History
It was originally built by H. L. Mills Construction Company as a two-lane tollway connecting the two coasts of Florida, as a part of State Road 84 (which is currently the hidden designation of the highway). After it was determined that I-75 was using this route for the Tampa-Miami extension instead of the Tamiami Trail in 1973, it was widened to four lanes between 1986 and 1992, with many bridges designed to let water and wildlife pass underneath. This helped to reduce the environmental impact of the highway somewhat, especially upon the severely endangered Florida panther, as well as reducing the danger of the highway, which was notorious for high-speed accidents.
A state effort to privatize Alligator Alley failed in May 2009 when no bids were received for the highway that met the required terms.
In January 2000, the west end toll plaza of Alligator Alley was dedicated to the memory of Edward J. Beck, a toll taker who was murdered while on the job, January 30, 1974.
Read more about this topic: Alligator Alley
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“To a surprising extent the war-lords in shining armour, the apostles of the martial virtues, tend not to die fighting when the time comes. History is full of ignominious getaways by the great and famous.”
—George Orwell (1903–1950)
“It is remarkable how closely the history of the apple tree is connected with that of man.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“A poet’s object is not to tell what actually happened but what could or would happen either probably or inevitably.... For this reason poetry is something more scientific and serious than history, because poetry tends to give general truths while history gives particular facts.”
—Aristotle (384–323 B.C.)