|
|
 |
Florida's Turnpike North - West Palm Beach to Kissimmee
| Northbound Florida's Turnpike |
| Northbound reassurance marker posted at Port St. Lucie after Exit 142. Photo taken 04/20/08. |
| A short distance north of Florida 716 in Port St. Lucie is the Port St. Lucie Service Plaza on Florida's Turnpike northbound. The facility lies within the median of the toll road and offers food, fuel, and tourist information. Photo taken 04/20/08. |
| One mile south of the Port St. Lucie Service Plaza on Florida's Turnpike northbound. The next facility lies 40 miles north at Ft. Drum, with just the Ft. Pierce interchange in between. Photo taken 04/20/08. |
| The new West Virginia Drive four-lane overpass crosses over Florida's Turnpike northbound ahead of the service plaza. A stone wall highlights the cities of Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce at the crossing. Photo taken 04/20/08. |
| Florida's Turnpike northbound at the Port St. Lucie Service Plaza off-ramp. The facility is similar to design to other plazas along the 300 plus mile toll road. Photo taken 04/20/08. |
| Turnpike trailblazers posted within the Port St. Lucie Service Plaza. The concept of being able to turn around at a service plaza is unheard of along other ticketed turnpikes such as those in Pennsylvania or New Jersey. When turning around on those, the maximum toll is levied onto motorists, as U-turns are illegal otherwise. Photo taken 02/16/08. |
| 
| Continuing north, Turnpike travelers head another seven miles to Ft. Pierce and junction Florida 70. Photos taken 02/16/08 & 04/20/08. |
|
|
|
| A landfill represents the tallest geographical location in Palm Beach County. Swarms of seagulls are a common sight above the trash dump. Florida's Turnpike passes over Glades Cutoff Road and the Florida East Coast Railroad ahead of the landfill. Photo taken 02/16/08. |
| Two miles south of the Exit 152 trumpet interchange with Florida 70 (Okeechobee Road) on Florida's Turnpike northbound. Exit 152 serves the USDA Horticultural Lab and the University of Florida Research & Education Center. Photo taken 02/16/08. |
| Interstate 95 switches sides with Florida's Turnpike for the final time at the one-mile guide sign for Florida 70 (Exit 152). The freeway bypasses Port St. Lucie and Ft. Pierce to the west. Photo taken 02/16/08. |
| Exit 152 represents the final opportunity to access Interstate 95 northbound for Melbourne, Daytona Beach, and Jacksonville before Florida's Turnpike veers inland toward Osceola and Orange Counties. Photo taken 02/16/08. |
| An isolated downpour falls on Florida's Turnpike at the Exit 152 trumpet interchange with Florida 70 (Okeechobee Road). Florida 70 interchanges with Interstate 95 (Exit 129) just east of the turnpike and otherwise continues east into Fort Pierce along Virginia Avenue. Photo taken 04/20/08. |
| Northbound at the Exit 152 ramp departure to Florida 70 (Okeechobee Road). Florida 70 ends at U.S. 1 with U.S. 1 continuing north to Vero Beach and south back to Port St. Lucie. Florida 70 west meanwhile sinks to the southwest to Okeechobee on the cross-peninsula drive to Arcadia and Bradenton. Photo taken 04/20/08. |
| 
| Leaving the Ft. Pierce area, Florida's Turnpike enters a 41-mile exit less stretch to Yeehaw Junction and southern Osceola County. Photos taken 02/16/08. |
| 
| Wetlands and cattle land compose the landscape of Florida's Turnpike between Ft. Pierce and Yeehaw Junction. The four-lane road curves westward on the ten mile drive out of Exit 152. Photos taken 02/16/08 & 04/20/08. |
| 
| 
| While traveling north and west, Florida's Turnpike parallels a power line corridor emanating from south Florida. Photos taken 02/16/08 & 04/20/08. |
| 
| 
| Curving northwestward again into Indian River County with the power lines in tow. Photos taken 02/16/08 & 04/20/08. |
| 
| Florida's Turnpike travels due west parallel to the Indian River and Okeechobee County line before curving northwest toward the Ft. Drum Service Plaza. Photos taken 04/20/08. |
