89-523: State Road 538 ( SR 538 ), also known as the Poinciana Parkway , is a 7.2-mile (11.6 km) controlled-access toll road built in Osceola and Polk Counties, Florida. Construction began in 2013 and was completed in 2016. The road had been planned for decades to provide a traffic outlet from Poinciana northwest to US 17 / US 92 and Interstate 4 . Costs skyrocketed after land along
178-663: A dual highway ) in 1932 between Cologne and Bonn . It then rapidly constructed the first nationwide system of such roads. The first North American freeways (known as parkways) opened in the New York City area in the 1920s. Britain, heavily influenced by the railways, did not build its first motorway , the Preston By-pass ( M6 ), until 1958. Most technologically advanced nations feature an extensive network of freeways or motorways to provide high-capacity urban travel, or high-speed rural travel, or both. Many have
267-466: A median separates the opposite directions of traffic. This strip may be as simple as a grassy area, or may include a crash barrier such as a " Jersey barrier " or an "Ontario Tall Wall" to prevent head-on collisions . On some freeways, the two carriageways are built on different alignments; this may be done to make use of available corridors in a mountainous area or to provide narrower corridors through dense urban areas . Control of access relates to
356-487: A Complex Litigation Unit with subdivisions for complex tort cases and complex business court cases. Judge Robert Rosenberg, who had suggested the idea of a specialized business court in the Seventeenth Circuit was appointed as one of the initial complex business case judges, with Judge Charles Greene to handle complex tort cases and Judge Jeffrey Streitfeld to handle complex tort and business cases. In 2017,
445-561: A class of highways with somewhat less isolation from other traffic. In countries following the Vienna convention , the motorway qualification implies that walking and parking are forbidden. A fully controlled-access highway provides an unhindered flow of traffic, with no traffic signals , intersections or property access . They are free of any at-grade crossings with other roads, railways, or pedestrian paths, which are instead carried by overpasses and underpasses . Entrances and exits to
534-707: A cloverleaf and trumpet interchange when it opened in 1937, and until the Second World War , boasted the longest illuminated stretch of roadway built. A decade later, the first section of Highway 401 was opened, based on earlier designs. It has since gone on to become the busiest highway in the world. The word freeway was first used in February 1930 by Edward M. Bassett . Bassett argued that roads should be classified into three basic types: highways, parkways , and freeways. In Bassett's zoning and property law -based system, abutting property owners have
623-526: A design that will easily permit the road to be widened to a four- or six-lane expressway in the future. In July 2013, a design-build contract for the highway was awarded to Jr. Davis Construction Company, based in Kissimmee. The total contract amount was $ 69,013,443.76, representing $ 68,788,000.00 for the original contract and $ 225,443.76 for changes to the project after bidding. The second-place bidder, Lane Construction Corporation, sued OCX after an appeal of
712-788: A four-lane freeway, that runs between the Polk -Osceola County line and the Cypress Parkway (CR 580) in Poinciana , with a large section crossing undeveloped swampland. The highway is contiguous with Kinney Harmon Road in Polk County, which connects the Poinciana Parkway with US 17 / US 92 in Loughman . Across US 17/92, the road continues as Ronald Reagan Parkway (former County Road 54 ), which provides indirect access from
801-620: A freeway, specialized pedestrian footbridges or tunnels may also be provided. These structures enable pedestrians and cyclists to cross the freeway at that point without a detour to the nearest road crossing. Access to freeways is typically provided only at grade-separated interchanges , though lower-standard right-in/right-out (left-in/left-out in countries that drive on the left) access can be used for direct connections to side roads. In many cases, sophisticated interchanges allow for smooth, uninterrupted transitions between intersecting freeways and busy arterial roads . However, sometimes it
890-434: A larger number of guide signs than other roads, and the signs themselves are physically larger. Guide signs are often mounted on overpasses or overhead gantries so that drivers can see where each lane goes. Exit numbers are commonly derived from the exit's distance in miles or kilometers from the start of the freeway. In some areas, there are public rest areas or service areas on freeways, as well as emergency phones on
979-499: A legal status which limits the types of vehicles that can use a highway, as well as a road design that limits the points at which they can access it. Major arterial roads will often have partial access control , meaning that side roads will intersect the main road at grade, instead of using interchanges, but driveways may not connect directly to the main road, and drivers must use intersecting roads to access adjacent land. At arterial junctions with relatively quiet side roads, traffic
