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BTUDY ON RELOCATION OF HWTATB 75
Our early examination of potential projects has convinced us
that a toll highway and a free limited access highway cannot live
side by side in the central corridor of Florida. serving the same
traffic desire lines. since your Turnpike Authority's enabling
legislation restricts it to construction of a central corridor in
the State. it is clear that the Interstate highway must be com-
bined with the Turnpike for that length serving identical traffic
desires. and operated either as a toll facility or a feeder to
the toll facility, beyond the limits of the merged highways.
Simple economics and statute law make this conclusion mandatory.
In view of this situation. we immediately started examining
ways in which Interstate 75 and the 1956 full length turnpike
project could be combined into a single facility. It is clear
that south of Leesburg the facility must divide, serving Tampa
traffic to the southwest and Orlando and east coast traffic to
the southeast. we had originally contemplated constructing a
combined facility from the original turnpike interchange location
five miles west of Leesburg along the turnpike alignment to a
point north of Goals and thence changing over to Interstate align-
ment on up past Gainesville to Alachua. This would afford a
limited access connection from the Georgia line to both Tampa and
Miami which would have been highly desirable. It was thought that
as much of the alignment between Leesburg and Alachua. and all of
it possible, should be constructed with Turnpike funds to the
extent that traffic feasibility would support such an investment.
In order to attract the maximum potential traffic to the Turnpike.
some direct connection between US 301 north of Deals and this
Turnpike facility is essential. To connect a few miles north of
Ocala would require four-lasing of approximately 112 miles of
US 301 to Callahan which. while it is planned and fully supported
by sufficiency ratings. is nonetheless extremely remote and well
into the future because of limited availability of primary road
funds.
As an alternate to this, we have considered a further ad-
justment in the location of Interstate 75 around the east side
of Gainesville with 88 24 being four-laned from Gainesville to
Waldo and 301 being four-laned from Waldo to Callahan. This
likewise has proven to be essentially an impossible drain on
available primary highway funds and furthermore it has the dis-
advantage of lengthening a trip via Interstate 75 from Alachua
to Tampa by nearly 15 miles whereas following the present Inter-
state alignment around the west side of Gainesville will lengthen
this trip less than 10 miles.
In view of these problems, we completely removed all inhi-
bitions to our thinking and concluded that the Interstate should
build with Interstate funds from Alachua to Gainesville. and
that we should consider a turnpike extension from the west side
of Gainesville in a hortheasterly direction interchanging imme-
diately west of Starks and continuing on to an interchange with
Interstate 10 and US 301 in the vicinity of Baldwin.
This is a bold plan and on initial inspection a very marginal
prospect for economic feasibility. We recognize that we have a
substantial excess earnings on the Bobtail Turnpike. but there
is a practical limit to the extent that these earnings can be
used to support extensions not capable of self-support. Without
giving more than passing concern however to the difficulties of
proving financial feasibility and being able to sell bonds, the
prospect of a complete highway system by the end of your admini-
stration connecting Jacksonville with Orlando and Niani, and
Jacksonville with Tampa. as well as connecting all of these
points with the Georgia line south of Valdosta by a vast system
of high-speed. safe and efficient limited access highways is
certainly intriguing and exciting.
In order to accomplish this fact, it will be necessary to
institute a relocation of that portion of Interstate 75 from
icanopy to a point southwest of Bushnell. There is attached
herewith a preliminary memorandum of benefits that will support
economically and culturally such a relocation. At the same
time. we would invite your inspection of the physical configu-
ration of the State of Florida which. in a degree. can be likened
to an hourglass with the constricted throat being generally the
latitude of Ocala. Below this throat we find our limited access
systems dividing to serve the two most populous traffic generating
areas in the State. Above this throat we again find it dividing
to serve the populous industrial northeast corner of the State
and to afford direct connection through Georgia to Atlanta.
