Misplaced Pages

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75-627: Like all AASHTO designated highways in Florida, US 441 always carries a FDOT designated hidden state road number: Concurrences with U.S. routes include US 98 from Royal Palm Beach to Okeechobee, within the vicinity of Lake Okeechobee , US 192 between Holopaw and Kissimmee, US 17-92 from Kissimmee to Orlando, SR 44 from Mount Dora to Leesburg, US 27 from Leesburg to Ocala, US 301 from Belleview to near Sparr, and US 41 from High Springs to Lake City. US 441 begins its northward journey at Southwest 7th and 8th Streets ( US 41 both directions) in

150-792: A Cinemark Theatres and offers varying live music and entertainment options each night. Notably CityWalks's Rising Star (a karaoke club with a live band), Red Coconut Club, and Bob Marley - A Tribute to Freedom (both a night club and restaurant). Some notable restaurants include the Cowfish, NBC Sports Grill & Brew, Hard Rock Cafe , Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville , Bubba Gump Shrimp Company , Antojito's Authentic Mexican Food, and Bigfire American Fare. Casual dining locations include: Moe's Southwest Grill , BK Whopper Bar , Panda Express , Red Oven Pizza Bakery, and Voodoo Doughnut . The resort features eight official on-site hotels, totaling up to 11,000 rooms. All 11 hotels are located in close proximity to

225-504: A Universal Souvenir Cup. For additional costs, visitors could add park-to-park Meal Deal Access allowing them to eat meals in both parks. Universal Meal Deal was replaced on November 3, 2013, with Universal Quick Service Dining Plan. Universal Orlando features a large group of characters varying from Woody Woodpecker to Spider-Man . Visitors have three ways of dining with characters. At Loews Royal Pacific Resort, guests can eat breakfast with Universal Characters on select days. Throughout

300-520: A bi-county east-west scenic route through Central Florida. North of here, it serves as the eastern terminus of a newly constructed bypass to CR 484 in Summerfield . Within Belleview, the road encounters two somewhat important intersections; County Road 25A , and then State Road 35 . SR 35 joins US 27-441 in a wrong-way concurrency with SR 500 as the road curves more to the west, until it reaches

375-458: A broadened scope to cover all modes of transportation, although most of its activities are still specific to highways. While AASHTO is not a government body, it does possess quasi-governmental powers in the sense that the organizations that supply its members customarily obey most AASHTO decisions. The voting membership of AASHTO consists of the Department of Transportation of each state in

450-632: A fourth theme park, Universal Epic Universe , is scheduled to open in 2025. The amusement destination was originally dubbed Universal Studios Escape , but the name was short-lived and changed to Universal Orlando Resort in July 2000. Notable additions over the years include Woody Woodpecker's KidZone at Universal Studios, Hard Rock Hotel and The Rising Star karaoke bar within CityWalk, as well as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter themed area, which spans two theme parks and significantly boosted attendance at

525-470: A free Universal Express Pass , which gives access to shorter lines at major attractions. The resort also features an organized transportation system, including water taxis , pathways, and moving walkways that connect many of the area's hotels and theme parks. Universal Orlando exceeded three of the four Walt Disney World Resort theme parks in estimated 2021 attendance. After Universal Studios Florida opened on June 7, 1990, Universal Entertainment formed

600-588: A joint venture with The Blackstone Group and began planning a future expansion that would transform the single park into a multi-day destination resort. In late 1995, construction began on a new park, Universal Islands of Adventure . During this time, several new attractions were being built and opened at Universal Studios Florida, including Woody Woodpecker's KidZone , Men in Black: Alien Attack , and Animal Actors On Location! (formerly Animal Planet Live). Universal's Islands of Adventure opened to

675-507: A parallel railroad freight line and meets the intersection of SR 50 ( Colonial Drive ) northwest of downtown. Here, US 17/92 turns east onto State Road 50 while US 441 continues north on the Orange Blossom Trail. North of downtown, US 441 encounters intersections with State Road 438 , then State Road 416 , and after running along the western edge of Lake Fairview, an intersection with State Road 423 which changes from