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#17327979324191068-527: A milepost system but does not use milepost markers. In Europe and some other countries, motorways typically have similar characteristics such as: Two-lane freeways , often undivided, are sometimes built when traffic volumes are low or right-of-way is limited; they may be designed for easy conversion to one side of a four-lane freeway. (For example, most of the Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway in eastern Kentucky
1157-447: A motorway is understood as a public road with dual carriageways and at least two lanes each way. All entrances and exits are signposted and all interchanges are grade separated. Central barrier or median present throughout the road. No crossing is permitted, while stopping is permitted only in an emergency. Restricted access to motor vehicles, prohibited to pedestrians, animals, pedal cycles, mopeds, agricultural vehicles. The minimum speed
1246-777: A national-level or even international-level (e.g. European E route ) system of route numbering . There are several international standards that give some definitions of words such as motorways, but there is no formal definition of the English language words such as freeway , motorway , and expressway , or of the equivalent words in other languages such as autoroute , Autobahn , autostrada , autocesta, autoput , that are accepted worldwide—in most cases these words are defined by local statute or design standards or regional international treaties. Descriptions that are widely used include: One green or blue symbol (like [REDACTED] ) appears at motorway entry in countries that follow
1335-600: A number of patterns. The actual pattern is determined by a number of factors including local topology, traffic density, land cost, building costs, type of road, etc. In some jurisdictions feeder/distributor lanes are common, especially for cloverleaf interchanges ; in others, such as the United Kingdom, where the roundabout interchange is common, feeder/distributor lanes are seldom seen. Motorways in Europe typically differ between exits and junctions. An exit leads out of
1424-624: A park and where intersecting streets crossed over bridges. The Southern State Parkway opened in 1927, while the Long Island Motor Parkway was closed in 1937 and replaced by the Northern State Parkway (opened 1931) and the contiguous Grand Central Parkway (opened 1936). In Germany, construction of the Bonn-Cologne Autobahn began in 1929 and was opened in 1932 by Konrad Adenauer , then
1513-457: A private venture, was the world's first limited-access roadway. It included many modern features, including banked turns , guard rails and reinforced concrete tarmac . Traffic could turn left between the parkway and connectors, crossing oncoming traffic, so it was not a controlled-access highway (or "freeway" as later defined by the federal government's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices ). Modern controlled-access highways originated in
1602-609: A reduction in deaths in a range from 20% to 50% on those sections. Speed, in Europe, is considered to be one of the main contributory factors to collisions. Some countries, such as France and Switzerland, have achieved a death reduction by a better monitoring of speed. Tools used for monitoring speed might be an increase in traffic density; improved speed enforcement and stricter regulation leading to driver license withdrawal; safety cameras; penalty point; and higher fines. Some other countries use automatic time-over-distance cameras (also known as section controls ) to manage speed. Fatigue
1691-428: A right-of-way that would allow expansion to a six-lane expressway with a frontage road. The company had also planned to convert Marigold Avenue into a limited-access road as part of the Poinciana Parkway project. However, the 2000s housing bubble that drove significant growth of Poinciana collapsed and Avatar was unable to justify the costs or finance construction of the highway. Around 2010, Avatar decided not to build
1780-541: A separate roadway or altogether eliminates it. In some parts of the world, notably parts of the US , frontage roads form an integral part of the freeway system. These parallel surface roads provide a transition between high-speed "through" traffic and local traffic. Frequent slip-ramps provide access between the freeway and the frontage road, which in turn provides direct access to local roads and businesses. Except on some two-lane freeways (and very rarely on wider freeways),
1869-510: A similar system of express and local lanes for a maximum width of 21 lanes on a 2-mile (3.2 km) segment between Interstate 805 and California State Route 56 . In Mississauga , Ontario, Highway 401 uses collector-express lanes for a total of 18 lanes through its intersection with Highway 403 / Highway 410 and Highway 427 . These wide freeways may use separate collector and express lanes to separate through traffic from local traffic, or special high-occupancy vehicle lanes , either as
