State Road 60, or Route 60 ( SR 60 Route 60 ) is an east–west route transversing Florida from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean . The western terminus of SR 60 is at the Sunsets at Pier 60 site in Clearwater Beach . The eastern terminus is in Vero Beach near the Atlantic Coast just past State Road A1A .
128-563: The Tamiami Trail ( / ˈ t æ m i ˌ æ m i / ) is the southernmost 284 miles (457 km) of U.S. Highway 41 (US 41) from State Road 60 (SR 60) in Tampa to US 1 in Miami . A portion of the road also has the hidden designation of State Road 90 ( SR 90 ). The 163-mile (262 km) north–south section (hidden SR 45 ) extends to Naples , whereupon it becomes an east–west road (hidden SR 90) crossing
256-568: A band around a drum in the transmission, thus stopping the rear wheels from turning. The previously mentioned parking brake lever operated band brakes acting on the inside of the rear brake drums, which were an integral part of the rear wheel hubs. Optional brakes that acted on the outside of the brake drums were available from aftermarket suppliers. Wheels were wooden artillery wheels , with steel welded-spoke wheels available in 1926 and 1927. Tires were pneumatic clincher type, 30 in (762 mm) in diameter, 3.5 in (89 mm) wide in
384-668: A bridge over the Valrico Subdivision, then as it descends it curves straight east again where it becomes West Van Fleet Drive. The transition from West to East Van Fleet Drive occurs when SR 60 encounters the intersection with U.S. Route 98 in Florida (Broadway Avenue and hidden SRs 35 and 700 ). US 98 and SR 35 join SR 60 in a short overlap while SR 700 continues south along Broadway Avenue to East Main Street. Just after crossing
512-543: A dirt road leading to the Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area. Very little exists beyond this point besides farms and scrubland. Still rural, the route enters Yeehaw Junction where it encounters US 441 and the historic site of the former Desert Inn and Restaurant , until it was destroyed by a jackknifing tractor-trailer in 2019. East of US 441, the road is upgraded again at the interchange Florida's Turnpike and resumes its status as
640-727: A four-lane divided highway. Additionally, it receives the street name Stan Mayfield Memorial Highway, a name that it will continue to possess even as it crosses the Osceola-Indian River County Line. Entering the county, the road briefly turns east then southeast again after the north gate of Wedgworth Farms, only to turn east again at the Fort Drum Marsh, where it runs between the Blue Cypress Conservation Area and Fort Drum Wildlife Management Area . Beyond these two preserves,
768-531: A hidden overlap with SR 60. One of the more unique intersections is with Willow Avenue which also has a railroad crossing with the CSX Port Tampa Spur from the southwest to northeast corners. Beginning at "Boulevard" SR 60 enters the territory of the University of Tampa . At Snow Park, Kennedy Boulevard branches off to the northeast while Grand Central Avenue continues straight east. From there,
896-722: A local preserve area named the Sydney Dover Conservation Park, which includes the Dover Horse Trails. In Hopewell , south of Plant City , the route is locally named Hopewell Road , even though it is still signed as S.R. 60. The major intersection in Hopewell is the southern terminus of Florida State Road 39 and northern terminus of Hillsborough County Road 39. East of the intersection is the Hopewell Weigh Station, located in
1024-727: A loop entrance and exit to Sexton Plaza Beach. From west to east: Originally, SR 60 in Clearwater traveled west of Highland Avenue along Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard and Cleveland Street to the Memorial Causeway . When construction of the new Memorial Causeway began in 2001/2002, SR 60 was realigned along Court Street and Pierce Boulevard to the Causeway, with the original alignment downloaded to the city of Clearwater. Between Pierce and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, SR 60
1152-539: A major intersection with US 41 (50th Street) followed by driveways to the CSX Uceta Yard . The industrial development continues as the road runs along a bridge over the Tampa Bypass Canal then intersects South 78th Street ( CR 573 ), which includes part of another interchange with Lee Roy Selmon Expressway on the southeast corner. Within the vicinity of the intersection with US 301 , SR 60 makes
1280-523: A map and accorded the credit for coining the word "Tamiami" to Dickie, although D. C. Gillett, who was president of the Tampa Board of Trade, later claimed to have originally suggested the name. On August 3, 1915, the Board of Commissioners of Dade County agreed to fund part of the survey for the road by providing their county engineer. Two days later a team surveyed the first 3.5 miles (5.6 km), and
