Over the course of nearly 80 miles, between Exit 101 (Collier County Route 951/Florida 84) and Exit 23 (U.S. 27), Interstate 75 passes through the Everglades via the Everglades Parkway/Alligator Alley. Crossing into Broward County about two-thirds of the way through the Everglades, at the eastern boundary to Big Cypress National Preserve, Interstate 75 remains a good distance from the urban masses of South Florida. However, after passing the eastern toll booth and crossing the U.S. 27 interchange, Interstate 75 is suddenly immersed in an urban driving situation. Placated drivers who have spent over an hour being lulled by the peace and calm (and relative monotony) of the Everglades are brought into a realm of wider freeways and plentiful more traffic. This becomes evident as Interstate 75 approaches the Interstate 595 and Toll Florida 869 interchange (Exit 19). Here, Interstate 75 has three lanes of traffic in each direction, and Road Ranger signs such as this one begin to appear (they are found throughout Broward County on the urbanized freeways). Photo taken 12/28/03.
Southbound Interstate 75 widens from three lanes to five lanes as it approaches Exit 19, Junction Interstate 595/Port Everglades Expressway and Toll Florida 869/Sawgrass Expressway. The left three lanes carry Interstate 75 south toward Hialeah and Miami, while the right three lanes offer connections to Interstate 595 eastbound and Toll Florida 869 northbound. This configuration may seem counterintuitive since Interstate 595 continues due east as the Port Everglades Expressway, but this allows the left lanes to continue south as Interstate 75. Interstate 595 is spur from Interstate 75 east to Florida's Turnpike, Interstate 95, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport, U.S. 1, and Port Everglades. It is a rather congested route that can be slow going during commute hours. As a spur of Interstate 75, it perhaps should have been numbered as "Interstate 575," but the connection to Interstate 95 instead gave it an x95 designation instead. Although there are freeway connections to Interstate 95 via Florida 826/Palmetto Expressway and via Toll Florida 836/Dolphin Expressway, Interstate 595 is the only direct Interstate Highway connection between Interstate 75 and Interstate 95. Photo taken 12/28/03.
A nearly symmetrical stack interchange (made unusual by the Interstate 75 through traffic lanes turning from eastbound to southbound) becomes visible along southbound Interstate 75 as it approaches Exit 19, Junction Interstate 595/Port Everglades Expressway and Toll Florida 869/Sawgrass Expressway north. Since Interstate 75 acts as the only east-west freeway corridor between Southwest Florida (Naples, Fort Myers, Cape Coral) and South Florida (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach), traffic from Interstate 75 southbound may also choose to take Toll Florida 869/Sawgrass Expressway north toward West Palm Beach and Fort Pierce via a connection to Florida's Turnpike. The Sawgrass Expressway is a connecting route that begins at this interchange, travels north to Coral Springs, then turns east to culminate at Florida's Turnpike. Florida 869 continues east as a surface street from that point to connect to Interstate 95 and the coast (U.S. 1). So, travelers are afforded three options: north Toll Florida 869 to West Palm Beach, east Interstate 595 to Fort Lauderdale, and south Interstate 75 to Miami and points south via the Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike (HEFT/Florida 821) and/or U.S. 1, including Key West. The left three lanes continue south on Interstate 75, while the right three lanes connect to Toll Florida 869 and Interstate 595. Photo taken 12/28/03.
Now on the Exit 19 transition ramp, the three-lane exit again splits, this time with two lanes heading north on Toll Florida 869 en route to Coral Springs and West Palm Beach (via Florida's Turnpike) and two lanes traveling east on Interstate 595. Although maps may show Interstate 595 as the through road in this interchange, it really is part of the exit ramp from Interstate 75. Notice how the two lanes for Interstate 595 curve to the left (north) a bit after the Toll Florida 869 lanes depart. This is because Interstate 595 needs to continue due east along the path of Interstate 75/Florida 84 west of Exit 19. Florida 84, in fact, remains as Interstate 595's frontage road between Interstate 75 and near Interstate 95. Photo taken 12/28/03.