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#17327979324191958-411: A special restriction on the innermost lane or a separate roadway, to encourage carpooling . These HOV lanes , or roadways open to all traffic, can be reversible lanes , providing more capacity in the direction of heavy traffic, and reversing direction before traffic switches. Sometimes a collector/distributor road , a shorter version of a local lane, shifts weaving between closely spaced interchanges to
2047-849: Is co-chair of the Florida Bar Association 's Business Law Section Business Courts Task Force, which was formed in 2018 to study the merits of implementing a statewide business court. In early 2020, on the precipice of the COVID pandemic, the task force recommended a proposed statewide business court. Judge Richard A. Nielsen was the first presiding judge in the Thirteenth Circuit's Complex Business Litigation Division in Tampa, in 2007, where he served for 5 years. In 2008, Seventeenth Judicial Circuit (Broward County) Chief Judge Victor Tobin issued an administrative order creating
2136-488: Is considered as a risk factor more specific to monotonous roads such as motorways, although such data are not monitored/recorded in many countries. According to Vinci Autoroutes , one third of accidents in French motorways are due to sleepy driving. Tenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida The Florida circuit courts are state courts and trial courts of original jurisdiction for most controversies. In Florida,
2225-735: Is controlled mainly by two-way stop signs which do not impose significant interruptions on traffic using the main highway. Roundabouts are often used at busier intersections in Europe because they help minimize interruptions in flow, while traffic signals that create greater interference with traffic are still preferred in North America. There may be occasional interchanges with other major arterial roads. Examples include US 23 between SR 15 's eastern terminus and Delaware, Ohio , along with SR 15 between its eastern terminus and I-75 , US 30 , SR 29 / US 33 , and US 35 in western and central Ohio. This type of road
2314-655: Is necessary to exit onto a surface road to transfer from one freeway to another. One example in the United States (notorious for the resulting congestion) is the connection from Interstate 70 to the Pennsylvania Turnpike ( Interstate 70 and Interstate 76 ) through the town of Breezewood, Pennsylvania . Speed limits are generally higher on freeways and are occasionally nonexistent (as on much of Germany's Autobahn network). Because higher speeds reduce decision time, freeways are usually equipped with
2403-450: Is not lower than 50 km/h [31 mph] and the maximum speed is not higher than 130 km/h [81 mph] (except Germany where no speed limit is defined). Motorways are designed to carry heavy traffic at high speed with the lowest possible number of accidents. They are also designed to collect long-distance traffic from other roads, so that conflicts between long-distance traffic and local traffic are avoided. According to
2492-431: Is provided with separate carriageways for the two directions of traffic). Principal arterials may cross through urban areas, serving suburban movements. The traffic is characterized by high speeds and full or partial access control (interchanges or junctions controlled by traffic lights). Other roads leading to a principal arterial are connected to it through side collector roads. In this view, CARE's definition stands that
2581-407: Is sometimes called an expressway . Freeways are usually limited to motor vehicles of a minimum power or weight; signs may prohibit cyclists , pedestrians and equestrians and impose a minimum speed. It is possible for non-motorized traffic to use facilities within the same right-of-way, such as sidewalks constructed along freeway-standard bridges and multi-use paths next to freeways such as
2670-480: Is specially sign-posted as a motorway and is reserved for specific categories of road motor vehicles." Urban motorways are also included in this definition. However, the respective national definitions and the type of roads covered may present slight differences in different EU countries. The first version of modern controlled-access highways evolved during the first half of the 20th century. The Long Island Motor Parkway on Long Island , New York , opened in 1908 as
2759-545: Is the result of several changes, including infrastructure safety and road user behavior (speed or seat belt use), while other matters such as vehicle safety and mobility patterns have an impact that has not been quantified. Motorways are the safest roads by design. While accounting for more than one quarter of all kilometres driven, they contributed only 8% of the total number of European road deaths in 2006. Germany's Federal Highway Research Institute provided International Road Traffic and Accident Database (IRTAD) statistics for
Florida State Road 538 - Misplaced Pages Continue
2848-408: Is two lanes, but work has begun to make all of it four-lane.) These are often called Super two roads. Several such roads are infamous for a high rate of lethal crashes; an outcome because they were designed for short sight distances (sufficient for freeways without oncoming traffic, but insufficient for the years in service as two-lane road with oncoming traffic). An example of such a "Highway to Hell"