1408-608: A one-mile-long (1.6 km) project to lift a portion of the road to allow the more natural water flow into the southern Everglades. At the Everglades Foundation's America's Everglades Summit held in mid-May 2010, Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior, Thomas Strickland, revealed that the Interior Department's National Park Service released a draft Environmental Impact Statement recommending an additional 5.5 miles (8.9 km) of bridging
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#17327683985001536-408: A pair of bridges over SR 17 (5th Street), Florida Midland Railroad tracks, and 4th Street. Access to SR 17 is only available through the aforementioned West Polk Avenue continuation from eastbound SR 60 and a half-diamond interchange with 4th Street from westbound SR 60. The name Hesperides Road continues into County Road 630 near Indian Lake Estates . From there it is a two-lane road, however
1664-556: A pair of bridges over Poley Creek, continuing the name of "SR 60." The road intersects with an old alignment of the highway that is aptly named "Old Highway 60", Bailey Road, and Shady Hammock Road in a 5-way intersection just before Mulberry city limits , just before crossing the bridges over the North Prong of the Alafia River . At the intersection with the east end of Polk County Road 676 and Old Highway 60, current SR 60 has
1792-718: A pulley fastened to the hub for a flat belt to drive a bucksaw , thresher , silo blower, conveyor for filling corn cribs or haylofts, baler , water pump, electrical generator, and many other applications. One unique application of the Model ;T was shown in the October 1922 issue of Fordson Farmer magazine. It showed a minister who had transformed his Model T into a mobile church, complete with small organ. During this era, entire automobiles (including thousands of Model Ts) were hacked apart by their owners and reconfigured into custom machinery permanently dedicated to
1920-534: A purpose, such as homemade tractors and ice saws. Dozens of aftermarket companies sold prefab kits to facilitate the T's conversion from car to tractor. The Model T had been around for a decade before the Fordson tractor became available (1917–18), and many Ts were converted for field use. (For example, Harry Ferguson , later famous for his hitches and tractors, worked on Eros Model T tractor conversions before he worked with Fordsons and others.) During
2048-514: A rail journey in India on such a railcar. The New Zealand Railways Department 's RM class included a few. The American LaFrance company modified more than 900 Model Ts for use in firefighting, adding tanks, hoses, tools and a bell. Model T fire engines were in service in North America, Europe, and Australia. A 1919 Model T equipped to fight chemical fires has been restored and
2176-599: A railroad crossing with the CSX Mulberry Yard, then the road turns east again at another segment of Old Highway 60. At the intersection with Prairie Mine and Diesel Roads, SR 60 is named West Canal Street . The road encounters a local street named Phosphate Boulevard which flanks the west side of the crossing with the Bone Valley Subdivision , and then intersects Florida State Road 37 . West Canal Street becomes East Canal Street one block later at
2304-406: A result, Ford's cars came off the line in three-minute intervals, much faster than previous methods , reducing production time from 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 hours before to 93 minutes by 1914, while using less manpower. In 1914, Ford produced more cars than all other automakers combined. The Model T was a great commercial success, and by the time Ford made its 10 millionth car, half of all cars in
2432-615: A six-runway supersonic airport. The project would also transform the Tamiami Trail into a multi-lane expressway . Conservationists were worried about the impact an airport that size would have on the environment of the Everglades and Big Cypress. After several court hearings, a ban was placed upon further development. The widening of Tamiami Trail as a part of the Jetport had been stopped. One runway had already been completed; so
2560-430: A special worm gear rear differential with lower gearing than the normal car and truck, giving more pulling power but a lower top speed (the frame is also stronger; the cab and engine are the same). A Model TT is easily identifiable by the cylindrical housing for the worm-drive over the axle differential. All gears are vanadium steel running in an oil bath. Two main types of band lining material were used: During
