Skip to main content

Florida State Road 408/East-West Expressway (Florida's Turnpike east to FL 527)

One of the final major roadways I took on my recent Florida trip was Florida State Road 408/East-West Expressway from Florida's Turnpike east to FL 527 at Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando.


FL 408 is an approximately 22.1 mile limited access toll road facility entirely located in Orange County.  FL 408 begins at Florida's Turnpike in Ocoee and heads eastward ending at the University of Central Florida just north of FL 50.   FL 408 essentially serves as a limited access alternate to FL 50 on Colonial Drive and is by far the most common toll road I used when I lived in the Orlando Area circa 2014-2016.  All but the westernmost mile of FL 408 is owned by the Central Florida Expressway Authority.  Said final mile of FL 408 is owned by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise.

The initial segment of FL 408 was completed in 1973 which essentially was a loop to/from FL 50 near FL 435/Kirkman Road eastward past FL 551/Goldenrod Road.  The eastern segment of FL 408 to UCF was completed in 1989 while the western connection to Florida's Turnpike was complete by 1990.  Potential future plans for FL 408 may take it the junction of FL 50/FL 520 or even as far east as I-95.

My approach to FL 408 eastbound was from Florida's Turnpike southbound.  FL 408 east begins by crossing over Florida's Turnpike and under it's westbound ramp to the Turnpike southbound.



From Florida's Turnpike the route of FL 408 has Orlando signed 10 miles to the east.


FL 408 east Exit 2 accesses Good Homes Road (which I think is an awful name).


E-Pass and SunPass are accepted on FL 408 for pre-paid tolls.  Given I was in a rental car out of Tampa I wasn't sure if my coverage area covered Orlando (my SunPass died years ago).  That being case I pulled over the pull-out toll booths and paid the $1 dollar cash toll. 





FL 408 east Exit 4 accesses Hiawassee Road. 


FL 408 east Exit 5 accesses FL 435/Kirkman Road.


East of FL 435 there is a $1.25 at the next toll gantry on FL 408.







FL 423/John Young Parkway is accessible from FL 408 Exit 8A while Tampa Avenue is accessible from Exit 8B.



FL 408 east Exit 9 accesses US 17/92/441 on Orange Blossom Trail.


FL 408 east Exits 10A & B access I-4 in downtown Orlando.  Approaching I-4 the new Stack Interchange can be seen under construction which is part of the current I-4 Ultimate Project.





FL 527/Orange Avenue is accessed from FL 408 Exit 10C.  FL 408 east crosses below the new Stack Interchange before the exit onto Orange Avenue.





Interestingly Exit 10C descending to Orange Avenue is one of the few places that FL 527 is still visibly signed.



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Former US Route 50 and the Pioneer Route Lincoln Highway on Johnson's Pass Road

Johnson's Pass Road is one of the oldest highway corridors in California.  Johnson's Pass was part of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road as it was completed during 1856 over the Sierra Nevada.  The pass would later be incorporated into the Pioneer Branch of the Lincoln Highway in 1913 and US Route 50 in 1926.  Johnson's Pass Road would be bypassed by a new alignment of US Route 50 over Echo Summit in 1938.  A replacement of the Meyers Grade east of Johnson's Pass would be opened to traffic in 1947.   Johnson's Pass Road remains accessible to traffic and is still signed by the Lincoln Highway Association.  Pictured as the blog cover is the view from the top of Johnson's Pass Road overlooking modern US Route 50 and Lake Tahoe.   Part 1; the history of Johnson's Pass Much of the history of what become the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road is discussed in the  September 1950 California Highways & Public Works  during its Centennial Edition.  The or...

Former US Route 50 and the South Lincoln Highway from Folsom east to Placerville

The corridor of Folsom of Sacramento County east to Placerville of El Dorado County has been a long established corridor of overland travel dating back to the California Gold Rush.  The Folsom-Placerville corridor was once part of the path of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road which became the first California State Highway and later the South Lincoln Highway.  In time the South Lincoln Highway's surface alignment was inherited by US Route 50.  The Folsom-Placerville corridor also includes the communities of; Clarksville, Shingle Springs and El Dorado. Part 1; the history of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road, South Lincoln Highway and US Route 50 through Folsom-Placerville Folsom is located on the American River/Lake Natoma of eastern Sacramento County.  That lands now occupied by the City of Folsom were part of Rancho Rio de los Americanos prior to the finding of gold at Sutter's Mill during 1848.  During the California Gold Rush the lands of Rancho Rio de los Americanos were p...

Angus L. Macdonald Bridge

At 1.3 kilometers (or about 0.84 miles) in length, the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge is one of two bridges crossing over the Halifax Harbour between Halifax, Nova Scotia and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, with the other bridge being the A. Murray Mackay Bridge . Opened in 1955 and named after former Nova Scotia Premier and Canadian Minister of Defense for Naval Services Angus L. Macdonald, the Macdonald Bridge was the first bridge that crossed Halifax Harbour that was opened to traffic. The Macdonald Bridge was also the subject of the Big Lift, which was only the second time in history that the span of a suspension bridge were replaced while the bridge was open to traffic. Planning began in 2010 for the Big Lift, while construction took place between 2015 and 2017. Similar work occurred on the Lion's Gate Bridge in Vancouver, British Columbia before the project took place on the Macdonald Bridge. At this time, much of the bridge infrastructure is new, leaving only the towers, main cables and...