2937-629: The Dartford Crossing (the furthest downstream public crossing of the River Thames ) or where it was not economic to build a motorway alongside the existing road such as the former Cumberland Gap . The A1 is a good example of piece-wise upgrading to motorway standard—as of January 2013, the 639-kilometre-long (397 mi) route had five stretches of motorway (designated as A1(M)), reducing to four stretches in March 2018 with completion of
3026-867: The Suncoast Trail along the Suncoast Parkway in Florida . In some US jurisdictions, especially where freeways replace existing roads, non-motorized access on freeways is permitted. Different states of the United States have different laws. Cycling on freeways in Arizona may be prohibited only where there is an alternative route judged equal or better for cycling. Wyoming , the second least densely populated state, allows cycling on all freeways. Oregon allows bicycles except on specific urban freeways in Portland and Medford . In countries such as
3115-604: The US Army Corps of Engineers to construct a road across wetland to the northwest of Poinciana, even though they did not own that land at the time. In 1997, private investors received a permit from SFWMD to establish the Reedy Creek Mitigation Bank (RCMB) in the same area. The RCMB is a 3,500-acre (1,400 ha) mitigation bank to restore wetlands, which would then be protected in perpetuity by state and federal law. The investors receive credits from
3204-538: The United Kingdom new motorways require an Act of Parliament to ensure restricted right of way. Since upgrading an existing road (the "King's Highway") to a full motorway will result in extinguishing the right of access of certain groups such as pedestrians, cyclists and slow-moving traffic, many controlled access roads are not full motorways. In some cases motorways are linked by short stretches of road where alternative rights of way are not practicable such as
3293-424: The United Kingdom , do not distinguish between the two, but others make a distinction; for example, Germany uses the words Kreuz ("cross") or Dreieck ("triangle") for the former and Ausfahrt ("exit") for the latter. In all cases one road crosses the other via a bridge or a tunnel, as opposed to an at-grade crossing . The inter-connecting roads, or slip-roads , which link the two roads, can follow any one of
3382-929: The circuit courts are one of four types of courts created by the Florida Constitution (the other three being the Florida Supreme Court , Florida district courts of appeal , and Florida county courts ). The circuit courts primarily handle felony criminal cases; family law matters; civil cases where the amount in controversy is greater than $ 50,000; probate, guardianship, and mental health cases; juvenile dependency and delinquency cases; and appeals of decisions in certain administrative, noncriminal infractions, and other types of cases. There are 20 judicial circuits in Florida, all but five of which span multiple counties . They are: Florida circuit courts have original jurisdiction not vested in
3471-490: The shoulder at regular intervals. In the United States, mileposts usually start at the southern or westernmost point on the freeway (either its terminus or the state line). California , Ohio and Nevada use postmile systems in which the markers indicate mileage through the state's individual counties. However, Nevada and Ohio also use the standard milepost system concurrently with their respective postmile systems. California numbers its exits off its freeways according to
3560-455: The 1980s and early 1990s, in part due to inadequate planning. One significant problem that has limited development is limited road access to the area; Poinciana is surrounded by extensive wetlands and lakes with few arterial roads leading out of the community. In the late 1970s, Polk County built an unrelated road also named "Poinciana Parkway" leading south and the Cypress Parkway was built leading west to Haines City . In 1981, Poinciana Boulevard
3649-501: The A1(M) through North Yorkshire . The most frequent way freeways are laid out is by building them from the ground up after obstructions such as forestry or buildings are cleared away. Sometimes they deplete farmland, but other methods have been developed for economic, social and even environmental reasons. Full freeways are sometimes made by converting at-grade expressways or by replacing at-grade intersections with overpasses; however, in
Florida State Road 538 - Misplaced Pages Continue
3738-603: The American Bar Association's Business Law Section. A specialized business court in Orlando (Orange County) was first suggested by Thomas Benton Smith (judge) . In 2023, the Ninth Circuit business court expanded from Orange County to add Osceola County. Judge Gill S. Freeman was the first judge presiding over Miami's Complex Business Litigation Section, serving in that role for five years. She
3827-601: The Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court in Miami-Dade County Florida created a separate International Commercial Arbitration Court. As of May 2024, Judge Lisa S. Walsh serves as both a Complex Business Litigation Division Judge and a presiding International Commercial Arbitration Court Judge. Judge Jennifer D. Bailey also served both as a Complex Business Litigation Division judge and International Commercial Arbitration judge in