2688-471: Is Commerce Avenue where eastbound 19th Place becomes 20th Street (one-way eastbound) and 20th Place (one-way westbound). Five blocks later in intersects US 1 at Eighth Avenue. The one-way pair finally comes to and end on 20th Street just west of the intersection with Sixth Avenue. 20th Street ends at Indian River Boulevard and continues eastbound onto a dead-end street named Tarpon Road, but SR 60 turns north along Indian River Boulevard (CR 603) . Even without
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#17327683985002816-495: Is an automobile that was produced by the Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It is generally regarded as the first mass-affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans. The relatively low price was partly the result of Ford's efficient fabrication, including assembly line production instead of individual handcrafting. The savings from mass production allowed
2944-628: Is at 43rd Street east of the bridge over the Main Canal where SR 60 officially enters the City of Vero Beach . Before the intersection with 20th Avenue, SR 60 divides into the last one-way pair. It becomes 19th Place (one-way eastbound) and 20th Street (one-way westbound). The two streets run parallel to each other through the railroad crossing of the Florida East Coast Railway Main Line. Running parallel to this line
3072-416: Is briefly cosigned with US 98 during its route. It is mainly known as Van Fleet Drive . State Road 60 Business served as a business route for Bartow, Florida , until SR 60 was realigned to follow the bypass in 2006. It was briefly cosigned with SR 700 between Broadway and Holland Parkway (US 17/98). It was mainly known as Main Street and Flamingo Drive . Ford Model T The Ford Model T
3200-438: Is controlled with three floor-mounted pedals , a revolutionary feature for its time, and a lever mounted to the road side of the driver's seat. The throttle is controlled with a lever on the steering wheel . The left-hand pedal is used to engage the transmission. With the floor lever in either the mid position or fully forward and the pedal pressed and held forward, the car enters low gear. When held in an intermediate position,
3328-399: Is engaged with a lever; all units after that use the central pedal, which is used to engage reverse gear when the car is in neutral. The right-hand pedal operates the transmission brake – there are no brakes on the wheels. The floor lever also controls the parking brake , which is activated by pulling the lever all the way back. This doubles as an emergency brake. Although it was uncommon,
3456-555: Is flanked by the Beachland Elementary School along the north side to Mockingbird Drive, and the Riverside Theater along the south side. The rest of the boulevard appears to be typical land-boom era development. Florida State Road 60's eastern terminus is at Florida State Road A1A . Beachland Boulevard continues east of SR A1A as a four-lane divided city street until Ocean Boulevard, where it becomes
3584-492: Is joined by southbound Florida State Road 45 at Brush Street, while northbound SR 45 is encountered at Nebraska Avenue. The one-way pair in Tampa ends when eastbound SR 60/45/US Bus 41 turns north onto Meridian Avenue and east onto Kennedy Boulevard. Three blocks later the routes end at Channelside Drive then turn north along that street until the intersection with Adamo Drive where they turn east. From there it continues paralleling
3712-668: Is on display at the North Charleston Fire Museum in South Carolina. The knowledge and skills needed by a factory worker were reduced to 84 areas. When introduced, the T used the building methods typical at the time, assembly by hand, and production was small. The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant could not keep up with demand for the Model T, and only 11 cars were built there during the first full month of production. More and more machines were used to reduce
3840-434: Is split into two one-way streets—Court Street carrying westbound traffic, and Chestnut Street carrying eastbound traffic. Prior to the realignment, Court Street east of Missouri Avenue was known as SR 651 , while Court and Chestnut Streets west of Missouri was a locally maintained road signed as "Bypass 60". State Road 60A served as a bypass for Bartow, Florida , until SR 60 was realigned to follow that route in 2006. It
3968-608: Is the first Single-Point Urban Interchange in the United States. Another SPUI interchange follows with County Road 611, which consists of McMullen-Booth Boulevard and the Bayside Bridge . The last intersection in mainland Pinellas County is South Bayshore Drive, before the road becomes the Courtney Campbell Causeway over Tampa Bay to Memorial Highway, the eastern terminus of the causeway, and
