There is a general misconception promoted by literature from Florida Turnpike Enterprise that feeds an erroneous assumption that the Suncoast 2 is already part of the Florida Intrastate Highway System and will be built regardless. That is untrue.
This misconception is generated by the misleading use of the term "FIHS" in close reference to the Suncoast 2 without any qualifying explanation of its "under proposal" status. The Suncoast 2 is at this time only a "wish list" item for Florida Turnpike Enterprises. If this proposal is rejected by the local community, or is not economically and environmentally sound, it will be rejected and removed from the proposal plan for the FIHS.
Yet, many people wrongly assume that the Suncoast Parkway 2 is already part of the FIHS system, including the Citrus County Board of Commissioners. Because of it, they may have yielded to a sense of inevitability in supporting the Suncoast 2.
The Suncoast Parkway 2 becomes part of the FIHS only if it passes 3 tests:
The summary below clarifies the details related to this general misconception, and why the Suncoast 2 is not a "done deal" as most people think.
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Florida Highway System
The Florida highway system is composed of:
A combination of roads have been designated the Florida Intrastate Highway System (FIHS) and have been designated as part of a statewide road system that carries the majority of commercial and non-commercial traffic throughout the state. As such they are critical to Florida's economy. The FIHS is composed of:
It is important though for the FDOT to concentrate their funding across this entire system as it distributes traffic efficiently throughout the state, not just in urban corridors, and much of the system is already in place and can be expanded as the need arises and funding becomes available. Technology improvements like intelligent signal systems will also make great improvements to the efficiency and safety of much of the FIHS and is presently being implemented on sections of the FIHS.
Map A shows the state highway system and the FIHS and main road arteries, the interstates. The Geographic Information System (GIS) map utilizes GIS data from FDOT and SWFWMD. Citrus County is enlarged in Inset A.
This map is excerpted from the Review of the Department of Transportation Tentative Work Program for FY 2003/04 through FY 2007/08 published by FDOT in March of 2003 (click here
Read the excerpt from the same report to the Governor and Legislature which gives an overview of the FIHS.
All are supported or managed in part by the Florida Department of Transportation.
The traffic on these roads various tremendously across the state with daily usage ranging from 8,000 to well over 100,000 annual average daily trips (AADT) or vehicles per day. These figures represent the combined trips from both directions on a highway. The proximity of these roadways to urban centers and the type of road, i.e., interstate versus state road, are important factors in usage and associated traffic volumes.
for full report). It shows work slated for Florida's interstate highways for this five-year work period. Lane additions south of Wildwood to Tampa are noted that will improve tremendously the capacity of I-75 that is the main north-south artery for west and central Florida.
The following pages are excerpted from the Florida Intrastate Highway System Status Report March 2003 presented to the Governor and Legislature. [View cover of that report.
The links below describe the major improvements being studied and designed by FDOT for I-75 as well as a discussion of the legislative authorization and criteria for those improvements.
FIHS Status Report, March 2003, page 7
Citrus County FIHS
FIHS Status Report, March 2003, page 8
FIHS Status Report, March 2003, page 9
FIHS Status Report, March 2003, page 10
FIHS Status Report, March 2003, page 11
FIHS Status Report, March 2003, page 12 (this shows a cross-sectional drawing of this proposal)
FIHS Status Report, March 2003, page 13
FIHS Status Report, March 2003, page 14
FIHS Status Report, March 2003, page 15
FIHS Status Report, March 2003, page 16 (this outlines the requirements for adding a route onto the FIHS plan)
FIHS Status Report, March 2003, page 19 (this shows a map of the entire FIHS indicating existing and proposed segments)
US 19 through Citrus County is part of the FIHS as well as SR 44. US 19 is slated for road improvements that will control access to the highway. SR 44 will shortly be 4-lane from US 19 to I-75. The Suncoast Parkway 1 (SC1) that presently terminates at its north end at US 98 is also part of the FIHS. The FDOT is studying now whether to continue it through Citrus County as an extension to the Suncoast Parkway, designated Suncoast Parkway 2, or designating the 4.5 miles of US 98 west of its present terminus to US 19 as part of the FIHS.
There has been a misconception created by staff of FTE that the proposed Suncoast Parkway 2, an approximately 24 mile toll road, is already part of the FIHS. It will only be a part of the FIHS if the Planning Development and Environmental (PD&E) study presently being conducted recommends constructing it and it is ultimately funded and built.
If the "No Build" option is decided upon, the 4.5 mile section of US 98 will be designated as part of the FIHS and required improvements authorized. US 19 would continue to be part of the FIHS as it is today. The improvements to US19 will be done irrespective of the decision on the Suncoast Parkway 2.
These improvements will increase the capacity and safety of US 19. Presently there is little traffic coming into the county on US 19 from the north or the south, about 8-9,000 vehicles compared to some 22,000 within the county. Most of the traffic on US 19 is obviously internal to the county. The improvements and implementation of appropriate land use policies by the county will address US 19's present shortcomings as well as maintain its capacity for inter-county traffic as part of the FIHS. The SC2 will not relieve the problems on US 19 as the problem is not through or inter-county traffic. It is intended for inter-county traffic and as an interstate reliever.
These intentions will be analyzed in forthcoming additions to this section. It would appear that the extension of the Suncoast Parkway through Citrus County duplicates the anticipated improvements for inter-county and interstate traffic needs of the FIHS and will channel increased traffic from other counties through the county instead of relieving traffic within the county.
