State Road 589 (SR 589), also known as the Veterans Expressway and Suncoast Parkway, is a north–south
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 ...
near the
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
Gulf Coast.
[Veterans Expressway/Suncoast Parkway](_blank)
Maintained and operated by
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 ...
, this transportation corridor extends from
State Road 60 in
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 ...
, north to
State Road 44 near
Lecanto
Lecanto is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Citrus County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 5,882, up from 5,161 in 2000. It is home to several county government facilities such ...
. The Veterans Expressway was built to accommodate the increasing commuter traffic in the
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 ...
-
St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
metropolitan area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...
, with the Suncoast Parkway opening in 2001, extending from near the northern terminus of the Veterans Expressway to U.S. Route 98, with a possible northern extension to
U.S. Route 19
U.S. Route 19 (US 19) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the Eastern United States. Despite encroaching Interstate Highways, the route has remained a long-haul road, connecting the Gulf of Mexico with Lake Erie.
The highway's southern ...
/U.S. Route 98 in
Crystal River in
Citrus County
Citrus County is a county located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 153,843. Its county seat is Inverness, and its largest community is Homosassa Springs.
Citrus County compris ...
in the planning and development stages. As of February 28, 2022, Phase I of the extension is now open between US 98 and
Florida State Road 44
State Road 44 (SR 44) is an east–west state highway in the U.S. state of Florida. It runs from Crystal River on the Gulf of Mexico east to New Smyrna Beach on the Atlantic Ocean, passing through Inverness, Wildwood, Leesburg and DeLand. ...
. Phase II, which would further extend the highway to County Road 486, is undergoing the design phase.
Route description
Veterans Expressway
The Veterans Expressway extends from
State Road 60 (the
Courtney Campbell Causeway
The Courtney Campbell Causeway is the northernmost bridge across Old Tampa Bay, carrying State Road 60 between Clearwater, Florida in Pinellas County and Tampa, Florida in Hillsborough County.
History
The Causeway was commissioned by t ...
) west of
Tampa International Airport
Tampa International Airport is an international airport west of Downtown Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority (HCAA)., effective December 30, 2021. T ...
to Van Dyke Road in northern
Hillsborough County. The southern two miles (3 km), between Courtney Campbell Causeway and Hillsborough Avenue (on the west side of Tampa International Airport), upgraded Eisenhower Boulevard to expressway standards with frontage roads and is not tolled. North of Hillsborough Avenue, the remaining are tolled.
Between Courtney Campbell Causeway and Van Dyke Road, intermediate
interchanges
Interchange may refer to:
Transport
* Interchange (road), a collection of ramps, exits, and entrances between two or more highways
* Interchange (freight rail), the transfer of freight cars between railroad companies
* Interchange station, a rai ...
are provided at Independence Parkway, Memorial Highway, Hillsborough Avenue, Waters Avenue, Anderson Road, Linebaugh Avenue/Wilsky Boulevard, Gunn Highway, Ehrlich Road, Hutchison Road and Dale Mabry (known as the spur). There are two mainline SunPass gantries (Anderson and Sugarwood) and six ramp plazas. The Veterans Expressway converted to all-electronic, cashless tolling in 2014. Drivers must have a SunPass or they will be billed with TOLL-BY-PLATE. The "N minus 1" formula is used for multiaxle vehicles on all Turnpike facilities except for the ticket system on the Turnpike mainline and the T ramp on the I-4 Connector. N minus 1 may be calculated by counting the number of axles, minus 1, times the passenger car toll rate at each plaza.
Suncoast Parkway
The 55-mile-long Suncoast Parkway (SR 589) proceeds north from the Veterans Expressway to
SR 44 in
Citrus County
Citrus County is a county located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 153,843. Its county seat is Inverness, and its largest community is Homosassa Springs.
Citrus County compris ...
,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, near
Lecanto
Lecanto is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Citrus County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 5,882, up from 5,161 in 2000. It is home to several county government facilities such ...
.
The Suncoast Parkway is the first
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 ...
toll road to feature
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 m ...
. The three mainline toll plazas on the Suncoast Parkway feature bypasses where those paying cash remain on the mainline and stop at the toll plaza while those with
Sunpass
SunPass is an electronic toll collection system within the state of Florida, United States. It was created in 1999 by the Florida Department of Transportation's (FDOT's) Office of Toll Operations, operating now as a division of Florida's Turnpik ...
or related transponders exit the mainline roadway, bypass the toll plaza and then re-enter the mainline. This differs from other
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 m ...
locations in Florida where transponder users remain on the mainline and bypass toll booths built to the side.