750-590: A rural at-grade four-lane divided highway. Continuing with the rural surroundings, US 441 maintains its straight north and south position until it curves to the northwest between Lincoln and East Pine Avenues. Approaching Loch Leven, it turns straight west, and then State Road 44 joins US 441 after having run west from New Smyrna Beach and DeLand. This intersection is also shared with County Road 44B, which takes motorists to Downtown Mount Dora. In southern Eustis , US 441-SR 44 encounter another un-numbered interchange with State Road 19 and County Road 19A, taking SR 19 in

825-401: A series of convoluted interchanges and partial ramps from side roads. North of this interchange, the road passes west of The Florida Mall and intersects SR 482 . In Holden Heights , US 441 has an interchange with I-4 (Exit 80). Eastbound access from I-4 comes from partial cloverleaf ramps, and westbound access comes from a left-turn ramp between the two carriageways that runs under

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900-407: A single park into a large resort hoping to compete with Walt Disney World . In 1999, a second theme park called Universal Islands of Adventure opened in addition to Universal CityWalk , a shopping promenade and nightlife district that incorporates a variety of themed hotels, restaurants, and retail outlets. A third park, 30-acre (12 ha) water park Universal Volcano Bay , was added in 2017, and

975-634: A slight reverse curve before the intersection with Sadler Avenue (CR 448), and then approaches Lake Ola in Tangerine , where the road turns straight north. At the junction with County Road Old 441 (former State Road 500A ), US 441 finally loses its designation as the Orange Blossom Trail, then crosses the Orange-Lake County Line and enters Mount Dora . CR Old 441 remains a local downtown street in Mount Dora, but US 441 continues as

1050-803: A theme park that let visitors "Ride the Movies." The park is composed of themed areas and attractions based on the film industry. Visitors get themed dining and shopping, a variety of special events throughout the year, and may even catch an actual film crew at work on the backlot. The themes of Universal Studios Florida are targeted at making guests feel like they are on a movie set with rides, shows and attractions inspired by popular film, television, and music productions. The park currently consists of nine themed areas – Hollywood, Minion Land on Illumination Ave, Production Central, New York, San Francisco, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley, World Expo, Springfield and DreamWorks Land. The second park to open at

1125-471: A turnoff to Cross Creek before entering Micanopy , then runs across Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park and goes through Gainesville as 13th Street, serving as the eastern edge of the University of Florida campus. After intersecting SR 331 and later SRs 24A-226 , State Road 24 joins US 441 in a brief concurrency until it reaches State Road 26 and turns east. US 441 continues north as it becomes

1200-530: A wrong way concurrency until it reaches a wye in Tavares , where SR 19 heads south toward Howey-in-the-Hills and Groveland, and County Road Old 441 rejoins US 441. From here, US 441-SR 44 is a six-lane highway with bicycle lanes that squeezes between Lake Harris and Lake Eustis where it crosses over the Dead River on a bridge between the two lakes. The road passes by Leesburg Municipal Airport , then serves as

1275-479: Is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test protocols , and guidelines that are used in highway design and construction throughout the United States. Despite its name, the association represents not only highways but air, rail, water, and public transportation as well. Although AASHTO sets transportation standards and policy for the United States as a whole, AASHTO is not an agency of

1350-432: Is broken into two main routes. One provides transportation to all thirty Universal Partner hotels while the newest route began service to Orlando International Airport in 2016. Universal's Super Star Shuttle provides free transportation between Universal Orlando, SeaWorld and Aquatica . Airport service is available for a fee to onsite hotel guests booking through Universal Parks and Resorts Vacations. The airport shuttle

1425-588: Is included in park admission. Many attractions in Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure allow guests to utilize an Express Pass, with availability depending at each attraction. This pass admits guests to a separate line for the attraction, which is given priority status when boarding. Express Pass is not a virtual queuing service. Instead, passholders may enter the Universal Express line whenever they wish. This pass

1500-413: Is more commonly known, is one of the largest Halloween events in the U.S. From 1991 to 2001, the event was held at Universal Studios Florida. Halloween Horror Nights was moved to Islands of Adventure in 2002, and the 2004 event featured sections of both parks, but the event was moved back to Universal Studios Florida in 2006. The event celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2010, its 25th anniversary in 2015, and

1575-430: Is not included with park admission but can be bought for an additional fee. Fees change depending on date. Guests can choose to purchase one of two options: Express Pass, which gives guests access to the express line once per day on each participating attraction, or Express Unlimited Pass, which allows guests to skip the regular lines an unlimited number of times per day at participating attractions. The Universal Meal Deal