Seventeen miles south of the Interstate 75/Interstate 595/Toll Florida 869 interchange, Interstate 75 approaches its final two miles. Traffic for Florida's Keys and the U.S. 1 Overseas Highway should take the Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike at Exit 5. The following interchange is Exit 4, Junction Florida 860/Miami Gardens Drive, followed by the exit depicted here: Exit 2, Graham Dairy Road/NW 138th Street. Photo taken 12/28/03.
Southbound Interstate 75 approaches Exit 2, Graham Dairy Road/NW 138th Street, one-half mile. This interchange primarily services local traffic into northwestern Hialeah. Photo taken 12/28/03.
Now reaching Exit 2, Graham Dairy Road/NW 138th Street, southbound Interstate 75 approaches its southern terminus. One of the longest north-south Interstate Highways in the countries, Interstate 75 finishes its southerly journey on the outskirts of Miami, within the city of Hialeah at the Florida 826/Palmetto Expressway and Toll Florida 924/Gratigny Parkway interchange. It does not connect to another Interstate or U.S. route at its southern terminus, but both state routes that emanate from this interchange are freeways. Note the use of the "Interstate 75 Ends One Mile" sign. There is one more sign like that at the next sign bridge (see next image). Photo taken 12/28/03.
As Interstate 75 passes under the Graham Dairy Road overpass, the freeway turns from southbound to eastbound for a final time, as evidenced by the turn in the freeway here. Photo taken 12/28/03.
Interstate 75 ends in one-half mile. The left two lanes will continue as the tolled Gratigny Parkway via Toll Florida 924; the right two lanes will exit onto Florida 826/Palmetto Expressway. Use the far right lane for Florida 826/Palmetto Expressway south to downtown Miami, Miami International Airport, and points south via U.S. 1 and Florida's Turnpike. Use Florida 826/Palmetto Expressway north to connect with Interstate 95 at the Golden Glades Interchange, with connections to U.S. 1 and north Miami-Dade County beach areas. Unfortunately, this overhead sign does not mention Toll Florida 924; it is assumed that through traffic will default onto that highway. Photo taken 12/28/03.
Southbound Interstate 75 is four lanes wide as it approaches its southern terminus; the Florida 826/Toll Florida 924 interchange is visible in the background. Photo taken 12/28/03.
Interstate 75 reaches its southern terminus at the interchange with Florida 826/Palmetto Expressway. There is no END Interstate 75 shield or sign assembly present here. For the first time, through traffic is advised to continue straight in the left three lanes along Toll Florida 924/Gratigny Parkway. The toll is not mentioned on these signs. The final exit, a loop ramp from southbound Interstate 75 to Florida 826/Palmetto Expressway north, is not photographed here. Photo taken 12/28/03.
This view of the final interchange along Interstate 75 shows the ramp to Exit 1A, Junction Florida 826/Palmetto Expressway north, as seen from the transition ramp onto southbound Florida 826/Palmetto Expressway. Photo taken 12/28/03.
Only a single lane is used for traffic transitioning onto southbound Florida 826/Palmetto Expressway. This freeway can be very congested, and it is only six lanes wide in most places. Southbound Florida 826 is the most direct route to Miami International Airport, downtown Miami, and Miami Beach, all via Toll Florida 836. If Interstate 75 were to be extended to Miami via Florida 826 and Toll Florida 836, this freeway ramp, along with most of Florida 826, would have to be upgraded to Interstate standards, which is an expensive proposition. Photo taken 12/28/03.
At the end of the tight transition ramp from southbound Interstate 75 to southbound Florida 826/Palmetto Expressway is this exit sign for NW 122nd Street in Hialeah. There is no advance notification for this sign. Photo taken 12/28/03.