3916-454: The Florida legislature in 2014 envisions the CFX and OCX merging by 2018 and the agreement is a step towards that plan. The OCX contracted with the CFX to collect all toll revenues and place them in a trust indenture . As trustees of the trust indenture, BB&T is responsible for allocating receipts into nine different funds. The Osceola County Expressway Authority's 2040 master plan includes
4005-574: The Poinciana Parkway in a belt route around the Kissimmee area in northwest Osceola County. Both a connection to I-4, known as the I-4 Poinciana Parkway Connector, and a connection to Florida's Turnpike, a segment known as the Southport Connector, are undergoing alignment and environmental studies, which are expected to be completed in mid-2020. The 2040 master plan includes an extension from the intersection of
4094-575: The Poinciana Parkway to Interstate 4 . From the northwest, the road passes through the Reedy Creek Mitigation Bank—a conserved area of wetlands—where it crosses a 6,200-foot (1,900 m) bridge, then makes a turn to the south. South of the bridge, the parkway has grade-separated partial intersections (southbound exits, northbound entrances) with Marigold Avenue and KOA Street and terminates at an at-grade T-intersection with Cypress Parkway. Electronic-only toll gantries are located between
4183-478: The RCMB and an additional $ 0.50 toll is charged between Marigold Avenue and KOA Street; the tolls using the pay-by-plate billing system are $ 1.95 and $ 0.70, respectively. The Poinciana Parkway is a long-conceived road to provide access on the northwest side of the planned urban development of Poinciana. The first plans for the new community were made around 1970 to develop tens of thousands of acres of rural land along
4272-431: The RCMB bridge and Marigold Avenue and between Marigold Avenue and KOA Street; all tolls are collected using either wireless transponders ( SunPass or E-Pass ) or using "pay by plate" billing, in which a photo of the license plate is captured and the vehicle owner is sent a bill by mail for the appropriate toll. With a SunPass or E-Pass transponder, a $ 1.75 toll is charged at a toll gantry north of Marigold Avenue to cross
4361-660: The Southport Connector and Florida's Turnpike around to the east end of the existing Osceola Parkway, including a connection with SR 417 and Orlando International Airport . The entire route is in Poinciana , Osceola County . Controlled-access highway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway , motorway , and expressway . Other similar terms include throughway or thruway and parkway . Some of these may be limited-access highways , although this term can also refer to
4450-676: The Thirteenth Judicial Circuit (Hillsborough County) Business Court, and the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit (Broward County) Complex Litigation Unit consisting of a business and tort subdivision. In 2004, Ninth Circuit Chief Judge Belvin Perry made Judge Renee A. Roche Florida's first specialized business court judge. Judge Roche, along with Florida Judge John E. Jordan (Ninth Judicial Circuit), have served as Business Court Representatives to
4539-409: The US, any at-grade intersection that ends a freeway often remains an at-grade intersection. Often, when there is a two-lane undivided freeway or expressway, it is converted by constructing a parallel twin corridor, and leaving a median between the two travel directions. The median-side travel lane of the old two-way corridor becomes a passing lane. Other techniques involve building a new carriageway on
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#17327979324194628-484: The United States, allow for limited exceptions: some movable bridges , for instance the Interstate Bridge on Interstate 5 between Oregon and Washington , do require drivers to stop for ship traffic. The crossing of freeways by other routes is typically achieved with grade separation either in the form of underpasses or overpasses . In addition to sidewalks (pavements) attached to roads that cross
4717-712: The Vienna Convention. Exits are marked with another symbol: [REDACTED] . The definitions of "motorway" from the OECD and PIARC are almost identical. In the European Union , for statistical and safety purposes, some distinction might be made between motorway and expressway . For instance a principal arterial might be considered as: Roads serving long distance and mainly interurban movements. Includes motorways (urban or rural) and expressways (road which does not serve properties bordering on it and which
4806-445: The average commute was 45 minutes, which was among the highest commute times for small cities in the US. Avatar—one of the main developers of Poinciana—had long planned to connect Kinney Harmon Road with the Cypress Parkway in order to relieve congestion along Poinciana and Pleasant Hill Boulevards. However, the highway would not be built until the company was able to develop the community according to plan. Despite being included in