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4096-575: The Cork, Ireland plant in December 1927. Model T engines continued to be produced until August 4, 1941. Almost 170,000 were built after car production stopped, as replacement engines were required to service the many existing vehicles. Racers and enthusiasts, forerunners of modern hot rodders, used the Model Ts' blocks to build popular and cheap racing engines, including Cragar, Navarro, and, famously,
4224-672: The Everglades (and forming part of the northern border of Everglades National Park ). It becomes Southwest 8th Street in Miami-Dade County , famous as Calle Ocho in the Little Havana section of Miami (and site of the eponymous annual festival ), before ending east of Miami Avenue as Southeast 8th Street at Brickell Avenue in Brickell , Downtown Miami . The idea for a trans-peninsula highway that connected
4352-592: The Fort Fraser Trail , the overlap with US 98/SR 35 ends when SR 60 moves onto a new alignment onto East Van Fleet Drive, then runs over a bridge below the US 17 -98 overlap. East Van Fleet Drive continues to the Peace River Bridges. From east of Bartow the road is simply called SR 60. A few small businesses dot the road as it starts to take a few more curves to the northeast. One other site includes
4480-600: The Frontenacs ("Fronty Fords") of the Chevrolet brothers, among many others. The Model T employed some advanced technology, for example, its use of vanadium steel alloy. Its durability was phenomenal, and some Model Ts and their parts are in running order over a century later. Although Henry Ford resisted some kinds of change, he always championed the advancement of materials engineering , and often mechanical engineering and industrial engineering. In 2002, Ford built
4608-632: The Lake Wales Branch of the Florida Midland Railroad . The Lake Wales city line is where the name changes to West Polk Avenue. Curving to southeast and east again, it encounters a parclo interchange with US 27 . As of 2024, the interchange is in the process of being converted into a single-point urban interchange . SR 60 leaves West Polk Avenue and moves southeast onto Hesperides Road in eastern Lake Wales. The road turns straight east at South Second Street, and then runs along
4736-521: The Merrill P. Barber Bridge . The bridge climbs above marshland on the mainland before passing over the Indian River then lands on Orchid Island . At the first intersection with Indian River Drive East and Riverside Park Drive, the street is named Beachland Boulevard , a four-lane tree-lined often divided highway with provisions for left-turn lanes. On the first block after this intersection, SR 60
4864-575: The Pinellas Trail and the CSX Clearwater Subdivision at the same time along East Street. One block later, the streets are joined by US 19 Alternate at Myrtle Avenue, and are overlapped through the end of the one-way pair west of MLK Boulevard where the routes only run along Court Street. The overlap with US Alternate 19, ends as it turns south at Missouri Avenue (hidden SR 651 ), while SR 60 continues east until reaching
4992-643: The United States Army Corps of Engineers , this was only a partial solution to the problems of the Everglades and the Tamiami Trail. In 2003, after considering a variety of plans involving the rebuilding of US 41/SR 90, the Corps recommended that a 3,000-foot-long (910 m) causeway be built near the Northeast Shark Slough northeast of Everglades National Park , all road fill removed that would otherwise be adjacent to
5120-542: The Brandon- Valrico border, fully entering Valrico at the intersection of Miller Road. Between Saint Cloud Avenue and Skywood Drive, SR 60 has a railroad crossing with the CSX Valrico Subdivision , although a local street to a gated community near the tracks is named "Valrico Station Road," suggesting the historic presence of a former railroad station. Just outside of the border of Valrico, is
5248-494: The Central Florida Highway Association, Perry introduced a resolution which was seconded by Tampa's E. P. Dickie, for the construction of the "Tamiami Trail", which was to run from Tampa through Riverview, Bradenton, Sarasota, Arcadia, Punta Gorda, Fort Myers, Estero, Bonita Springs, Naples, Marco, then east directly across the state to Miami. Perry traced the route of the proposed Tamiami Trail on
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5376-556: The Century competition, ahead of the BMC Mini , Citroën DS , and Volkswagen Beetle . Ford's Model T was successful not only because it provided inexpensive transportation on a massive scale, but also because the car signified innovation for the rising middle class and became a powerful symbol of the United States' age of modernization. With over 15 million sold, it was the most sold car in history before being surpassed by
