State Road 429 (SR 429), also known as the Daniel Webster Western Beltway or Western Expressway south of
US 441, and the Wekiva Parkway north of US 441, is a limited-access
toll road
A toll road, also known as a turnpike or tollway, is a public or private road (almost always a controlled-access highway in the present day) for which a fee (or ''toll'') is assessed for passage. It is a form of road pricing typically implemented ...
built and maintained by the
Central Florida Expressway Authority
The Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) is a highway authority responsible for construction, maintenance and operation of toll roads in six counties of Greater Orlando (Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole, and Brevard Counties). It was ...
(CFX), the
Florida's Turnpike Enterprise
Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) is a unit of the Florida Department of Transportation that operates toll roads in Florida. The current Executive Director is Nicola Liquori.
History
The Florida State Turnpike Authority was authorized by the F ...
, and the
Florida Department of Transportation
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the powers of t ...
(FDOT). Its mainline currently extends from
I-4 (SR 400) in
Four Corners
The Four Corners is a region of the Southwestern United States consisting of the southwestern corner of Colorado, southeastern corner of Utah, northeastern corner of Arizona, and northwestern corner of New Mexico. The Four Corners area ...
north to I-4 in
Sanford.
Control cities
A control city is a city, locality, or other location posted on a series of traffic signs along a particular stretch of road indicating destinations on that route. Together with route numbers and cardinal directions, these focal points aid the m ...
are
Apopka
Apopka is a city in Orange County, Florida. The city's population was 55,000 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area. ''Apopka'' comes from Seminole word ''Ahapopka'' for "Potato eating ...
and
Tampa
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...
although the
control cities
A control city is a city, locality, or other location posted on a series of traffic signs along a particular stretch of road indicating destinations on that route. Together with route numbers and cardinal directions, these focal points aid the m ...
for traffic at the entrances at US 441 and north are
Orlando
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures rele ...
, Tampa, and
Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, or simply Daytona, is a coastal resort-city in east-central Florida. Located on the eastern edge of Volusia County near the Atlantic coastline, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 census. Daytona Beach is approximately nort ...
. SR 429 was originally planned as a western half of
SR 417.
Route description
SR 429 traverses some of the highest elevations in
Orange County
Orange County most commonly refers to:
*Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Orange County may also refer to:
U.S. counties
*Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando
*Orange County, Indiana
*Orange County, New ...
and is often within a few miles of the
Lake Wales Ridge
The Lake Wales Ridge, sometimes referred to as the Mid-Florida Ridge,Eastern States Archaeological Federation. ''Archaeology of Eastern North America, Volume 11'', p. 54 is a sand ridge running for about 150 miles south to north in Central Florida. ...
. It runs along the west side of
Greater Orlando
The Orlando metropolitan area, commonly referred to as Greater Orlando, Metro Orlando, Central Florida as well as for U.S. Census purposes as the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, is a metropolitan area in the ...
. The road peaks at Mile Marker 13 where on clear days it is possible to see the
skyline
A skyline is the outline or shape viewed near the horizon. It can be created by a city’s overall structure, or by human intervention in a rural setting, or in nature that is formed where the sky meets buildings or the land.
City skylines ...
of
downtown Orlando to the northeast and various portions of
Walt Disney World Resort
The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake, Florida, Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando ...
to the southeast.
Florida's Turnpike Enterprise
Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) is a unit of the Florida Department of Transportation that operates toll roads in Florida. The current Executive Director is Nicola Liquori.
History
The Florida State Turnpike Authority was authorized by the F ...
maintains the portion of the expressway south of Seidel Road, and
CFX controls the portion north of the interchange.
FDOT
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the powers of t ...
will control the portion under construction north of
SR 46.
History
The highway is named the "Daniel Webster Western Beltway" in honor of
Daniel Webster
Daniel Webster (January 18, 1782 – October 24, 1852) was an American lawyer and statesman who represented New Hampshire and Massachusetts in the U.S. Congress and served as the U.S. Secretary of State under Presidents William Henry Harrison, ...
, Florida's longest-serving legislator and figure often involved in state transportation issues.
Section A
Section A is the original section from
Florida's Turnpike
Florida's Turnpike, designated as unsigned State Road 91 (SR 91), is a toll road in the U.S. state of Florida, maintained by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE). Spanning approximately along a northwest–southeast axis, the turnpike is in two s ...
in
Ocoee, to
US 441 in
Apopka
Apopka is a city in Orange County, Florida. The city's population was 55,000 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area. ''Apopka'' comes from Seminole word ''Ahapopka'' for "Potato eating ...
. It has a toll plaza in the middle, which was the first toll plaza in the Orlando area with
open road tolling
Open road tolling (ORT), also called all-electronic tolling, cashless tolling, or free-flow tolling, is the collection of tolls on toll roads without the use of toll booths. An electronic toll collection system is usually used instead. The ma ...
for users of the
E-Pass and related
electronic toll collection systems. The road itself was finished in July 2000, temporarily ending at
SR 50, and the four-level cloverstack interchange with
Florida's Turnpike
Florida's Turnpike, designated as unsigned State Road 91 (SR 91), is a toll road in the U.S. state of Florida, maintained by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE). Spanning approximately along a northwest–southeast axis, the turnpike is in two s ...
was completed in February 2001. Prior to the reconstruction of the
I-4/
SR 408 interchange near
Downtown Orlando in 2021, this interchange featured the highest ramp in the Orlando area.
SR 429 was originally planned to continue north from its original US 441 junction, but because the land needed for the SR 429 right of way was not secured ahead of time, new housing was developed north of the former SR 429/US 441 (now
SR 451/US 441) intersection. This has forced a change in plans for the extension of SR 429.
