Wikipedia

Florida State Road 80

(Redirected from Southern Boulevard (Palm Beach County, Florida))

State Road 80 (SR 80) (also known as Palm Beach Boulevard in Lee County and Southern Boulevard in Palm Beach County) is a 123.5 miles (198.8 km) route linking US 41 Business in Fort Myers and State Road A1A in Palm Beach. The road is the northernmost of three linking Southwest Florida to South Florida via the Everglades (Alligator Alley and Tamiami Trail being the other two). Due to increasing traffic, State Road 80 has experienced upgrades and widening in various sections since 2000.

State Road 80 marker
State Road 80
Map
SR 80 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by FDOT
Length123.500 mi[1] (198.754 km)
Existed1945 renumbering (definition)–present
Major junctions
West end US 41 in Fort Myers
Major intersections I-75 near Tice
SR 29 in LaBelle
US 27 in South Bay
US 98 / US 441 near Belle Glade
Florida's Turnpike near Royal Palm Beach
I-95 in West Palm Beach
US 1 in West Palm Beach
East end US 98 / SR A1A in Palm Beach
Location
CountryUnited States
StateFlorida
CountiesLee, Hendry, Palm Beach
Highway system
← SR 79→ SR 81

Route description

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Lee and Hendry Counties

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State Road 80 begins at an intersection with US 41 (Tamiami Trail) in downtown Fort Myers. From the terminus, it runs briefly along Main Street northeast to Monroe Street in the historic downtown of Fort Myers. This segment of SR 80 terminates at Monroe Street and the route becomes discontinuous. Historically, SR 80 continued east through downtown but that segment has since been turned over to city control.[2]

State Road 80 resumes at Allen Street (just east of Seaboard Street) on the east side of Fort Myers.[3] From here, it is known as Palm Beach Boulevard, a four-lane divided highway that parallels the Caloosahatchee River. It follows the river east out of the city, expanding to six lanes east of the Ortiz Avenue (CR 865) intersection in Tice. It has an interchange with Interstate 75 as it passes through the eastern suburbs of Fort Myers before being reduced to four lanes east of SR 31 before leaving Lee County and entering Hendry County. At its county seat, LaBelle, it serves as the town's main street and intersects SR 29. Within LaBelle, SR 80 is known as Hickpochee Avenue.[4] After LaBelle, it continues east until an interchange with US 27, where the two roads run concurrently as a four-lane highway as it heads east towards Clewiston and the southern coast of Lake Okeechobee.[5][6] Within Clewiston, US 27 and SR 80 are also known as Sugarland Highway.[7]

Palm Beach County

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SR 80/US 98 near Palm Beach International Airport

In Palm Beach County, it serves as a commuter route between South Bay and Belle Glade at the western end, growing suburbs in Westlake, Loxahatchee, Wellington, Royal Palm Beach and the county seat, West Palm Beach. In South Bay, US 27 heads south towards Miami, following the North New River Canal. Between Belle Glade and Loxahatchee, the roads are surrounded by sugarcane fields in the Everglades Agricultural Area, with US 441 and US 98 both joining State Road 80 during this stretch. Lion Country Safari marks the beginning of a rural to suburban and later urban transition of the road for the remainder of its journey. The road doubles from four to eight lanes in Royal Palm Beach, as the road serves as the border between Royal Palm Beach and Wellington. At the State Road 7 intersection, US 441 turns south towards Miami. The South Florida Fairgrounds and the Coral Sky Amphitheater, where the South Florida Fair takes place, are next on the route, just east of SR 7. After passing Florida's Turnpike, it gains two more lanes and becomes an expressway, with diamond interchanges with Jog Road, Haverhill Road and Military Trail. East of Military Trail, it loses a lane in each direction as it straddles the southern end of Palm Beach International Airport, where private aircraft are serviced, with commercial access to the airport available via SR 704A. It then approaches a bridge over the Tri-Rail main line as it intersects Interstate 95 at Exit 68, then becomes a four-lane road in several older, high-density neighborhoods in West Palm Beach. East of the Florida East Coast Railway bridge crossing, it intersects US 1 and SR 5, reducing to two lanes as it crosses Lake Worth Lagoon on two bridges, and ending on a roundabout with SR A1A in Palm Beach near the Mar-a-Lago estate.[5][6]

History

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Eastern terminus of US 98/SR 80, Palm Beach

The route of State Road 80 was largely built in the 1920s. The first vehicle to travel the route from Belle Glade to Palm Beach was in 1923.[8] The section from Twenty Mile Bend to West Palm Beach was considered part of the Conners Highway, which opened on July 4, 1924. Segments west of Lake Okeechobee would be completed by 1926.[9]

