Skip to main content

Florida State Road 700 in Brooksville

By


Florida State Road 700 is largely a hidden designation for much of US Route 98 between Homosassa Springs in Citrus County and Canal Point in Palm Beach County. Florida State Road 700 is co-signed with US Route 98 and US Route 441 from Okeechobee to Canal Point along the east shore of Lake Okeechobee. Florida State Road is independently signed from Canal Point southeast along Conners Highway for approximately 14 miles. The only other location where Florida State Road 700 is signed as a standalone route is the Hernando County seat of Brooksville. Florida State Route 700 briefly branches from US Route 98 as an independent route in Brooksville at Jefferson Street southward 0.330 miles on Ponce de Leon Boulevard to US Route 41/Broad Street.




Part 1; the history of Florida State Road 700 in Brooksville

What is now Florida State Road 700 on Ponce de Leon Boulevard in Brooksville is displayed as a component of pre-1945 Florida State Road 15 on the 1936 Florida State Road Department Map of Hernando County.  Florida State Road 15 is shown passing through Brooksville eastbound via Fort Dade Avenue, Ponce de Leon Boulevard and Broad Street.  Florida State Road 15 is shown to carry US Route 41 and US Route 19 departing Brooksville on Broad Street.  Early US Route 19 in Florida was carried by Florida State Road 15 west of Brooksville. 


The pre-1945 Florida State Road numbers were assigned in the order they were adopted by the legislature.  The post-1945 Florida State Road system was grid based much like the US Route System.  Odd numbered one/two-digit State Roads were assigned to north/south routes which ascended westward.  Even one/two-digit State Roads were assigned to east/west routes which ascended southward.  What had been Florida State Road 15 through much of Brooksville was initially reassigned as part of Florida State Road 50.  

Florida Road 50 can be passing through Brooksville on the 1948 Rand McNally Map of Florida.  Early Florida State Road 50 can be seen following Fort Dade Avenue, Ponce de Leon Boulevard, Board Street and Jefferson Street.  Between Ponce de Leon Boulevard and Jefferson Street, Florida State Road 50 was concurrent with US Route 41.  


US Route 98 was extended on November 23, 1951, by the American Association of State Highway Officials from Apalachicola to Palm Beach following a request from the Florida State Road Department.


A letter from the Florida State Road Department dated September 10, 1951, noted that US Route 98 would almost be entirely concurrent Florida State Road 700.  The X00 State Roads are noted to have been intentionally set up as part of the 1945 State Road Renumbering to permit travelers with a series of streamlined diagonal State Roads through the state.  




A September 1951 Florida State Road Department log for the proposed extension of US Route 98 shows Florida State Road 700 was to be an independent routing in Brooksville.   As originally defined US Route 98 through Brooksville followed the recently realigned Florida State Road 50 east along Jefferson Street.  





Part 2; a drive on Florida State Road 700 in Brooksville

Florida State Road 700 in Brooksville appears on southbound Ponce de Leon Boulevard as US Route 98 eastbound turns onto Jefferson Street with Florida State Road 50A.


Florida State Road 700 follows Ponce de Leon Boulevard southward towards US Route 41 at Broad Street.   Florida State Road 700 does not make another posted appearance until Palm Beach County.  






Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Former California State Route 180 in Centerville

By
Centerville is one of the oldest communities in what is now Fresno County having been founded as Scottsburg in 1854.  The Centerville community has historically been tied to the history of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road and the Squaw Valley Road.  The Squaw Valley Road would later be known as Dunlap Road and became a component of California State Route 180 in August 1934.  By the 1940s the corridor was renamed Kings Canyon Road in reference to Kings Canyon National Park.  For the majority of the life of California State Route 180 in Centerville, it has not strayed far from Kings Canyon Road.  This changed in 2020 when California State Route 180 was relocated onto the Kings Canyon Expressway.  This blog serves as an overview of the history of California State Route 180 and general evolution of highways in Centerville.  California State Route 180 can be seen passing through Centerville and Minkler below on the 1935 Division of Highways map of Fresno Count...
Post a Comment
Read more

New River Gorge National Park & Preserve - Thurmond

By
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is best known for whitewater rafting and other forms of adventure tourism.  Yet, found in the hollows and isolated valleys are quiet farms and former coal mining towns.  Well off the beaten path and isolated from much of its surroundings, Thurmond provides a unique view into Central West Virginia's industrial past. Thurmond began as a railroad town in the late 1800s.  Sparked by the arrival of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad and the local coal industry, Thurmond quickly grew into a sizeable transportation and coal center.  When it incorporated as a town in 1903, Thurmond was a full-fledged community - home to two banks, two hotels, and many other services and stores. A CSX freight train passes the old coaling tower in Thurmond.  It was here that many steam locomotives would refill and refuel. Thurmond was home to a C&O railyard which serviced the numerous steam engines passing through the narrow valley.  Thu...
Post a Comment
Read more

The last 1956-63 era California Sign State Route Spade?

By
Along southbound California State Route 170 (the Hollywood Freeway Extension) approaching the Hollywood Freeway/Ventura Freeway interchange a white California State Route 134 Sign State Route Spade can be observed on guide sign.  These white spades were specifically used during the 1956-63 era and have become increasingly rare.  This blog is intended to serve as a brief history of the Sign State Route Spade.  We also ask you as the reader, is this last 1956-63 era Sign State Route Spade or do you know of others?  Part 1; the history of the California Sign State Route Spade Prior to the Sign State Route System, the US Route System and the Auto Trails were the only highways in California signed with reassurance markers.  The creation of the US Route System by the American Association of State Highway Officials during November 1926 brought a system of standardized reassurance shields to major highways in California.  Early efforts to create a Sign State Route ...
1 comment
Read more