Suncoast Trail
![3bears](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/3bears.jpg)
As part of the Suncoast Parkway project, a multi-use paved recreational trail called the Suncoast Trail was constructed parallel to the western side of the highway, and opened along with the Parkway itself in 2001. The trail begins at Lutz-Lake Fern Road (Exit 16), and continues north for to the highway's terminus at
State Road 44. Four miles north of
State Road 54, an additional 6.5-mile paved bicycle trail connects the Suncoast Trail to the J. B. Starkey Wilderness Park in New Port Richey. Use of the Suncoast Trail is free, but in late 2010, a $2.00 parking fee was implemented at the Lutz-Lake Fern trailhead (Hillsborough County). At the same time, Pasco County implemented a parking fee, but it was rescinded in late 2017. Motor vehicles are prohibited along the entire trail, except for Park Rangers, and other authorized vehicles.
![Suncoast Trail Bridge over FL 50-2-](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Suncoast_Trail_Bridge_over_FL_50-2-.jpg)
For most of its length, the Suncoast Trail stays close to the parkway, separated by fences, grass, and in some places concrete barriers. Bridges that cross rivers and streams were built with enough width to accommodate trail users. Where roads cross above the parkway, particularly north of
State Road 52, the trail briefly strays from the parkway, allowing users to cross the intersecting road at-grade.
Pedestrian and cyclist crossing of minor cross streets is regulated by posted signs. At busier intersections, pedestrian crossing signals are part of the traffic signal systems already in place. The notable exception is at the
State Road 50 interchange near
Brooksville, where a dedicated overpass has been constructed to cross State Road 50, approximately west of the main parkway.
Tolls
The Veterans Expressway is an all-electronic toll road and does not accept cash. It ceased cash collection in June 2014.
The Suncoast Parkway was the first of Florida's Turnpike Enterprise expressways to feature open-road tolling when it opened in 2001. However, unlike roads that were later converted into open-road tolling, the SunPass
transponder
In telecommunications, a transponder is a device that, upon receiving a signal, emits a different signal in response. The term is a blend word, blend of ''transmitter'' and ''responder''.
In air navigation or radio frequency identification, a T ...
users must turn their vehicle onto an off-ramp while cash users stay on the main highway route at toll plazas. During a resurfacing project in 2012-2013, the lanes were reconfigured, and signage modified, to give the outer SunPass lanes the appearance of being the primary route. Access to the booths on the inner part of the roadway, was reduced to a single lane.
Toll rates were adjusted statewide on October 29, 2017. In January 2020, the Suncoast Parkway stopped accepting cash payment of tolls, converting fully to SunPass and Toll-By-Plate.
History
Veterans Expressway
The Veterans Expressway is the north-south portion of what was the
Northwest Hillsborough Expressway
The Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) owns, operates and maintains the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway in Tampa. The Selmon Expressway is a tolled highway. The Reversible Express Lanes (REL), a highway within a highway, runs in the middle on ...
, originally proposed in the 1960s as the northwest beltway around Tampa's outer limits. As the plans finalized, the communities along the route grew, leading to rising land costs and opposition to the expressway dividing the towns.
Lutz
Lutz is a surname and given name, occasionally a short form of Ludwig. People with the name include:
Surname
*Adolfo Lutz (1855–1940), Brazilian physician
* Aleda E. Lutz (1915–1944), American Army flight nurse
*Alois Lutz, Austrian figure ...
was especially vocal, eventually rallying state politicians to cancel the expressway construction altogether. By the mid-1980s, the expressway was broken in two segments, the Veterans Expressway and the Lutz Expressway. In the early 1990s, the
Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority
The Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) owns, operates and maintains the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway in Tampa. The Selmon Expressway is a tolled highway. The Reversible Express Lanes (REL), a highway within a highway, runs in the middle on ...
began to build the Veterans Expressway, but was depleted of funds, leading to
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 ...
purchasing the right of way using the existing design to complete construction of the expressway. State Road 589 was designated the Veterans Expressway in 1992 and was completed in October 1994.
From its opening in 1994, the Veterans Expressway saw very little changes in its roadway configuration. When the Suncoast Parkway was constructed in 1998 (through 2001), the Van Dyke Road interchange was reconfigured.
Former sections
With the completion of the Suncoast Parkway in 2001, the stub of the Veterans Expressway from Exit 13 to Dale Mabry Highway was designated
State Road 568.