Section B
Section B, also known as the Wekiva Parkway, would connect SR 429 from US 441 to I-4 in
Sanford. This section of roadway is still currently under construction. It has been under debate for over a decade, due to its planned alignment being complicated by the ecologically fragile
Wekiva River
The Wekiva River (sometimes spelled Wekiwa, a Creek word meaning "spring of water") is a river in Central Florida, north of Orlando in the United States. It originates in Apopka and joins the St. Johns River, the longest river in the state, in ...
basin and shifty support from
Lake County. In 2004, an agreement was reached for its completion. It will be built largely as a long causeway with a limited number of exits to better control development in the region. It is now planned to link SR 429 with
SR 417, creating a continuous beltway north of Orlando; however, older plans involved a short drive on I-4 or its
collector/distributor roads to reach SR 417.
On May 25, 2011, the
Florida Department of Transportation
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the powers of t ...
and
CFX announced that they have partnered to jointly explore the construction of the Wekiva Parkway extension. The proposed route will extend through Orange, Lake, and Seminole Counties and is estimated to cost $1.8 billion. Officials hope to break ground in 2012, with completion by 2021.
On January 20, 2016, the first stub section from CR 435 (Mount Plymouth Road) near Haas Road in Orange County to SR 46 east of Camp Challenge Road in Lake County opened to traffic and it is the first all-electronic toll road in Central Florida.
On July 27, 2017, the Wekiva Parkway's mainline was extended from the US 441 connector road to a new northern terminus at Kelly Park Road.
On March 31, 2018, the Wekiva Parkway's mainline was extended from Kelly Park Road to a new northern terminus at SR 46. Along with this, a spur known as
SR 453 connecting the Wekiva Parkway with SR 46 near
Sorrento
Sorrento (, ; nap, Surriento ; la, Surrentum) is a town overlooking the Bay of Naples in Southern Italy. A popular tourist destination, Sorrento is located on the Sorrentine Peninsula at the south-eastern terminus of the Circumvesuviana rail ...
was opened in conjunction with the extension. This was the final section of the
CFX's Section 2 of the road, and the final section of the
CFX's section altogether. The final section of the Wekiva Parkway between SR 46 and I-4 is under construction and is planned to open in 2023. This section will be constructed and maintained by
FDOT
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the powers of t ...
.
On May 16, 2022, a section of the Wekiva Parkway between
SR 46 near
Mount Plymouth
Mount Plymouth or Mount Osorno is a conspicuous peak rising to 520 m in the northeast extremity of Dryanovo Heights, Greenwich Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The peak has precipitous and partly ice-free northern slopes, and sur ...
to SR 46 just west of Longwood Markham Road in Seminole County opened to traffic. This was the longest section of FDOT's section of the highway to open and includes several wildlife crossing bridges.
On August 1, 2022, the northbound lanes of a section of the Wekiva Parkway between SR 46 just west of Longwood Markham Road and SR 46 just west of Orange Boulevard in Seminole County opened to traffic, while the southbound lanes opened to traffic on August 15, 2022.
On October 21, 2022, the ramp from westbound I-4 to southbound SR 429, along with the section of the southbound lanes to SR 46 opened to traffic. This section is in length.
Section C
Section C is the section from Florida's Turnpike to I-4 (SR 400) in
Four Corners
The Four Corners is a region of the Southwestern United States consisting of the southwestern corner of Colorado, southeastern corner of Utah, northeastern corner of Arizona, and northwestern corner of New Mexico. The Four Corners area ...
south of
Walt Disney World
The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, th ...
. The section from Florida's Turnpike to CR 535 was completed in December 2002. The part from CR 535 south to New Independence Parkway opened December 16, 2005, with the extension to
US 192 opening December 23. The Turnpike-maintained section, south of Seidel Road, was on a very tight construction schedule. An extended cold snap required the contractor to push to reach the opening date, although the interchanges at Western Way and Seidel Road were not complete. The Western Way interchange was not scheduled to open until Spring of 2006 to coincide with the opening of the new
Expedition Everest
Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain is a steel roller coaster built by Vekoma at Disney's Animal Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The ride is themed around the Yeti protecting the Forbi ...
ride at
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park is a zoological theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. Owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division, it is the l ...
. The open road tolling gantry, while located north of US 192, was let for construction with the southern five miles (8 km) and was never intended to be open to traffic in conjunction with the 2005 opening between
US 92 and Seidel. The Schofield Road interchange was identified as a future interchange, meaning that on December 23 no interchanges were open between US 192 and New Independence Parkway. Other openings were April 4, 2006 for Western Way, April 12, 2006, for Seidel Road, and December 9, 2006, for the remainder from US 192 south to I-4.
The Schofield Road interchange opened in May 2015.
State Road 414 Phase 2
During June 2010, construction work began on the westward extension of
SR 414. Approximately of SR 429 roadway was demolished and on May 14, 2012, a new interchange opened from SR 429 northbound to SR 414 eastbound and from SR 414 westbound to SR 429 southbound. SR 429 and SR 414 now runs concurrently to a new intersection with
US 441 near
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
where the SR 414 designation ends. The control city is
Mount Dora. The road previously signed as SR 429 north of the current SR 414 interchange has been redesignated as SR 451 and has been extended across US 441 to a new northern terminus at Vick Road.
Exit list
See also
*
Central Florida Expressway Authority
The Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) is a highway authority responsible for construction, maintenance and operation of toll roads in six counties of Greater Orlando (Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole, and Brevard Counties). It was ...
*
Florida State Road 453
References
External links
SR 429 (Western Beltway) – Central Florida Expressway AuthorityWekiva Parkway – Central Florida Expressway Authority
{{Fla Tpk
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Freeways in the United States
2000 establishments in Florida