| The Turnpike nips the northeast corner of Okeechobee County within the vicinity of Fort Drum and Osowaw Junction (both of which lie along nearby U.S. 441). Photo taken 04/20/08. |
| 
| 
| Fort Drum Service Plaza provides fueling and eating venues in addition to tourist information. Like the plazas before and after it, it resides within the median of the Turnpike mainline. Photos taken 04/20/08. |
| Continuing north, Florida's Turnpike heads another nine miles to Yeehaw Junction, the cross roads of U.S. 441 and Florida 60. Photo taken 04/20/08. |
| Florida's Turnpike enters Indian River County for the second time on the five-mile approach to Yeehaw Junction. Photo taken 04/20/08. |
| Osceola County represents the longest stretch of Florida's Turnpike wholly within one county. Florida's Turnpike enters in the rural southern half and departs through growing Kissimmee Photo taken 04/20/08. |
| Two mile guide sign for U.S. 441 & Florida 60 posted on Florida's Turnpike near Yeehaw Junction. U.S. 441 enters the settlement from Okeechobee and Fort Drum to the south. Photo taken 02/16/08 or 04/20/08. |
| Florida 60 crosses the Peninsula of Florida between Clearwater Beach and Vero Beach. The state highway is four lanes through much of its routing, and is currently being expanded in southern Osceola County. West of Exit 193, Florida 60 connects the Turnpike with Lake Wales and Bartow in Polk County. Photo taken 04/20/08. |
| Drivers not departing the Turnpike at Yeehaw Junction must continue another 51 miles north to St. Cloud. U.S. 441 also continues north to St. Cloud, but on a parallel routing from Yeehaw Junction to Kenansville and Holopaw. Photo taken 04/20/08. |
| Florida's Turnpike northbound at the Exit 193 ramp departure to Florida 60. Florida 60 intersects U.S. 441 nearby at the Desert Inn Historic Site. Eastward the state highway heads 24 miles to Interstate 95 and 30 miles into Vero Beach. Photo taken 04/20/08. |
| A trumpet interchange and access road join Florida's Turnpike with Florida 60 east of junction U.S. 441. Photo taken 04/20/08. |
| Florida 60 shield assembly posted at the end of the Exit 193 off-ramp at Yeehaw Junction. A small assortment of traveler services reside nearby, but otherwise the area is empty cattle land or wetlands. This may change if the lofty proposal to build a 50,000 resident town dubbed "Destiny" comes to fruition along Florida 60 west of U.S. 441. Photo taken 04/20/08. |
| U.S. 441 meets the Turnpike directly at the next northbound interchange, but otherwise provides a two-lane alternate route to the toll road between Yeehaw Junction and Holopaw. Photo taken 04/20/08. |
| Mileage sign posted along Florida's Turnpike northbound at the Exit 193 interchange at Yeehaw Junction. The four-lane toll road continues 54 miles to Kissimmee and 49 miles to the next exit at St. Cloud. Photo taken 02/16/08. |
| 
| Typical scenes through rural and swampy southeast Osceola County on Florida's Turnpike northbound. Photos taken 02/16/08. |
| A carriageway separation occurs just north of the Williams Road under crossing, perhaps a remnant of a planned service area. Photo taken 02/16/08. |
| 
| 
| The Turnpike continues without many kinks or curves through central Osceola County. The Canoe Creek Service area lies four miles north of a second carriageway separation. Photos taken 02/16/08. |
| Canoe Creek Road (Osceola County 523) spans Florida's Turnpike one mile south of the Canoe Creek Service area. Like other service plazas on the turnpike mainline, the facilities reside within the freeway median. Photo taken 02/16/08. |
| Florida's Turnpike northbound at the Canoe Creek Service plaza off-ramp. Gas, food, and tourist information are provided at the facility. Photo taken 02/16/08. |