Originally, State Road 589 was concurrent with State Road 60 between Exit 2A and Exit 1, then extended to West Spruce Street and Boy Scout Boulevard. These roads were re-designated as
SR 616.
South of the southern terminus, SR 589 was planned to be branched off onto the West Crosstown Expressway and become part of the
Lee Roy Selmon Expressway
The Lee Roy Selmon Expressway is a all-electronic, limited access toll road in Hillsborough County, Florida, It connects the South Tampa neighborhood near MacDill Air Force Base with Downtown Tampa and the bedroom community of Brandon. The ex ...
, at the Selmon Expressway's Exit 4. The West Crosstown was canceled due to a
freeway revolt
Highway revolts (also freeway revolts, expressway revolts, or road protests) are organized protests against the planning or construction of highways, freeways, expressways, and other civil engineering projects that favor vehicles.
Many freeway re ...
, and the SR 589 and SR 449 designations were eliminated from the
Lee Roy Selmon Expressway
The Lee Roy Selmon Expressway is a all-electronic, limited access toll road in Hillsborough County, Florida, It connects the South Tampa neighborhood near MacDill Air Force Base with Downtown Tampa and the bedroom community of Brandon. The ex ...
.
Suncoast Parkway
![SR 589 ends ahead](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/SR_589_ends_ahead.jpg)
Construction began on the Suncoast Parkway in 1998, and opened in 2001 in two stages at a cost of $507 million. The section from the Veterans Expressway to State Road 50 opened in February 2001 and the section from State Road 50 north to U.S. Route 98 opened in August 2001.
Tampa Airport interchanges
In August 2005, a massive reconstruction project began on the interchanges between I-275 and Memorial Highway, near
Tampa International Airport
Tampa International Airport is an international airport west of Downtown Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority (HCAA)., effective December 30, 2021. T ...
after being shelved for over fifteen years. The project consisted of a four-level
stack interchange
A directional interchange, colloquially known as a stack interchange, is a type of grade-separated junction between two controlled-access highways that allows for free-flowing movement to and from all directions of traffic. These interchanges e ...
at the Spruce St Interchange, a three-level interchange at the
Courtney Campbell Causeway
The Courtney Campbell Causeway is the northernmost bridge across Old Tampa Bay, carrying State Road 60 between Clearwater, Florida in Pinellas County and Tampa, Florida in Hillsborough County.
History
The Causeway was commissioned by t ...
, and an extensive auxiliary exit ramp system stretching from Independence Pkwy to just north of I-275. The first phase, dealing with the northbound lanes to the airport was completed on March 31, 2010 at a cost of $202 million. The second phase, which upgrades the southbound lanes, is currently in the early design stages and there is currently no timetable set for construction.
The project has resulted in better access from southbound Veterans Expressway to the Courtney Campbell Causeway on
State Road 60, the Airport to
I-275 Interstate 275 (I-275) may refer to:
*Interstate 275 (Florida), a loop through Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Bradenton in Florida
*Interstate 275 (Michigan), a western bypass of Detroit, Michigan
*Interstate 275 (Ohio–Indiana–Kentucky), a full belt ...
and the WestShore Business District. According to the Florida Department of Transportation, the tallest flyover is long and high at its peak.
![FL-589 & Tampa Airport split](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/FL-589_%26_Tampa_Airport_split.jpg)
As of August 2007 video cameras have been added on the road every 10th of a mile down the span of the toll road.
Widening of the Veterans Expressway, All-Electronic Tolling, and Express Lanes
This improvement project, which began May 2013, widens 11 miles (17.7 km) of the Veterans Expressway between Memorial Hwy and Van Dyke Rd. The improvements, which are divided into five separate projects, double the capacity of the highway from four to eight lanes. Part of the widening improvements include reconstruction of 38 existing bridges and the building of three new bridges.
The widening project also includes a concurrent project to convert the section from Memorial Highway to Van Dyke Road to all-electronic tolling (AET) providing non-stop travel. In addition, the conversion of the Suncoast Parkway to AET will occur concurrent with the expansion into Citrus County, thereby providing enhanced benefits to drivers using the entire Toll 589 corridor. The project introduces Express Lanes (also known as Managed Lanes) to the region. A congestion management tool (which is already in place along parts of I-95 and I-595 in Miami), Express Lanes offer motorists a choice that provides an opportunity for a faster through-trip, with greater trip reliability and safety. All-Electronic tolling is being implemented in segments while the widening project continues. This latter process began in June, 2014.