5504-754: The Chevelier Corporation began laying out a new route for the road and in 1921 began construction on the new segment of the Tamiami Trail. This segment is today known as Loop Road (located in Big Cypress National Preserve ). In 1922, the State of Florida ran out of construction funds for the east–west portion. The following year, Barron Collier , an advertising mogul who had recently diversified his holdings by investing in various types of businesses and millions of acres of southwest Florida wilderness, pledged that he would bankroll
5632-536: The Lee Roy Selmon Expressway, and is surrounded by more industrial zoning. Southbound US Bus 41/SR 45 leaves SR 60 at 21st Street, while northbound US Bus 41/SR 45 joins SR 60 at 22nd Street. SR 60 continues to run in close proximity to the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway. East of US Bus 41, the route runs under the southern terminus of the Interstate 4 Connector with no connecting ramps, then has
5760-405: The Model T's production run, particularly after 1916, more than 30 manufacturers offered auxiliary transmissions or drives to substitute for, or enhance, the Model T's drivetrain gears. Some offered overdrive for greater speed and efficiency, while others offered underdrives for more torque (often incorrectly described as "power") to enable hauling or pulling greater loads. Among the most noted were
5888-418: The Model T ended. The Fordson Model F tractor engine, that was designed about a decade later, was very similar to, but larger than, the Model T engine. The Model T is a rear-wheel drive vehicle. Its transmission is a planetary gear type known (at the time) as "three speed". In today's terms it is considered a two-speed, because one of the three speeds is reverse. The Model T's transmission
6016-444: The Model T had fuel economy of 13–21 mpg ‑US (16–25 mpg ‑imp ; 18–11 L/100 km). The engine was designed to run on gasoline , although it may also have been able to run on kerosene or ethanol , although the decreasing cost of gasoline and the later introduction of Prohibition made ethanol an impractical fuel for most users. The engines of the first 2,447 units were cooled with water pumps;
6144-480: The Model T lost market share and became barely profitable. Design changes were not as few as the public perceived, but the idea of an unchanging model was kept intact. Eventually, on May 26, 1927, Ford Motor Company ceased US production and began the changeovers required to produce the Model A . Some of the other Model T factories in the world continued for a short while, with the final Model T produced at
6272-494: The Model T more flexible as to the quality or type of fuel it used. The system did not need a starting battery, since proper hand-cranking would generate enough current for starting. Electric lighting powered by the magneto was adopted in 1915, replacing acetylene gas flame lamp and oil lamps, but electric starting was not offered until 1919. The Model T engine was produced for replacement needs as well as stationary and marine applications until 1941, well after production of
6400-599: The Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects program to complete the Tamiami Trail Next Steps project, intended to allow more north-to-south water flow into the Everglades. This grant matches a $ 43.5 million commitment by the State of Florida for the raising and reconstruction of the remaining 6.5 miles (10.5 km) of the eastern Tamiami Trail roadway. As of September 2020, the plan to complete and finish
6528-746: The Ruckstell two-speed rear axle, and transmissions by Muncie, Warford, and Jumbo. Aftermarket transmissions generally fit one of four categories: Murray Fahnestock, a Ford expert in the era of the Model T, particularly advised the use of auxiliary transmissions for the enclosed Model T's, such as the Ford Sedan and Coupelet, for three reasons: their greater weight put more strain on the drivetrain and engine, which auxiliary transmissions could smooth out; their bodies acted as sounding boards, echoing engine noise and vibration at higher engine speeds, which could be lessened with intermediate gears; and owners of
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#17327683985006656-620: The State Road Department agreed with Collier County. Even so, the Board of County Commissioners of Dade County supported the Chevelier segment, since so much money had already been invested, and only a few miles of road were left to be completed. Despite this protest, the State Road Department reinstated the original route of the Tamiami Trail to be completed, and the already completed portion of roadway in Monroe County
6784-604: The TECO Peace Creek Solar Plant. An intersection that would otherwise be unimportant is Enterprise Boulevard, a small road leading to the Polk State College - Clear Springs Advanced Technology Center. One of the more significant intersections along this segment is with Polk County Road 655A southeast to Alturas then moves around the north coast of Lake Garfield, where it encounters the intersection of Polk County Road 655 north to US 17 and