For approximately 65 miles through the constricted throat from
Leesburg to Gainesville, Interstate 75 and the Turnpike would
be on common alignment. North and south of this stretch, it
would divide in two directions serving the maximum potential
traffic-generating areas. Our problem here is to convince
the Bureau of Public Roads that this lateral shift of Inter-
state 75, which is only 11 miles at its maximum point opposite
Leesburg. will be of great benefit to the whole State of
Florida when the entire proposed system is an accomplished
fact. The inconvenience of the slight added mileage between Ala~
chua and Tampa will be returned many times by the overall higher
level of service.
If by some stroke of good fortune we should be able to
prove financial feasibility of the entire Turnpike project now
envisioned from Fort Pierce to Baldwin, we would propose that
the Bureau of Public Roads permit the designation of 65 miles
of the Turnpike as Interstate 75 and that it would allow the
State of Florida to take this Interstate mileage and to con-
struct it at other locations within the state, preferably the
west coast south of Tampa-St. Petersburg in a burgeoning area
that finds itself completely without plans for high type limited
access facilities.
There are certain specific benefits in connection with this
plan which we would like to bring to your attention. It will
necessitate your commitment of Interstate funds to immediately
complete Interstate 75 from Leesburg to Tampa. coincidental with
completion of the Turnpike. If the full Turnpike Extension is
not feasible. it may also require you to commit Interstate funds
all the way from Alachua to Leesburg in addition, with this
facility being then constructed as a free facility and operating
as a feeder road to the Turnpike from Leesburg to Miami. Some
sharing of the construction cost of the Interstate 75 mileage
between Leeaburg and Gainesville may be possible. In any case,
any Turnpike funds that are spent from Leesburg to Gainesville
will permit the release of equivalent Interstate funds to other
Interstate projects. It would give immediate availability of
continuous limited access highways instead of being built in
sections over an extended period of time as would be the case
with Interstate construction. Essentially, construction of the
SO-mile section from Gainesville to Baldwin may not be possible
but the Trust Agreement could be specifically altered to ulti-
mately encompass this construction as a parity inclusion in the
remainder of the Turnpike System. Obiiously, the City of
Jacksonville through its Expressway System and Interstate 10 to
Baldwin, could greatly benefit by this express highway corridor
through the central portion of the State to Tampa and satellite
areas. With the completion of Interstate 4 to Daytonaand the
fourlaning of US l to Jacksonville, southbound traffic from
Jacksonville terminating in Orlando or other east coast points
would probably prdbr this route to the inland corridor. In
this connection, the central corridor project will be enhanced
by a continuing delay in the construction of Interstate 95 or
portions thereof from Jacksonville to Fort Pierce. Our traffic
engineers must have a reliable schedule on this construction
program in order to be able to accurately forecast traffic
revenues on the facility we propose in the later years.
Incidental benefits will be the improved level of service
that would be available to the military installations in the
Jacksonville vicinity. Camp Blending through the Starke Inter-
change. the Tampa area with its military significance and the
Orlando area where the proposed Turnpike will actually traverse
the property of one of the countrys major suppliers of defense
hardware. It will contribute to the growth and economic accele-
ration of all types of industry. defense or otherwise. It can
now be built at significantly less construction costs than would
be possible later. Highway construction costs have risen approxi-
mately 90% in the past 10 years.
An important factor for your consideration in the establish-
ment of this new plan is the degree in which it complies with the
expressed intent of the Legislature recited in the 1955 Enabling
Act. This statute requires a location through the central corri-
dor passing near Ocala. with which we are complying. It also
requires termination of the project in Duval County. another
requirement that is being clearly met. The statute provides
that all or any feasible part of such a project may be construc-
ted. and we believe it is important to indicate to the Legislature
that we have a plan for completing the entire project set forth
in the statute even though we may be limited to construction of
parts thereof by our ability to support revenue bonds.
Our engineers have been following very closely a parallel
situation in Delaware and Maryland where these two States. by a
mutual compact. are proposing to connect the Delaware Memorial
Bridge to Delaware with the Baltimore Tunnel in Baltimore with
a turnpike to be constructed in the immediate future. Such a
turnpike would follow the alignment of Interstate 95 and would
be so designated. The latest information available to us from
the Delaware Highway Department indicates that the Bureau of
Public Roads is sympathetic to this proposal and, furthermore,
has indicated a preference for the addition of new Interstate
mileage within these states to be constructed during the latter
part of the program to substitute for the mileage being con-
structed as a toll turnpike. By this means no mileage of free
road construction would be lost. only additional mileage of toll
road construction would be provided.