The route was first designated State Road 25 in 1923, running from Palm Beach to Punta Rassa. As a result of the 1945 Florida State Road renumbering, the route became State Road 80 from Fort Myers to Palm Beach, and the segment west of Fort Myers to Punta Rassa became State Road 867. (Ironically, State Road 25 still applies today to the concurrency with US 27 as that is now US 27’s hidden designation).[10]

The segment between Belle Glade and Twenty Mile Bend, designated as the Kenneth C. Mock Memorial Highway was completed in 1989, making SR 80 a four-lane divided highway between Belle Glade and West Palm Beach. Prior to this, SR 80 (and US 441) ran just to the south along what is now County Road 880.[11] US 98, which previously ran along SR 700 (Conners Highway), would later be rerouted onto this route beginning around 2000.

Until 2002, Palm Beach County's Southern Boulevard was a four-lane road with a center left-turn lane, causing high gridlock due to the rapidly growing western suburbs of Loxahatchee, Royal Palm Beach and Wellington.[12] The road was known as "Killer 80" due to its high fatality rate.[13] In 2002, after many years of debate, the Florida Department of Transportation embarked on a $78 million project to upgrade and widen Southern Boulevard from I-95 to US 441/SR 7.[12] Between 2003 and 2008, it was transformed into a limited-access highway with freeway-grade diamond interchanges at the most congested intersections, with traffic signals remaining at others.[14][15]

In Hendry County, a project to improve the intersection between SR 80 and US 27 and add an overpass was completed at the end of 2014.[16] SR 80 was widened from east of LaBelle to CR 833 west of Clewiston in 2020. This widening eliminated the last two-lane undivided segment of SR 80, and it is now at least four lanes from Fort Myers to West Palm Beach.[17]

In 2022, the current bridges across Lake Worth Lagoon between West Palm Beach and Palm Beach were completed, replacing bridges that had been built in 1950.[18]

Downtown Fort Myers alignment

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Former SR 80 through downtown Fort Myers on First Street.

State Road 80's routing through downtown Fort Myers has changed a few times over the years. When designated in 1945, State Road 80 ran along First Street and terminated at Fowler Street. At the time, US 41 (Tamiami Trail) ran through downtown Fort Myers on First Street west of Fowler Street and crossed the Caloosahatchee River on the original Edison Bridge.

SR 80 would be extended through downtown along First Street in 1964 when US 41 was rerouted over the Caloosahatchee Bridge near Carson Street on the west side of downtown (First Street also carried the US 41 Business Route concurrently west of Fowler Street at this time).[19]

In the late 1980s, SR 80 was split into one-way street pairs from Monroe Street through downtown to Seaboard Street in East Fort Myers. From Monroe Street, eastbound traffic ran along Second Street and Seaboard Street, where it reconnected to the westbound lanes at Palm Beach Boulevard. Westbound traffic continued along Palm Beach Boulevard and First Street, and then shifted to Bay Street west of Fowler Street. At Monroe Street, both directions rejoined along Main Street to connect to US 41.[20]

SR 80 between Monroe and Fowler Streets was relinquished to the city of Fort Myers on January 11, 2006 as part of the downtown redevelopment and streetscape effort, which first created the gap in the route that exists today. The city restored this segment of the streets to two-way traffic.[1][21] The segment of SR 80 east of Fowler Street to Allen Street (just east of Seaboard Street) remained one-way and under state control at this time.

SR 80 east of Fowler Street to Allen Street was relinquished to the city in August of 2018.[22] Though the state still maintains the historic Billy's Creek Lift Bridge.[3] The City of Fort Myers restored the remaining one-way segments of First, Second, and Seaboard Streets to two-way traffic in June of 2022.[23][24]

Major intersections

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CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
LeeFort Myers0.0000.000  
 
  US 41 (Cleveland Avenue) to CR 867 south (McGregor Boulevard)		west end of concurrency with US 41 Bus.
0.1680.270 
  
 
  SR 82 east / US 41 Bus. east (Monroe Street south)
Main Street east – Downtown		east end of concurrency with US 41 Bus.
Gap in route
0.0000.000 
 
