Interstate 75 in Florida - History

History

Originally, I-75 was to be built to Tampa, terminating at I-4's current western terminus, and was completed in 1969. In the mid-1960s, Florida's state government proposed to build a toll road from the Tampa Bay area to Ft. Lauderdale through Alligator Alley. Those plans were cancelled in 1968, when it was announced that I-75 would be extended to Naples and eventually South Florida. After I-75's route was extended to connect into the Miami area, a Tampa Bay bypass was built east, signed as I-75E, with the original route, now extending to St. Petersburg and becoming a loop, signed as I-75W. After the AASHTO phased out route suffixes on Interstates, I-75E became I-75, and I-75W was renamed I-275.

From Naples, Interstate 75 was originally intended to run along the current route of US 41/Tamiami Trail, and connecting to I-95 along the current route of State Road 836/Dolphin Expressway. Due to environmental concerns of the Tamiami Trail and wanting to upgrade the then dangerous Alligator Alley, the latter was upgraded to interstate standards. After rerouting I-75 south of what would be I-595, I-75 was to terminate at I-95 in North Miami, but due to local opposition, I-75 was not built past its current terminus of the Palmetto Expressway. The last section to be signed was Alligator Alley in 1993.

On January 28, 2002, the Florida Department of Transportation began a transition of interchange numbers from sequential exits to mileage-based exits.