| Continuing north, Florida's Turnpike travelers are provided with another mileage sign highlighting the distances to junction U.S. 192 (and U.S. 441) [Exit 242] and Osceola Parkway (Osceola County 522) [Exit 249]. These are final two interchanges within Osceola County. Photo taken 02/16/08. |
| One mile south of the Three Lakes main line Toll Plaza on Florida's Turnpike northbound. Three Lakes Plaza represents the end of the ticketed system and beginning of the cash/coin system of the toll road. Photo taken 02/16/08. |
| Passing under Friar's Cove Road on the one-half mile approach to the Three Lakes Toll Plaza. Photo taken 02/16/08. |
| Open road tolling for SunPass account holders is not yet available at the Three Lakes Toll Plaza. Instead SunPass drivers must slow to 25 mph and use a dedicated SunPass toll booth lane or one of the conventional lanes for passage. Photo taken 02/16/08. |
| 
| Signs already tout the Orlando area attractions, such as Universal Studios and Walt Disney World, along Florida's Turnpike northbound in the St. Cloud vicinity. Photos taken 02/16/08. |
| A SunPass only half-diamond interchange opened in December 2006 between Florida's Turnpike and Osceola County 525 (Kissimmee Park Road). Signed as Exit 240, the ramps mainly serve commuters in newly developed areas of south St. Cloud. Photo taken 02/16/08. |
| Additional interchange modifications in Osceola County occurred at Exit 244, where a conventional trumpet interchange was altered with the construction of new Exit 242, a northbound-only ramp to U.S. 192-441 outside of the St. Cloud city limits. The original Exit 244 off-ramp was removed during this process. Photo taken 04/20/08. |
| U.S. 192 & 441 share pavement from Holopaw in rural east Osceola County to near downtown Kissimmee. The pair travel a busy arterial route between downtown St. Cloud and U.S. 17-92 (Main Street) in Kissimmee. Osceola Heritage Park, home of Osceola County Stadium (Spring Training site of MLB's Houston Astros), the Osceola County Fairgrounds, and the Silver Spurs Rodeo, lies a short distance to the northwest. Photo taken 04/20/08. |
| Exit 242 departs Florida's Turnpike northbound for U.S. 192 & 441. U.S. 192 east & 441 south travel via 13th Street from the St. Cloud Canal crossing into the heart of the city. The tandem continue northwest through growing unincorporated areas to east Kissimmee and junction Osceola County 530 (Boggy Creek Road). U.S. 441 meets Florida's Turnpike again near Taft. Photo taken 04/20/08. |
| The third Osceola County interchange joins Florida's Turnpike with Osceola County 522 (Osceola Parkway) in north Kissimmee. Interstate 4 and Orlando are reached within 25 miles. Photo taken 04/20/08. |
| Florida's Turnpike cuts through eastern Kissimmee through northern Osceola County. Meeting the toll road at the next interchange (Exit 249) is Osceola Parkway, an east-west arterial between Buena Ventura Lakes and north Kissimmee. Photo taken 04/20/08. |
| 0.50-mile guide sign for Osceola Parkway posted on Florida's Turnpike northbound. Osceola Parkway carries the designation of Osceola County 522 west from Boggy Creek Road (Osceola County 530) through to the Orange County line. The portion west of Flora Boulevard exits as a controlled-access toll expressway. Photo taken 04/20/08. |
| A diamond interchange joins Florida's Turnpike with Osceola Parkway (Osceola County 522) at Exit 249. Osceola Parkway joins the Turnpike with U.S. 17-92-441 (Orange Blossom Trail) south of its interchange with Florida 417 Toll (Central Florida Greeneway). The connection provides the most direct route between the two toll roads as no interchange exists yet between the two. Otherwise Osceola County 522 east to Boggy Creek Road north leads to Orlando International Airport; Osceola Parkway west continues into the Walt Disney World complex, ending at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Photo taken 04/20/08. |
| 
| Florida's Turnpike reassurance marker posted after the Orange County line. Photos taken 04/20/08. |
Continue north to Orlando
Page Updated April 26, 2008.
|
|
 |
|