  US 41 Bus. south (Fowler Street / SR 739)		One-way southbound
0.2370.381 
 
  US 41 Bus. north (Park Avenue / SR 739) – North Fort Myers		One-way northbound
0.8311.337Billy's Creek Bridge over Billy Creek (under state maintenance)
1.2612.029Allen Streetwest end of state maintenance
Tice3.8616.214Ortiz Avenue (CR 865 south)Northern terminus of CR 865
​5.0608.143  I-75 – Naples, TampaExit 141 on I-75
Fort Myers Shores7.74612.466 
  SR 31 north – Arcadia		Southern terminus of SR 31
Buckingham Road (CR 876 west) – Lehigh AcresEastern terminus of CR 876
Alva17.15127.602Broadway Street to CR 78 – Alva
17.72428.524 
  CR 884 west (Joel Boulevard) – Lehigh Acres		Eastern terminus of CR 884
Hendry​22.86036.790Fort Denaud Road (CR 78A east) – Fort DenaudWestern terminus of CR 78A
Fort Denaud27.32543.975Fort Denaud Road (CR 78A west) / Cowboy Way (CR 80A east)Eastern terminus of CR 78A; western terminus of CR 80A
LaBelle28.45045.786Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (CR 731 south)
29.21047.009 
  SR 29 south (Main Street) – Immokalee		Western terminus of concurrency with SR 29
29.27747.117 
  SR 29 north (Bridge Street) – Palmdale		Eastern terminus of concurrency with SR 29
Port LaBelle34.23055.088 
  CR 80A south (Cowboy Way)		Northern terminus of CR 80A
​48.70978.390 
  CR 833 south – Big Cypress Seminole Reservation		Northern terminus of CR 833
Whidden Corner51.67783.166 
  US 27 north – Sebring		Interchange; western terminus of concurrency with US 27
​58.09693.496 
  CR 720 west		Eastern terminus of CR 720
Clewiston60.67097.639W.C. Owen Avenue (CR 832 east)Western terminus of CR 832
​62.851101.149 
  CR 835 south (Evercane Road)		Northern terminus of CR 835
Palm BeachSouth Bay76.526123.157 
  US 27 south – Fort Lauderdale		Eastern terminus of concurrency with US 27
Belle Glade78.329126.058 
  SR 715 north (SW 16th Street) – Pahokee		Southern terminus of SR 715; truck bypass to West Palm Beach, Pahokee, and Canal Point}
79.391127.767 
  CR 827A south		Northern terminus of CR 827A
80.524129.591Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (CR 880 east)
  SR 15		Former routing of SR 80 until 1989; western terminus of CR 880; southern terminus of SR 15
80.766129.980Canal Street South (SR 717)
​83.534134.435 
  
  
  
  US 98 west / US 441 north / SR 15 north (Hooker Highway) / SR 812 west – Pahokee, Canal Point		Eastern terminus of concurrency with SR 15; western terminus of concurrency with US 98 / US 441;
truck bypass to Pahokee, Canal Point, South Bay
​96.871155.899 
  
  SR 700 west / CR 700 east (Conners Highway) – Canal Point		Eastern terminus of SR 700; western terminus of CR 700
Twenty Mile Bend101.780163.799 
  CR 880 west		Former routing of SR 80 until 1989
Wellington–Royal Palm Beach line110.479177.799Forest Hill Boulevard / Crestwood BoulevardTo SR 882
Royal Palm Beach113.25182.26 
   US 441 south / SR 7		Interchange; eastern terminus of concurrency with US 441
​115.47185.83  Florida's Turnpike / Pike Road – Miami, OrlandoSouthbound Turnpike is accessed via Pike Road; exit 97 on Turnpike
​116.79187.96Jog RoadInterchange
​118.32–
118.83		190.42–
191.24		  SR 809 (Military Trail) / Haverhill RoadInterchange
Glen Ridge120.68194.22 
   SR 807 south (Congress Avenue) / Australian Avenue (CR 704A north) – Palm Beach International Airport		Interchange; northern terminus of SR 807; southern terminus of CR 704A (former SR 704A)
West Palm Beach121.47195.49  I-95 – Miami, West Palm BeachExit 68 on I-95
122.392196.971  US 1 (Dixie Highway / SR 805)
122.538197.206  SR 5 (Olive Avenue)
Lake Worth Lagoon122.87197.74Southern Boulevard Bridge
Palm Beach123.480198.722  SR A1A (Ocean Boulevard)Traffic circle; eastern terminus of US 98
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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County Road 80A (Hendry County)

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County Road 80A is the designation for Cowboy Way near LaBelle. It runs from SR 80 just southwest of LaBelle and heads east to SR 29. From SR 29, it continues east through Port LaBelle where it turns north and reconnects to SR 80. Cowboy Way was previously designated at SR 80A between SR 80 and SR 29.[25] SR 80A was eventually turned over to county control, and was extended east to its eastern connection with SR 80 when Port LaBelle was being developed in the 1970s.[26]

Former County Road 80A (Lee County)