4895-418: The bonds were purchased by Vanguard . Standard & Poor's gave the bonds a BBB- rating , just one level above junk bond status, calling OCX traffic expectations "aggressive." The traffic projection for supporting the bond sale was 8,992 vehicles per day. The first full week without a holiday after the opening of the entire highway, November 28-December 2, 2016, an average of 6,896 vehicles per day traveled
4984-445: The border between Osceola and Polk Counties. Parker-Poinciana Properties, the developer owning the land on which Poinciana was built, envisioned a bedroom community of 250,000, minutes away from jobs and entertainment (plans to build nearby Disney World were announced in 1966). In the past, the proposed highway has also been called the "Parker Highway Project" and "Parker-Poinciana Highway". However, development proceeded slowly through
5073-473: The bridge, a temporary haul road was constructed across the RCMB. The northern segment of the Poinciana Parkway, from US17/US92 to Marigold Avenue, opened to traffic on April 30, 2016; the southern segment of the Poinciana Parkway, from Marigold Avenue to the Cypress Parkway, opened on November 18, 2016. marigold Construction of the highway was primarily financed by the sale of municipal bonds by OCX, backed financially by Osceola County. About $ 42 million of
5162-793: The bridge. The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge / Dartford tunnel at London Orbital is an example of this. London Orbital or the M25 is a motorway surrounding London , but at the last River Thames crossing before its mouth, motorway rules do not apply. (At this crossing the London Orbital is labeled A282 instead.) A few of the more common types of junction are shown below: There are many differences between countries in their geography, economy, traffic growth, highway system size, degree of urbanization and motorization, etc.; all of which need to be taken into consideration when comparisons are made. According to some EU papers, safety progress on motorways
5251-492: The common European definition, a motorway is defined as "a road, specially designed and built for motor traffic, which does not serve properties bordering on it, and which: (a) is provided, except at special points or temporarily, with separate carriageways for the two directions of traffic, separated from each other, either by a dividing strip not intended for traffic, or exceptionally by other means; (b) does not cross at level with any road, railway or tramway track, or footpath; (c)
5340-493: The comprehensive land use plans of both Polk and Osceola Counties, the Polk County Commission voted in 1997 to vacate right-of-way along Kinney Harmon Road to a developer to build a 495-lot mobile home park, a move that would effectively block construction of the Poinciana Parkway. The commissioners noted that the road had been discussed for years, but there were still no plans to build it at the time. Avatar sued
5429-541: The county and the 10th Judicial Circuit ruled that the commissioners did not explain why vacating the right-of-way would be in the public interest when making their decision. Osceola County had objected the commissioners' decision and helped Avatar in the case, but did not join the lawsuit. In 1994, Avatar spent $ 1.5 million for a conceptual permit from the South Florida Water Management District and also received permission from
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#17327979324195518-405: The county courts, direct review of administrative action, and the power to issue writs of mandamus , quo warranto , certiorari , prohibition , and habeas corpus , as well as any other writs necessary to exercise their jurisdiction. As authorized by the legislature, and in addition to the power to issue various injunctions and other necessary orders, the circuit courts more specifically have
5607-575: The decision was rejected by the OCX board. Lane alleged that scoring of the bids were improperly skewed in Jr. Davis' favor and that the latter was not properly licensed. Lane's bid was cheaper, at $ 62 million, but OCX determined that the Jr. Davis bridge design was superior. Lane did not succeed with the lawsuit and a notice to proceed, authorizing construction to begin, was issued in December 2013. To construct
5696-517: The early 1920s in response to the rapidly increasing use of the automobile , the demand for faster movement between cities and as a consequence of improvements in paving processes, techniques and materials. These original high-speed roads were referred to as " dual highways " and have been modernized and are still in use today. Italy was the first country in the world to build controlled-access highways reserved for fast traffic and for motor vehicles only. The Autostrada dei Laghi ("Lakes Motorway"),
5785-485: The first built in the world, connecting Milan to Lake Como and Lake Maggiore , and now parts of the A8 and A9 motorways, was devised by Piero Puricelli and was inaugurated in 1924. This motorway, called autostrada , contained only one lane in each direction and no interchanges. The Bronx River Parkway was the first road in North America to utilize a median strip to separate the opposing lanes, to be constructed through