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1650-454: Is often required to submit test results to state DOTs. For example, a contract for the construction of a highway bridge may require a minimum compressive strength for the concrete used. The contract will specify AASHTO Test Designation T 22, "Compressive Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens," as the means of determining compressive strength. The laboratory performing T 22 will be required to be accredited in that test. AASHTO coordinates

1725-496: Is the same concept, CityWalk Orlando was given different venues and design. Universal also opened the resort's first onsite hotel in September 1999. Loews Portofino Bay Hotel (originally Portofino Bay Hotel, a Loews Hotel) was operated and partially owned by Loews Hotels but was also partially owned by Universal and The Blackstone Group . The two theme parks, CityWalk, and the hotel were branded as Universal Studios Escape, however

1800-546: The Fantastic Beasts franchise, Universal Monsters and Super Nintendo World . It was stated that the project would create 14,000 jobs. Brian Roberts, the CEO of Comcast , called Epic Universe "the largest investment we've ever made in a park". The complex will also include separate resort hotels, dining and retail facilities. In April 2020, NBCUniversal announced the park's opening would be delayed until 2024 due to

1875-495: The COVID-19 pandemic . In July 2020, NBCUniversal announced that they would be pausing development on the new theme park "until the future becomes more certain". In March 2021, work on Epic Universe resumed. Epic Universe is slated to open on May 22, 2025. Universal CityWalk Orlando is an entertainment and retail district which opened on May 28, 1999, over the former parking lot and entrance of Universal Studios as part of

1950-590: The Okeechobee Amtrak station can be found. US 441 continues north, meeting the Turnpike at Yeehaw Junction in Osceola County (via State Road 60 ). It passes through the community of Kenansville prior to intersecting U.S. Route 192 at Holopaw . US 441 turns west onto US 192, forming an overlap into Kissimmee . At Kissimmee US 441 separates from US 192 and joins US 17/92 , here known as

2025-579: The Orange Blossom Trail or OBT . The OBT starts on US 17/92 at the Polk County /Osceola County line a few miles south of Kissimmee. These names are used throughout Central Florida for the length of US 441 within the region. Due to its proximity with Walt Disney World and affiliated resorts as well as Sea World , Universal Studios , and others, US 17/US 92/US 441 intersects many toll roads between Kissimmee and Orlando,

2100-502: The Santa Fe River then runs north passing by O'Leno State Park and River Rise Preserve State Park , near which it shares a brief concurrency with State Road 18 . It then runs through Ellisville , where it has another interchange with I-75 (Exit 414), just south of the western terminus of State Road 238 . Entering Lake City , US 441 splits from US 41 onto State Road 25A south of the city. The routes remain parallel, and at

2175-529: The 30th anniversary in 2021. The event sometimes features an "icon" that presides over the terror each evening, along with seven to ten haunted houses and numerous unavoidable scare zones. It is a separately ticketed event. Rock the Universe is an annual Christian rock music festival that is located within Universal Studios Florida. It began in 1998 and has been running ever since. The event typically occurs in early September and lasts for two days. In 2019, Rock

2250-542: The Christmas celebrations within Universal Studios Florida. Generally, in February through to April, a parade and concert series inspired by New Orleans ' Mardi Gras party, is held within Universal Studios Florida. The event features merchandise especially for the celebration and is held usually on Friday and Saturday nights. Every event night guests will hear some of Louisiana's bands performing blues and zydeco . It

2325-675: The Florida Department of Transportation rebuilt the NW 7th Avenue Bridge over the Miami River . At least six other special routes of US 441 have existed in Florida, however only two exist today. Route 441 is mentioned in the song " American Girl " by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers . Petty was a native of Gainesville. AASHTO The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials ( AASHTO )

U.S. Route 441 in Florida - Misplaced Pages Continue

2400-531: The US 90 Lake City Truck Route, Route 441 is joined by State Road 47 which was signed as terminating at US 41. The first intersection within this new hidden route is at U.S. Route 90 (where the DeSoto Trail heads west) to the northern extents of Lake City. Past Lake City, SR 25 branches off to the northwest as County Road 25A, which also shares intersections with CR 250 to the east and Northeast Double Run Road to