6912-605: The Tamiami Trail has been approved for the final steps of the project. Through the Trump Administration, The Florida Department of Transportation, and Everglades National Park, they have been able to finalize these plans. This will help improve water flow within the wetlands and to restore many parts of the Tamiami Trail and the Everglades National Park as a whole. These plans to begin the final steps will start November 2020 and should be finished by
7040-531: The Tamiami Trail. The Everglades Foundation is a group that supports the Tamiami Trail bridging and dedicated to Everglades restoration. In 2013, Florida announced a $ 90 million commitment to elevate 2.6 miles (4.2 km) of the road to allow natural drainage into the Everglades and Everglades National Park. In June 2019, a $ 60 million grant was announced by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to Everglades National Park through
7168-487: The US ;94 signage was replaced with US 41 signs, over a decade after AASHO modified its guidelines to discourage short (under 300 mi or 480 km) U.S. Highways that are entirely within one state. In the 1950s, the newly configured US 41 was extended eastward and northward, first to downtown Miami along US 1 in 1950, then to Miami Beach along US 1 and SR A1A in 1953. In 1965, US 41
7296-472: The Volkswagen Beetle in 1972. Early automobiles, which were produced from the 1880s , were mostly scarce, expensive, and often unreliable. Being the first reliable, easily maintained, mass-market motorized transportation made the Model T into a great success: Within a few days after release, 15,000 orders were placed. The first production Model T was built on August 12, 1908, and left
7424-405: The alphabet up through the Model T. Twenty models in all, not all of which went into production. The production model immediately before the Model T was the Model S , an upgraded version of the company's largest success to that point, the Model N . The follow-up to the Model T was another Ford Model A , rather than the "Model U". The company publicity said this was because
7552-576: The assembly line belongs to Ransom E. Olds , with the first mass-produced automobile, the Oldsmobile Curved Dash , having begun in 1901, the tremendous advances in the efficiency of the system over the life of the Model T can be credited almost entirely to Ford and his engineers. The Model T was designed by Childe Harold Wills , and Hungarian immigrants Joseph A. Galamb (main engineer) and Eugene Farkas . Henry Love, C. J. Smith, Gus Degner and Peter E. Martin were also part of
7680-621: The bridge, the 57 culverts that are already in place maintained, and the appropriate water flow rate maintained under the non-causeway portions of the Tamiami Trail crossing the Everglades. The proposed causeway is being called the Everglades Skyway by the Sierra Club , Audubon Society , World Wildlife Fund , and other organizations in an Internet-based effort to lobby Florida and United States government officials for project construction money. In December 2009, construction began on
7808-416: The car is in neutral. If the left pedal is released, the Model T enters high gear, but only when the lever is fully forward – in any other position, the pedal only moves up as far as the central neutral position. This allows the car to be held in neutral while the driver cranks the engine by hand. The car can thus cruise without the driver having to press any of the pedals. In the first 800 units, reverse
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#17327683985007936-448: The cars in the U.S. were Model Ts. In his autobiography, Ford reported that in 1909 he told his management team, "Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black." However, in the first years of production from 1908 to 1913, the Model T was not available in black, but rather only in gray, green, blue, and red. Green was available for the touring cars, town cars, coupes, and Landaulets . Gray
8064-441: The clutch discs from slipping freely. Power reaches the differential through a single universal joint attached to a torque tube which drives the rear axle ; some models (typically trucks, but available for cars, as well) could be equipped with an optional two-speed rear Ruckstell axle, shifted by a floor-mounted lever which provides an underdrive gear for easier hill climbing. The heavy-duty Model TT truck chassis came with
8192-414: The completion of the Tamiami Trail, U.S. Highway 94 ( US 94 ) extended from the intersection of Ninth Street South and Fifth Avenue South in Naples (the southern terminus of US 41) to the intersection of South Eighth Street and Brickell Avenue (US 1) in Miami. At the time it was considered a major achievement of engineering that was the only route from Naples (and, by extension, from Tampa) to