5874-412: The first half of the 20th century. Italy was the first country in the world to build controlled-access highways reserved for fast traffic and for motor vehicles only. Italy opened its first autostrada in 1924, A8 , connecting Milan to Varese . Germany began to build its first controlled-access autobahn without speed limits (30 kilometres [19 mi] on what is now A555 , then referred to as
5963-562: The following jurisdiction: Original jurisdiction is as follows: Appellate jurisdiction is as follows: Four of Florida's Circuit Court's have issued orders creating specialized complex business and commercial court programs, including the Ninth Judicial Circuit (Orange and Osceola Counties) Business Court, the Eleventh Judicial Circuit (Miami-Dade County) Complex Business Litigation Division,
6052-404: The four-lane highway from $ 22 million in 2004 to $ 140–200 million in 2008. Avatar planned to build 10 miles (16 km) of road, retaining 4.15 mi (6.68 km) of the highway to operate as a toll road and donate the rest to Osceola County. In early 2008, Avatar planned to build the highway in 2009. Avatar had originally planned to construct a four-lane divided expressway within
6141-504: The highway are provided at interchanges by slip roads (ramps), which allow for speed changes between the highway and arterials and collector roads . On the controlled-access highway, opposing directions of travel are generally separated by a median strip or central reservation containing a traffic barrier or grass. Elimination of conflicts with other directions of traffic dramatically improves safety, while increasing traffic capacity and speed. Controlled-access highways evolved during
6230-678: The highway while at the same time, the state established the Osceola County Expressway Authority (OCX) to develop and built a series of toll road segments in Osceola County. The 2040 Master Plan developed by OCX has a loop route around the south and east sides of the Kissimmee-St.Cloud area. The Poinciana Parkway is a natural part of the proposed loop road. In 2012, an agreement was reached between Orange County, Polk County, OCX, and Avatar to construct
6319-679: The highway. The rating may affect the proposed merger of OCX with the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX), which succeeded the Orlando Orange County Expressway Authority (OOCEA) in 2014. The state legislature has considered merging the two agencies to form a regional expressway authority that would also include Lake and Seminole Counties. In early 2014, prior to the creation of the CFX, OOCEA bonds had identical "A"/"A2" (from Fitch/Moody's) credit ratings and there
6408-498: The highway. Avatar donated approximately $ 48 million worth of right-of-way, studies/engineering work, construction plans, and permits and gave Polk County a 9.8-acre (4.0 ha) parcel of land designated as a "public safety site" (future fire station and communications tower). Osceola County agreed to provide $ 6 million and cover any shortfall between the cost of construction and the sale of bonds plus Polk County's contribution. Polk County agreed to contribute $ 6 million to
6497-419: The land north of the wetlands from the bank, compensating the bank's owners. The Corps also considered other alignments that would avoid the bank, but concluded that they were worse logistically, environmentally, or traffic-wise. In 1997, the highway was estimated to cost $ 8 million to connect the end of Kinney Harmon Road with the end of Marigold Avenue. The RCMB saga skyrocketed cost estimates to construct
6586-469: The mayor of Cologne . The German Autobahn became the first nationwide highway system. In Canada , the first precursor with semi-controlled access was The Middle Road between Hamilton and Toronto , which featured a median divider between opposing traffic flow, as well as the nation's first cloverleaf interchange . This highway developed into the Queen Elizabeth Way , which featured
6675-400: The motorway system, whilst a junction is a crossing between motorways or a split/merge of two motorways. The motorway rules end at exits, but not at junctions. However, on some bridges, motorways, without changing appearance, temporarily end between the two exits closest to the bridge (or tunnel), and continue as dual carriageways . This is in order to give slower vehicles a possibility to use
6764-439: The other. Other methods involve constructing a service drive that shortens the long driveways (typically by less than 100 metres (330 ft)). An interchange or a junction is a highway layout that permits traffic from one controlled-access highway to access another and vice versa, whereas an access point is a highway layout where traffic from a distributor or local road can join a controlled-access highway. Some countries, such as
6853-405: The planned route was converted to a mitigation bank , requiring a bridge to span most of the 1.2 miles (1.9 km) stretch through the restored wetland. The road was originally planned to be built by Avatar—the primary developer of Poinciana—as a four-lane, limited-access highway; after the decision was made to build the bridge across the mitigation bank a toll was planned for the bridge segment of