2475-552: The United States, as well as those of Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia . The United States Department of Transportation has a non-voting associate membership. Some noteworthy AASHTO publications are: In addition to its publications, AASHTO performs or cooperates in research projects. One such project is the AASHTO Road Test , which is a primary source of data used when considering transport policies and

2550-512: The Universal Orlando theme parks. The hotels offer guests free water taxi or shuttle bus service to the Universal Orlando theme parks. The hotels are sorted into three categories: Signature Collection, Prime Value Hotels, and Value Inn and Suites. On select nights in September through early November, Universal Studios Florida is transformed for the annual Halloween event, Halloween Horror Nights . Halloween Horror Nights, or HHN as it

2625-627: The Universe took place in early February for the first time ever. Many Christian rock artists play throughout the event both nights. The resort offers special tickets, packages and church partnerships for that weekend. Select attractions are also open throughout the evenings. Grad Bash and Gradventure are two separate events held in April and May at the parks. Grad Bash is an event for graduating high school senior classes who can gather for an exclusive, all-night party at Universal Orlando and Islands of Adventure. This event features live performances by some of

2700-709: The day, characters have meet and greets within the parks and make appearances during lunchtime at several theme park restaurants. During dinner, on select nights, guests can dine with Universal characters at Trattoria del Porto, The Kitchen and Islands Dining Room. The Marvel Super Heroes also appear in the Meet the Marvel Super Heroes attraction where the characters ride on motorcycles down the street of Marvel Super Hero Island. The transit system at Universal Orlando Resort consists of water taxis , buses, escalators, elevators, moving walkways , and pathways; connecting

2775-698: The east section of the " Little Havana " neighborhood of downtown Miami (both are one-way streets). 441 runs along SW/NW 8th Ave. till it crosses the Miami River; then it runs along NW 7th Ave. till the Golden Glades interchange; then it runs along NW 2nd Ave. till the Miami-Dade/Broward county line. The route is concurrent with SR 7 from its southern terminus and parallels Interstate 95 (I-95) north out of Miami to western Aventura , where I-95 heads northeast to access Fort Lauderdale and

2850-548: The eastbound lane and merges with the east to southbound ramp before merging with southbound OBT. The interchange provides no south to east access and no west to north access, but such access can found from the intersection with West Michigan Street. Further north the road heads into Orlando and comes to the interchange with SR 408 (East-West Tollway) at exit 9, which is a diamond interchange. After curving around Givens Street and Springdale Road, both of which can only be accessed from West Concord Street, OBT moves closer to

2925-475: The entire resort. It also features well-known annual events, such as Universal's Halloween Horror Nights , along with a variety of live entertainment and shows. Universal Orlando ranks as one of the most visited resorts in the world with an annual attendance of 21 million as of 2017. Guests staying at certain hotels receive special perks such as early admission into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Universal's Volcano Bay, or in some cases, benefits such as

3000-500: The expansion that created the Universal Orlando Resort. Guests arrive at the resort park in one of two multi-story parking structures, then travel via covered moving sidewalks over Universal Boulevard into CityWalk. From there, guests can proceed into one of the theme parks. The Universal Store is its flagship store, offering merchandise from the three parks. CityWalk features shopping, nightclubs, dining venues, and

3075-458: The federal government; rather it is an organization of the states themselves. Policies of AASHTO are not federal laws or policies, but rather are ways to coordinate state laws and policies in the field of transportation. The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) was founded on December 12, 1914. Its name was changed to American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials on November 13, 1973. The name change reflects

U.S. Route 441 in Florida - Misplaced Pages Continue

3150-674: The first of which is the partially tolled and partial limited-access Osceola Parkway in Kissimmee. Immediately after entering Orange County , it intersects SR 417 (Central Florida GreeneWay) at exit 11. Just north of the intersection the Central Florida Parkway leads to Sea World. Neither of these intersections or interchanges however, compare to the combined interchanges of Florida's Turnpike and SR 528 (Beachline Expressway), in Sky Lake , which contains

3225-724: The formerly proposed Cross Florida Barge Canal in Santos , the median for the road widens, as it contains supports for a bridge that was never completed once the Canal project was cancelled. Before the median narrows back down to normal again, it intersects CR 328 , where a police station exists in the median. To the west of this intersection is the Santos Trail System trailhead of the Cross Florida Greenway . Before US 27-301-441 enters Ocala , it veers off to