Tourist studies made by the Florida Development Commission
show that during 1959 over 11,000,000 tourists visted the State
of Florida. Records also disclose that 80% of these tourists
entered by automobiles, or approximately 3.400.000 autos. These
studies indicate a large portion of these tourists, approximately
38%. entering the state are from the north central section of
the United States and Canada. They enter the State by Route 301,
441 and 41 and travel the central corridor of the State to the
mid-section. At this point, they divide with approximately
one-third continuing on to the Florida West Coast and two-thirds
continuing to the lower East Coast. Statistics also bring to
our attention the fact that a quarter of the total visitors
continue to move about the State from one area to another during
their average stay of 17 days. Interviews with these tourists
when they leave the State indicate the single largest complaint
to be inadequate and inferior roads and road markings.
Knowing the pertinent facts and that this important industry
brings almost $2,000,000.000 a year into the Florida economy. it
is our inherent duty to do everything possible to facilitate the
flow of traffic within the state. The more pleasant we can make
the tourists' visit to the State. the larger the number that will
return. Careful examination of the Table below indicates the
volume of traffic funneled down through the central corridor.
SUMMARY OF AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC FOR
1960 on MAJOR CENTRAL ROUTES AND PER
CENT INCREASE OR DECREASE FROM 1955.
U.S. 19 At Pannin Springs 6,350 + 28.1%
0.8. 301 38 miles north of Waldo 6.135 17 %
S.R. 23 At Paradise, 4 miles N.W. of
Gainesvi 11s 955 + 15.3%
0.5. 129 At Florida-Georgia line. 9 miles
N.W. of Jasper 1.080 16.7%
0.8. 441 At Florida-Georgia line, 21 miles
N. of Lake City 990 + 59.7%
0.8. 41 Florida-Georgia line, N. of
Jennings 88 1.290
0.8. 41 Florida-Georgia line, N. of
Jennings 83 1.330 + 24.4%
0.8. 27 0.8 miles N.W. of Levy-Marion
County line 3.230
0.8. 17 k mile south of Orange City 7,265 + 33 x
0.8. 192-441 2 miles N.W. of Holopaw 3.275 + 59.4%
0.8. 441 At Martin, 7 miles N. of Ocala 4,690 + 12.2%
0.8. 441 0.6 miles 8. of SR 50 in Orlando 21,475
0.8. 17-92 0.8 miles 8. of Sanford 8.
city limits 14.590
Keeping in mind the fact that the first and primary purpose
of the Interstate system is for defense purposes, we feel that
of secondary and almost as great importance is that these routes
should serve the needs of the population. Located along this
central route are several of the fastest growing counties in the
State. Latest census figures indicate the following percentage
increases in pepulation from 1950 to 1960; Alachua 43.2%.
Marion 28.5%. Lake 45.5%. and Orange 114.4%. Comprehen-
sive planning coupled with a thorough movement analysis to find
the best way to move traffic down the State and serve the most
people brings us to Interstate 75.
Interstate Route 75 is a major north-south arterial route
originating in Bault Ste. Marie in upper Michigan and terminating
in Tampa, Florida. The principal cities along its route are
Detroit, Toledo. Dayton, Cincinnati. Knoxville, Chattanooga and
Atlanta. In addition, at various points throughout its route.
it has interconnection with other Interstate highways serving
the entire mid-west regional area as well as a major portion of
the Appalachian Mountain region.
The route in Florida enters the State at a point approxi-
mately 18 miles southeast of Valdosta. Georgia. As originally
conceived, it would locate immediately west of Lake City,
Alachua. Gainesville and Deals, travling south-southeasterly
through this area. At Ocala. the route would turn due south
to a point southwest of Bushnell. and thence would turn south-
southwesterly to a connection with the North-South Tampa Express-
way leg. In its lower reaches. it would be located more or less
midway between Brooksville and Dade City.