8320-402: The completion of the Tamiami Trail; in return, the State legislature would establish a new county and name it after him. So in 1923, Collier County was created out of the southern portion of Lee County. Almost immediately contention arose over the change of the route. The sponsors of the new county advocated for the original route, which was completely inside the boundaries of Collier County, and
8448-529: The complexity within the 84 defined areas. In 1910, after assembling nearly 12,000 Model Ts, Henry Ford moved the company to the new Highland Park complex . During this time the Model T production system ( including the supply chain ) transitioned into an iconic example of assembly-line production. In subsequent decades it would also come to be viewed as the classic example of the rigid, first-generation version of assembly line production, as opposed to flexible mass production of higher quality products. As
8576-410: The cosigning with SR 60, Indian River Boulevard is a four-lane divided highway. Here the route is flanked by a tree-obstructed frontage road for a boat channel-lined community on the east side, and condominiums apartments on the west side until the second crossing of the main canal, where the surroundings become more natural. The route leaves Indian River Boulevard to turn east again at the road leading to
8704-429: The crossing of the CSX Auburndale Subdivision , which is frequently used by Amtrak's Silver Star and Silver Meteor lines. Attempting to move to the northeast one last time before turning back southeast, the landscape is slightly more developed, and it encounters the road to Lake Wales Municipal Airport . However, it doesn't officially enter the City of Lake Wales itself until another railroad crossing, this time with
8832-415: The drive bands could fall out of adjustment, allowing the car to creep, particularly when cold, adding another hazard to attempting to start the car: a person cranking the engine could be forced backward while still holding the crank as the car crept forward, although it was nominally in neutral. As the car utilizes a wet clutch , this condition could also occur in cold weather, when the thickened oil prevents
8960-400: The east–west highway to its intended terminus at an interchange with I-95 . However, planners made the decision in 1973 to shift I-75's proposed route to instead cross the Everglades along Alligator Alley over environmental concerns related to upgrading the Tamiami Trail, which runs along the northern border of Everglades National Park. Additionally, Alligator Alley itself needed upgrading, as
9088-441: The east–west stretch later that year, thanks to funding from Barron Collier . In 1926, both the north–south section and the east–west stretch were designated U.S. highways . Although the Trail was intended to be one road, the two sections received two different numbers: as each section was completed, the north–south portion received US 41 signs, and the east–west stretch was designated US 94 upon completion (to comply with
9216-440: The enclosed cars spent more to buy them, and thus likely had more money to enhance them. He also noted that auxiliary transmissions were valuable for Ford Ton-Trucks in commercial use, allowing for driving speeds to vary with their widely variable loads – particularly when returning empty – possibly saving as much as 50% of returning drive time. Model T suspension employed a transversely mounted semi-elliptical spring for each of
9344-684: The end of 2024. Florida State Road 60 SR 60 begins in Clearwater Beach , at the once controversial Clearwater Roundabout, which is also shared by Gulfview Boulevard and Mandalay Avenue. The route is primarily a four lane divided highway named Causeway Boulevard . This segment includes the Clearwater Bridge over the Mandalay Channel which leads to a man-made island containing only one intersection with Island Way, which leads to Pasadees Key and Big Mangrove Key,
9472-496: The engines of unit 2,448 and onward, with a few exceptions prior to around unit 2,500, were cooled by thermosiphon action . The ignition system used in the Model T was an unusual one, with a low-voltage magneto incorporated in the flywheel, supplying alternating current to trembler coils to drive the spark plugs . This was closer to that used for stationary gas engines than the expensive high-voltage ignition magnetos that were used on some other cars. This ignition also made
9600-663: The era, the Model T engine was also used on home-built aircraft (such as the Pietenpol Sky Scout ) and motorboats . An armored-car variant (called the " FT-B ") was developed in Poland in 1920 due to the high demand during the Polish-Soviet war in 1920. Many Model Ts were converted into vehicles that could travel across heavy snows with kits on the rear wheels (sometimes with an extra pair of rear-mounted wheels and two sets of continuous track to mount on