3300-519: The general public on May 28, 1999, featuring six themed islands, including the Port of Entry, Seuss Landing, The Lost Continent, Jurassic Park, Toon Lagoon, and Marvel Super Hero Island . The park opened to mediocre attendance, and as a result, several attractions were closed soon after, including Island Skipper Tours . Along with the new theme park, the resort also opened a Florida version of Universal CityWalk from Universal Studios Hollywood . While it

3375-553: The intersection of State Road 15 , along the eastern shore of Lake Okeechobee , where SR 80 turns south and US 98-441 turns north to follow the shoreline to Pahokee . Just north of Pahokee in Canal Point , SR 700 rejoins US 98-441 and remains concurrent with US 441 along the eastern edge of the lake. North of Lake Okeechobee in Okeechobee , US 98 splits away from US 441 making a left turn at State Road 70 , shortly afterwards

3450-400: The intersection with US 301 , where SR 35 turns south, and SR 500 becomes the hidden state road for US 27-301-441 for a few blocks. However SR 25 reunites with the triplex at the former eastern terminus of CR 484, and shares a concurrency with SR 25 , and US 27-301-441's new secret route becomes SRs 25-500 once again. After that the road curves more to the north again. Near the right of way for

3525-489: The left at an intersection with County Road 464A (Southeast Lake Weir Avenue), a former segment of US 441 that eventually leads to Ocala Union Station . The first major intersection after this is 31st Street. Then it crosses under a railroad bridge before reaching the City Limits and the intersections with the northern terminus of CR 475 and crossing SR 464 (17th Street). US 27-301-441 intersects with SR 200 (becoming

3600-660: The most popular artists, dance parties with DJs, and pre-parties at the Universal Music Plaza Stage in the Production Central section of Universal Studios Florida. Gradventure is very similar but is designed for graduating middle school students. Both events are sponsored by Coca-Cola . Macy's Holiday Parade brings some authentic balloons that are based on attractions in the parks in a 2 month long event in November and December that highlights

3675-404: The name was quickly changed to Universal Orlando Resort. In December 2000, Hard Rock Hotel opened as Universal Orlando's second onsite hotel. Despite its name, the hotel is owned by Loews Hotels, like Loews Portofino Bay Hotel and is not affiliated with Hard Rock International . In 2001, Loews Royal Pacific Resort opened. In the midst of all these openings, two parking garages were constructed and

3750-651: The new hidden state road until US 301 reaches US 1-23). The highway reaches the heart of Ocala at the intersection with SR 40 (West Silver Springs Boulevard). After this, the road crosses a railroad bridge west of Ocala Union Station. Five blocks later, it reaches the intersection of SR 492 (Northwest 10th Street) only to move in the opposite direction, leaving the US 301-441 overlap and taking SR 500 with it as they head northwest towards Williston , Perry , Tallahassee , and points north. Before US 301-441 leaves Ocala, it has an intersection with County Road 200A (Northwest 20th Street), which runs east and then north. This road

3825-506: The north-and-south John Young Parkway to the east-and-west Lee Road. The road moves away from the freight line north of SR 423, but in Lockhart it runs over a bridge for that line again between Rose Avenue and Beggs Road. Further northwest it runs beneath an interchange with State Road 414 , then cuts through a corner of Seminole County and re-enters Orange County in Apopka where it meets

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3900-541: The northeast and northwest corners. Just as it did in Leesburg, US 441 in High Springs curves to the right while a state road becomes independent, specifically SR 20, which runs west only to join US 27 as they head towards Perry , Tallahassee , and Niceville . Meanwhile, as it did with US 27 in Leesburg, US 441 joins US 41 north, but here it also serves as the northern terminus of hidden SR 45 . US 41-441 crosses

3975-599: The northeast. US 441 has an interchange with Interstate 10 (Exit 303), then skirts the western edge of the Okefenokee Swamp and east bank of the Suwannee River as it enters Georgia . From 1956, signs for U.S. Highways in Florida had different colors for each highway. The "shield" for US 441 was brown, until the state was forced by the federal government to conform to standards that required consistent black-and-white signs in 1993. Between 2007 and 2011,