It is proposed to relocate that portion of the presently
planned route from Hicanopy to a point approximately 5 miles
southwest of Bushnell. No alignment changes would be contem
plated north of Hicanopy, or south of the junction point near
Bushnell. The new location would involve a continuation of
the generally south-southeasterly alignment from Hicanopy,
passing through a point between Ocala and Silver Springs, thence
immediately east of Belleview and continuing on to a community
called Whitney lying between Wildwood and Leesburg, approximately
5 miles west of Leesburg. At this point the new route would
reach its maximum lateral easterly displacement from the original
route totaling only 13 miles. From that point the alignment
would change to a southwesterly course reconnecting with the
original Interstate 75 alignment southwest of Bushnell. a dis-
tance of approximately 24 miles from whitney.
The purpose of this relocated alignment would be to achieve
a direct connection with a proposed turnpike route northward from
Ft. Pierce that would generally follow the Central Florida corri-
dor along which the Turnpike Authority has been enabled. by
legislative statute, to construct. In this manner the full
benefits of the limited access Interstate 75 route could be
retained from Tampa to Atlanta with only the modest inconvenience
of a lengthening of less than 10 miles in this route. Offsetting
this inconvenience would be the facility to the mid-west motorist
whose destination would be the Orlando area. or any point south
thereof down the east coast to Key West, of a continuation of an
uninterrupted limited access route along the direct alignment
leading to these destinations. No other system or routing of
interstate alignments from the mid-west to the lower east coast
of Florida offers comparable benefits to the alignment being
pr0possd, including due allowance for the tolls that will have
to be charged on the Turnpike facility.
The benefits that will accrue to the Central Florida area
are many and immediately obvious. Service to the important edu-
cational center in the southwest portion of Gainesville will be
undiminished. It is true that the trip to Tampa from this point
will be slightly lengthened. but an entirely new access artery
to southeast Florida will be created as a result. It should be
noted that Dade County is second highest only to Duval County
in enrollment at the University of Florida.
The change in alignment from the west side of Ocala to
the east side of Ocala is so obviously beneficial that the
results of detailed cost-benefit studies at this location can
be predicted in advance with substantial accuracy. Silver
Springs is one of the stellar Plorida tourist attractions and
is widely known throughout the entire United States. If, as
proposed. the Interstate facility were relocated to a point
within close to this facility. the convenience in service to
Silver Springs would unquestionably substantially increase the
amount of traffic that would avail themselves to this attrac-
tion as compared to a trip in excess of 7 miles including
routing through the central business district of Ocala to reach
the Springs free the alignment that is presently approved.
Many trips using Interstate 75 would be disposed to make the
one mile side trip to visit the Springs would pass up the oppor-
tunity when faced with the additional travel length and traffic
congestion that would be occasioned on a trip through the city
to the Springs. The level of service on a trip with a destina-
tion in the city is of essentially immaterial difference. from
the present westerly approach. there is a two lile trip through
a highly congested slul area. From the interchange on the east
side of Ocala at the proposed relocation. there is a four mile
trip along newly improved Silver Springs Boulevard which passes
through an attractive residential area and a major motel area.
Prom the point of view of the interstate motorist utilising
Interstate 75, the motel row on the east side of Ocala will be
one of the principal missions such traffic would have in leaving
the Interstate for a destination in the city.
It should be noted that the area south of Deals to a point
in aernando County along the presently approved alignment of
Interstate 75 traverses one of the most remote and sparsely
settled rural areas in the State of Florida. The level of local
traffic service between Ocala and a line joining Srooksville
and Dade City along the present Interstate 75 will be essenti-
ally rero. 0n the other hand, the alignment from Silver Springs
area in Ocala to the east of Selleview and to a point 5 miles
west of Leesburg constitutes generally the western limit of the
intensively developed central Florida lakes area that encompasses
all of Lake County and the southern reaches of Iarion County.
The potential volume of local traffic generation that would
utilize relocated Interstate 75 in this area is many times
greater than a comparable volume of local traffic that could
be generated on the present westerly alignment. This would
include traffic service via old 0.8. Route 441 from the Selleview
PAGE 1
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