The new Linebaugh southbound on-ramp opened in early summer 2015. The Anderson Road exit was reconstructed to accommodate widening the mainline roadway under the bridge. The southbound on-ramp opened in spring 2015, with the northbound off-ramp following by early summer. On the night of June 13, 2014, the segment between Memorial Highway and Gunn Highway converted to All-Electronic Toll Collection. On September 5, 2014, the segment between Gunn Highway and Hutchison Road was converted.
On December 9, 2017, the first phase of the Express Lanes, between Gunn Hwy and Hillsborough Ave, opened to traffic. The lanes will not be subjected to the variable rate toll until closer to the time that the second phase from Gunn Hwy to Dale Mabry opens.
While the reconstruction of the Veterans wrapped up in 2018, the Florida's Turnpike Enterprise still has not activated variable tolling for the express lanes. As of October, 2021, the agency is converting the lanes to general purpose "Thru Lanes", similar to that of portions of the
Beachline Expressway
State Road 528 (SR 528), alternatively named the Martin Andersen Beachline Expressway (with parts previously named the Bee Line Expressway), is a partially-toll road, tolled state road in the U.S. state of Florida; it is maintained by ...
. Lane dividers will remain intact, but signage will change to reflect the conversion.
Future
Suncoast Parkway extension
A planned expansion project of the Suncoast Parkway will feature a 13-mile extension from US 98 to State Road 44 in
Citrus County
Citrus County is a county located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 153,843. Its county seat is Inverness, and its largest community is Homosassa Springs.
Citrus County compris ...
, providing the Parkway's extension into that county.
The project follows a northerly route, paralleling US 19 and CR 491. Three interchanges are proposed: completion of the US 98 interchange, a new interchange at Cardinal Road and a partial interchange at SR 44. The extension will be an all-electronic, cashless toll facility.
The extension will be implemented under two separate projects to be let as design-bid-build contracts in 2016. Estimated project costs are $135 million, opening on February 28th, 2022.
The original expansion plans featured an additional 15-mile extension from SR 44 to US 19; however, this portion remains unfunded with no timetable for its beginning.
Possible Extension towards Jacksonville
FDOT is currently evaluating the possibility of further extending the Suncoast Parkway to create a seamless, limited access, tolled highway between Tampa and Jacksonville. The highway would be able to connect to I-75 either near the Ocala/Gainesville area, or near Lake City, then possibly I-10, the First Coast Expressway, and/or I-95 as it enters the Jacksonville metro area. Currently, those wishing to make a trip between Tampa and Jacksonville can use I-4 to I-95, I-75 to I-10, or various surface roads such as U.S. 301.
Criticism
The Suncoast Parkway (both the existing route and the newly opened extension) has raised criticism from several opponents.
Citrus County residents believe that the extension would disrupt the quiet, undisturbed sections of Citrus County and bring forth more urban sprawl to the county. Furthermore, impacted residents fear that the parkway alignments come too close to their residences and will cause excessive noise and decreased property values.
Historic preservation groups oppose the extension as the planned alignment would essentially wipe out the
Etna Turpentine Camp Archeological Site
The Etna Turpentine Camp Archeological Site is an abandoned turpentine camp near Inverness, Florida. Records indicate it was built in the early 1900s. It was discovered by accident when the Florida Gas Transmission Company was exploring a route fo ...
, which is on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
In addition, a planned alignment threatens an underground water supply for the Homosassa Special Water District.
Furthermore, the toll estimates for the original Suncoast Parkway have fallen far below expectations (actual revenues USD$22M vs. USD$150M estimated), leading ''
Tampa Bay Times
The ''Tampa Bay Times'', previously named the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It has won fourteen Pulitzer Prizes since 1964, and in 2009, won two in a single y ...
'' columnist
Craig Pittman to ask why an extension is needed on a road that has had far fewer users than planned.
Exit list
References
External links
Tampa Airport Interchanges Project PageSuncoast Parkway Proposed Extension Project Pagean
mapa
100 Florida Trails
{{DEFAULTSORT:589
State highways in Florida
Toll roads in Florida
State Roads in Hillsborough County, Florida
State Roads in Pasco County, Florida
State Roads in Hernando County, Florida
Parkways in the United States
Florida State Road 589
State Road 589 (SR 589), also known as the Veterans Expressway and Suncoast Parkway, is a north–south toll road near the Florida Gulf Coast.
Florida Scenic Highways