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The former CR 80A in Lee County ran between Tice and Olga via Buckingham. It ran along Orange River Boulevard east to Buckingham Road, where it ran north along Buckingham Road back to SR 80. These roads, along with Old Olga Road, were the original alignment of SR 80 in this area prior to the late 1940s.[27][28] After the current alignment opened, the route became SR 80A. In the 1970s, Orange River Boulevard's intersection with SR 80 near Tice was realigned to its current intersection to accommodate the construction of the interchange with I-75. A portion of the former alignment still exists west of I-75 near Lexington Avenue.[29] The roads were later relinquished to county control and were designated CR 80A. The CR 80A designation has since been decommissioned along the route and Orange River Boulevard now exists without a route designation.[30] Buckingham Road has since become part of CR 876.[31]

Former State Road 80B

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Main article: Florida State Road 865

SR 80B was the previous designation for Ortiz Avenue, which runs south from SR 80 in Tice. Ortiz Avenue later became part of SR 865 when that route was extended to connect with it. The route was relinquished to county control and is now designated CR 865.[32]

References

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  1. ^ a b c FDOT straight line diagrams Archived March 6, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, accessed January 2014
  2. ^ Road Maintenance System (Map). Cartography by Lee County GIS. Lee County Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  3. ^ a b Transportation and Data Analytics Office (February 15, 2021). "Straight Line Diagram of Road Inventory". Florida Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  4. ^ "SR 80 (Hickpochee Avenue)" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  5. ^ a b "overview map of State Road 80" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  6. ^ a b Google Inc. (July 8, 2008). Google Earth (4.3.7284.3916) [beta]. Retrieved July 25, 2009. <http://earth.google.com/>
  7. ^ "U.S. 27 North - Clewiston to Moore Haven". AARoads. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  8. ^ Oeffner, Barbara D.; Dunning, Amie (2010). Images of America: Around Lake Okeechobee. Arcadia Publishing.
  9. ^ "Historic and Architectural Resources of laBelle". National Park Service. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  10. ^ Transportation and Data Analytics Office (August 30, 2017). "Straight Line Diagram of Road Inventory". Florida Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  11. ^ Lowery, Fred (17 June 1985). "Highway Name To Pay Tribute To Area Engineer". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on December 10, 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  12. ^ a b "As County Booms, State's Plans For Widening Roads Often Bust". Miami Herald 15 Feb 1987: 3PBS
  13. ^ "Four Die in Crash on State Road 80". Miami Herald 23 Apr 1984: 15BR
  14. ^ Palm Beach FDOT. "Southern Blvd. (SR 80) Projects". Archived from the original on 2009-04-03. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  15. ^ Regnier & Associates, Inc. "State Road 80 Expansion". Archived from the original on 2009-09-13. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  16. ^ Cella Molnar & Associates, Inc. "State Road 80, US 27". Archived from the original on 2011-02-07. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  17. ^ Williams, Roger (26 August 2021). "Florida's Long and Winding State Road". Florida Weekly. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  18. ^ Magalhaes, Monica (31 August 2022). "New Southern Boulevard Bridge reopens to traffic Thursday". WPTV. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  19. ^ Board, Prudy Taylor; Bartlett, Patricia Pope (1985). Lee County: A Pictorial History. Norfolk, VA: Donning Company. ISBN 0-89865-443-2.
  20. ^ "Fort Myers Mobility Plan" (PDF). Spikowski Planning Associates. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  21. ^ "Fort Myers Streetscape". Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  22. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". First & Second Streets Two-Way Traffic Conversion Project. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  23. ^ Levy, Gail (16 June 2022). "Fort Myers' First St and Palm Beach Blvd two-way conversion complete". WINK-TV. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  24. ^ "First and Second Street Two-Way Traffic Conversion Project". City of Fort Myers. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  25. ^ General Highway Map, Hendry County, June 1969, reprinted April 1972/October 1974
  26. ^ Lane Jr., George (20 April 1974). "Labelle Lingers Inside A Limbo". The Tampa Bay Times. p. 6. Retrieved 21 October 2024 – via Newspapers.com.  
  27. ^ State Road Department of Florida (1946). Official State Road Map of Florida (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Tallahassee: State Road Department of Florida. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  28. ^ Cassani, John; Everham, Win (August 9, 2015). "After three centuries, Olga Oak is a venerable survivor". The News-Press. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  29. ^ "Orange River Boulevard" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  30. ^ "State Road 80 West - Clewiston to Fort Myers". AARoads. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  31. ^ Lee County GIS. Road Maintenance System (Map). Lee County Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  32. ^ General Highway Map, Lee County, January 1976, reprinted January 1980
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