4050-834: The northern terminus of West Orange Trail and the tolled State Road 429 before leaving the Orlando area. This road was intended to be part of the Central Florida GreeneWay loop around the Orlando Metropolitan Area. The road cuts through Plymouth and back to Apopka again, but the last sites in Apopka are Orlando Apopka Airport along the west side and Zellwood Cemetery on the east side before entering Zellwood, Florida . Intersections here include Ponkan Road and then Jones Avenue which lead to another airport known as Bob White Field The road takes

4125-710: The northwest, serving as the northern terminus of CR 25A. From there it intersects CR 318, which provides access to I-75 in Irvine to the west and Salt Springs in Ocala National Forest to the east. The road then runs through communities such as Orange Lake and McIntosh , where it passes through the McIntosh Historic District before crossing the Marion-Alachua County Line near the town of Evinston . It passes by

4200-514: The numbering of Interstate Highways , U.S. Highways , and U.S. Bicycle Routes . Current and withdrawn AASHTO standards include: Universal Orlando Resort Universal Orlando Resort , often shortened to Universal Orlando , is a 1,291-acre (522 ha) theme park and entertainment resort complex located in Orlando, Florida . Following the opening of Universal Studios Florida in 1990, MCA moved forward with plans to expand from

4275-417: The parking structures, hotels, CityWalk, and theme parks. Additionally, strollers, wheelchairs, and electronic convenience vehicles can be rented for a daily fee. There is an organized bus transportation system, shuttling guests between onsite hotels, Universal Partner Hotels, theme parks, airport, and other area attractions. Mears Transportation runs this system. Orlando's LYNX bus system also connects

4350-408: The popular Harry Potter franchise, as well as Skull Island , based on the 2005 King Kong film, are the only islands that were added after the park opened. Hogsmeade opened to the public on June 18, 2010, and Skull Island opened to the public on July 13, 2016. Volcano Bay is the third theme park, a 27-acre water theme park that opened in 2017. It replaced Wet 'n Wild , owned by Universal, as

4425-606: The popular water park Wet 'n Wild Orlando was acquired. In 2003, rumors began swirling that a Harry Potter themed attraction would be coming to Universal or one of the Disney parks. On May 31, 2007, Universal, in partnership with Warner Bros. , officially announced that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter would be built as the seventh of the Islands of Adventure park. The attraction opened on June 18, 2010. Shortly after

4500-466: The property into two hotels that were part of one resort. On August 1, 2019, NBCUniversal announced that it was building a fourth theme park called Universal Epic Universe . It will be located a few miles south of the existing resort, within a larger 750-acre site. There will be five lands including a central hub and four other areas themed to How to Train Your Dragon , Wizarding Paris from

4575-399: The public. The Blackstone Group sold its stake in Universal Orlando in early 2011. As of 2015, Universal Orlando Resort occupies 541 acres (219 ha). As of 2024, Universal Orlando Resort currently occupies 1,291 acres (522 ha) of land with the expansion of Universal Epic Universe . The original theme park in the resort, Universal Studios Florida , opened on June 7, 1990, as

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4650-488: The remainder of the eastern Florida coast. However, the route is soon joined by the tolled Florida's Turnpike and I-95 (Exits 12 and 12C), which follows US 441 north to Royal Palm Beach (ten miles west of West Palm Beach). In between, the route interchanges with the Turnpike at exit 62 via State Road 870 (Commercial Blvd.) in Tamarac . Additionally, US 441 meets Interstate 595 (Exits 8 and 8B) west of Fort Lauderdale and

4725-404: The resort to other places in the city. Onsite hotel guests can get to the theme parks and CityWalk by either boarding a water taxi or bus directly to CityWalk, or using walkways. The dock at CityWalk is located at the center of CityWalk and can be accessed via the bridges. Several hotels and a major airport are located within 20 minutes of Universal Orlando. Universal's Super Star Shuttle service

4800-602: The resort was Universal Islands of Adventure , opened on May 28, 1999. It is composed of eight distinct "islands" that are themed to various forms of adventures from literature. Visitors start off in the Port of Entry and make their way through the various islands – Marvel Super Hero Island , Toon Lagoon, Skull Island, Jurassic Park, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade, the Lost Continent and Seuss Landing. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, based on