6942-417: The project (of which $ 3 million was to be reimbursed by FDOT), but is not obligated to contribute to any further expansion of the highway. The construction of the Poinciana Parkway included the realignment/reconstruction of Kinney Harmon Road in Polk County and improvements to US 17/92 around the intersection with Kinney Harmon Road, improvements to the Cypress Parkway around the new intersection with
7031-477: The rate is higher than the risk on urban roads. Speeds are higher on rural roads and autobahns than urban roads, increasing the severity potential of a crash. According to ETSC, German motorways without a speed limit, but with a 130 km/h (81 mph) speed recommendation, are 25% more deadly than motorways with a speed limit. Germany also introduced some 130 km/h (81 mph) speed limits on various motorway sections that were not limited. This generated
7120-643: The rights of light , air and access to highways, but not parkways and freeways; the latter two are distinguished in that the purpose of a parkway is recreation, while the purpose of a freeway is movement. Thus, as originally conceived, a freeway is simply a strip of public land devoted to movement to which abutting property owners do not have rights of light, air or access. Freeways, by definition, have no at-grade intersections with other roads, railroads or multi-use trails . Therefore, no traffic signals are needed and through traffic on freeways does not normally need to stop at traffic signals. Some countries, such as
7209-404: The road, but the collapse of the 2000s housing bubble and increased costs forced Avatar to abandon their plans to build the private toll road. About the same time, Osceola County formed the Osceola County Expressway Authority to build a loop road around the Kissimmee-St.Cloud area, which would include the Poinciana Parkway. The Poinciana Parkway is a two-lane freeway , designed to be expanded to
7298-432: The side of a divided highway that has a lot of private access on one side and sometimes has long driveways on the other side since an easement for widening comes into place, especially in rural areas. When a third carriageway is added, sometimes it can shift a directional carriageway by 20–60 metres (50–200 ft) (or maybe more depending on land availability) as a way to retain private access on one side that favors over
7387-414: The southern terminus of the Poinciana Parkway, and short extension of KOA Road. Soon after its establishment, OCX decided to limit construction costs to $ 70 million, a figure which is in addition to approximately $ 50 million of plans, permits, and right-of-way donated by Avatar, who will not be reimbursed. Because of the cost limit, the decision was made to build a two-lane highway initially, using
7476-492: The state for restoring and protecting the wetlands. Developers purchase the credits to offset the destruction of wetlands elsewhere. The Poinciana Parkway would cross 1.2 mi (1.9 km) of the RCMB. The establishment of the RCMB despite previous plans for the road became a barrier to the Poinciana Parkway's construction. There was concern of setting a precedent of allowing development in conservation areas that are supposed to be protected from development. In order to preserve
7565-469: The wetland habitat, officials wanted a bridge over the wetland habitat, while Avatar contended that bridging the wetland would be too expensive and proposed short bridges or culverts for water and animals to pass. In 2008, the Army Corps of Engineers determined that the road could only be built if it included two 2,000 ft (610 m) bridges, adding $ 20–40 million to the project's cost or remove
7654-406: The year 2010, comparing overall fatality rates with motorway rates (regardless of traffic intensity): The German autobahn network illustrates the safety trade-offs of controlled access highways. The injury crash rate is very low on autobahns, while 22 people died per 1,000 injury crashes—although autobahns have a lower rate than the 29 deaths per 1,000 injury accidents on conventional rural roads,
7743-443: Was European route E4 from Gävle to Axmartavlan , Sweden. The high rate of crashes with severe personal injuries on that (and similar) roads did not cease until a median crash barrier was installed, transforming the fatal crashes into non-fatal crashes. Otherwise, freeways typically have at least two lanes in each direction; some busy ones can have as many as 16 or more lanes in total. In San Diego, California , Interstate 5 has
7832-449: Was concern that the poorly-rated OCX bonds would impact the finances of a combined agency and OOCEA bondholders. The OOCEA's chairman Walter Ketcham remarked that the OCX bonds were so poorly rated "we wouldn't touch them with gloves". In September 2016, CFX agreed to study future road projects in Osceola County, in order to determine which are viable for financing and construction, on behalf of OCX for an 18-month period. Legislation passed by
7921-417: Was extended to US 192 to improve access to I-4 and Kissimmee. In 1998, Pleasant Hill Boulevard was widened to four lanes. In the 2000s, a housing boom led to a huge increase in the town's population, from 13,647 in 2000 to 53,193 in 2010. Since Poinciana is intended to be a bedroom community, improved road access is seen as essential to the community's future; prior to the construction of the Poinciana Parkway,
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