound together over time as 

new residents choose to relocate near and rely upon the many arteries 

that make up the Turnpike System. Today that system of roads runs 

through 16 counties holding nearly 70 percent of the state’s population, 

serving over 2 million customers a day. The future of Florida and Florida’s 

Turnpike are inextricably linked — and both are very bright indeed! 


5

54 

florida and florida’s turnpike: 

growing hand-in-hand 

Florida 

Population 

(in millions) 

18 

14 

10 

Turnpike Toll 

& Concession Revenues 

(in Millions) 

600 

500 

400 

300 

200 

100 

6 

2 

2.77 

$5.4 

4.95 

6.79 

$27.1 

$52.1 

50 60 70 80 


9.75 



$130.4 

12.94 

$348.2 

15.98 

18.08 

90 00 06 

$643.0 

90 00 06 

Turnpike 

Centerline 

Miles 

450 

400 


300 


200 


100 

As the state of Florida’s population and their 

needs have grown over the past half-century, 

Florida’s Turnpike has kept pace, meeting the 

transportation requirements of the state’s 

residents and those who visit here. 


108 

265 



320 

343 

401 

90 00 06 

460 

Turnpike 

Vehicle trips 

(in Millions) 

500 

400 

300 

200 

100 

4.5 

27.6 

53.1 



132.8 

306.0 

515.8 

90 00 06

Pensacola 

18 

10 

ROAD KEY 

Fort 

Walton 

Beach 

Existing Turnpike System 

Turnpike Expansion Projects Under Study 

FDOT-Owned-and-Operated Facilities 

FDOT-Operated Facilities (Not Owned) 

Other FIHS Highways 

Florida’s Turnpike System 

A Component of Florida’s Intrastate Highway System (FIHS) 

19 

Panama 

City 

Existing Turnpike System Components 

1. Florida’s Turnpike (1957 and 1964) 

2. Beachline West Expressway (1973) 

3. Homestead Extension of Florida’s Turnpike (1974) 

4. Sawgrass Expressway (Acquired 1990) 

5. Seminole Expressway, Project 1 (1994) 

6. Veterans Expressway (1994) 

7. Southern Connector Extension (1996) 

8. Polk Parkway (1998) 

9. Suncoast Parkway, Project 1 (2001) 

10. Seminole Expressway, Project 2 (2002) 

11. Western Beltway, Part C (I-4 to Seidel Road) (2006) 

Planned System Expansion 

12. Suncoast Parkway, Project 2 (U.S. 98 to U.S. 19) Design 

FDOT-Owned-and-Operated Facilities 

13. Alligator Alley 

14. Beachline East Expressway 

15. Pinellas Bayway System 

16. Sunshine Skyway Bridge 

FDOT-Operated Facilities (Not Owned) 

17. Crosstown Expressway (Lee Roy Selmon) 

18. Garcon Point Bridge 

19. Mid-Bay Bridge 

10 

98 

319 

Tallahassee 

19 

9 

6 

27 

75 

19 

12 

689 

17 

St. Petersburg 

15 

16 

441 

8 

441 

Lake City 

75 

27 

98 

75 

10 

Gainesville 

441 

Tampa 

441 

27 

Orlando 

11 

75 

Ocala 


4 

13 

429 

570 

Lakeland 

Sarasota 

Fort 

Myers 

Key West 

441 

27 

Naples 

95 

4 

3 

Jacksonville 

417 

St. Augustine 

Turnpike Enterprise Headquarters 

at Turkey Lake 

4 

75 

Daytona Beach 

10 

Turnpike Enterprise SunPass Service Center 

and Tolls Data Center at Boca Raton 

Turnpike Enterprise Operations Center 

at Pompano Beach 

95 

5 

2 

14 

869 

7 

1 

Melbourne 

Fort Pierce 

West Palm 

Beach 

Fort 

Lauderdale 

Miami

Florida's Turnpike 50 Year Celebration

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