4875-517: The resort's water park. Wet 'n Wild was founded in 1977 by SeaWorld founder George Millay as one of the first major water parks. In 1998, Wet 'n Wild was acquired by Universal Destinations & Experiences , adding it to Universal Orlando. There were eighteen water slides and attractions at the water park. Popular attractions included the Storm, Bomb Bay, Disco H2O, Mach 5, and the Surge. Wet 'n Wild

4950-410: The road intersects SR 326 , which originally had a short concurrency, but now directly crosses US 301-441. South of the intersection with CR 329 is an interchange with U.S. Route 441 between Sparr and Lowell, where the US 301-441 concurrency ends. US 301 moves northeast towards Waldo , Starke , and Jacksonville taking SR 200 with it, while US 441 moves northwest. In Reddick US 441 continues to

5025-495: The southern terminus of the US 27-441 Alternate Route around Lake Weir into Belleview , but still remains a scenic route. Around the Lake-Marion county border, US 27-441 enters a retirement community known as The Villages . Because of the frequent use of street-legal golf cars in the community, bridges and tunnels for these carts can be found throughout the road. US 27-441 leaves The Villages as it approaches County Road 42 ,

5100-751: The structural design of roads. Much of AASHTO's current research is performed by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) which is administered by the Transportation Research Board (TRB), a division of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine . AASHTO re:source, formerly the AASHTO Materials Reference Laboratory (AMRL), accredits laboratories. Accreditation

5175-400: The success of the grand opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade, rumors began to swirl once again, this time of a second Potter-themed area in Universal Studios Florida. It was announced shortly thereafter that Universal would begin construction of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley, replacing Jaws: The Ride . On July 8, 2014, Diagon Alley officially opened to

5250-463: The tolled State Road 869 in Coconut Creek . At Royal Palm Beach, US 441 intersects U.S. Route 98 , ending the concurrency with SR 7, and overlaps the highway through central Palm Beach County , along with hidden State Road 80 . Near Twenty Mile Bend SR 700 branches off to the northwest, which is where U.S. Routes 98 and 441 split until 2007. US 98-441 continues west to Belle Glade at

5325-499: The western terminus of State Road 120 , then intersects State Road 222 before curving to the northwest and finally joining State Road 20 , thereby converting it into an additional hidden state road. At the intersection of SR 121 , the DeSoto Trail moves from SR 121 to US 441. In Alachua , US 441 intersects with SR 235 , and then runs under an interchange with Interstate 75 (Exit 399), with quarter-cloverleaf interchanges on

5400-540: The western terminus of County Road 44, all the while winding around the northern shores of Lake Harris. In Leesburg , SR 44 leaves US 441 heading toward Wildwood, Inverness, and Crystal River, while US 441 curves to the northwest, then intersects U.S. Route 27 in another concurrency, and as a result, the hidden state routes are officially SR 25 - 500 . The concurrency with SR 25 is short-lived, because in Lady Lake, SR 25 branches away as County Road 25. This once served as

5475-511: Was a ticketed meal plan for park visitors. It allowed visitors of either theme park to eat all day long from lunch through dinner at select restaurants. These included Mel's Drive-In and Louie's Italian Restaurant at Universal Studios Florida and Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoo-pendous, Comic Strip Cafe, and the Burger Digs at Islands of Adventure . The selection food was limited and drinks were not included. Beverages could be purchased through

5550-412: Was located at the intersection of International Drive and Universal Boulevard, about half a mile south of the Universal Orlando parking garage. Wet 'n Wild officially closed on December 31, 2016, due to the opening of Volcano Bay. It was announced on March 21, 2017, that the land once occupied by Wet 'n Wild would be transformed into Universal's seventh hotel. It was later learned that Universal would split

5625-522: Was the former State Road 200A and decommissioned U.S. Route 301 Alternate . After County Road 464A (North Magnolia Avenue) terminates at the southeast corner of the intersection of US 301-441 and Northwest 28th Street, another county alternate which was a former section of US 441-SR 25 begins on the opposite side. This road is CR 25A (Northwest Gainesville Road), which is also the decommissioned U.S. Route 441 Alternate , and runs northwest through towns such as Zuber , Lowell , and Reddick . East of Zuber,

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