9728-468: The expedition did not arrive on time, it was speculated they had become lost and likely died which drew national attention to the expedition. Planes were sent to try and find them and parties to rescue them would be dispatched from both coasts. The expedition did end up making it to Miami. The first 11 would come to Miami 19 days after it started and the rest would come a few days later, but the expedition did lose three of their vehicles. Construction started on
9856-628: The factory on September 27, 1908, at the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant in Detroit, Michigan . On May 26, 1927, Henry Ford watched the 15 millionth Model T Ford roll off the assembly line at his factory in Highland Park, Michigan . Henry Ford conceived a series of cars between the founding of the company in 1903 and the introduction of the Model T. Ford named his first car the Model A and proceeded through
9984-517: The final section was completed in April 1928. The Tamiami Trail took 13 years, cost $ 8 million (equivalent to $ 112 million in 2023), and used 2.6 million sticks of dynamite in its construction. The Tamiami Trail officially opened on April 26, 1928. To celebrate, a convoy of over 500 cars would leave out of Tampa on the morning of April 25 and arrive in Miami during the late part of the next day. Upon
10112-655: The former of which is where the Clearwater Marine Aquarium can be found. Before the man-made island ends, SR 60 rises above the Intracoastal Waterway along the Clearwater Memorial Causeway to reach mainland Clearwater . Once on the mainland, the road divides into Court Street (one-way westbound) and Chestnut Street (one-way eastbound) between Bay Avenue and Ewing Avenue. Along the way, both streets intersect
10240-414: The front and rear beam axles, which allowed a great deal of wheel movement to cope with the dirt roads of the time. The front axle was drop forged as a single piece of vanadium steel. Ford twisted many axles through eight full rotations (2880 degrees) and sent them to dealers to be put on display to demonstrate its superiority. The Model T did not have a modern service brake. The right foot pedal applied
10368-413: The goal of reaching Miami. The Blazers wanted to do this as a publicity stunt to try and get national attention. It would consist of a motorcade of 10 vehicles, a commissary truck, 7 Ford Model T's , an Elcar and a tractor, conveying 29 people (25 men and 4 women). The party consisted of members of Florida county boards, the road department, as well as several native guides, most likely Seminoles . When
10496-449: The individual to run and care for. It will be constructed of the best materials, by the best men to be hired, after the simplest designs that modern engineering can devise. But it will be so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one – and enjoy with his family the blessing of hours of pleasure in God's great open spaces. Although credit for the development of
10624-420: The intersection of South Highland Avenue, where hidden SR 651 terminates. From there the route also joins Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard . Throughout Clearwater, Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard serves as a long, straight west-to-east commercial strip, with notable intersections at Keene Road , later Belcher Road , and then Old Coachman Road and a power line crossing. The first interchange along the route is with US 19 which
10752-540: The intersection with Northeast and Southeast First Avenue. The name Canal Street terminates at Kid Ellis Road and SR 60 resumes signage east of Mulberry. Beyond the Mulberry City Limits, the road is scattered with various construction, chemical, and mining equipment companies. The road takes a brief northeast bend after it approaches a railroad crossing with a spur leading to some phosphate mines owned by Mosaic . Similar scattered businesses continue along
10880-589: The main non-limited access route from downtown Tampa to Brandon, as it passes WestShore Plaza . As it was in Clearwater, SR 60/Kennedy Boulevard serves as a commercial strip within western Tampa. Notable exceptions are sites such as the American Legion Cemetery just before the intersection with U.S. Route 92 at Dale Mabry Highway . Diagonally across from WTVT (Fox-13 TV station), the road intersects Florida State Road 685 (Henderson Boulevard). Few realize that beyond Henderson, SR 685 continues in
11008-779: The median. Following the weigh station, SR 60 encounters a railroad crossing with the CSX Plant City Subdivision . The route begins curving to the southeast as it enters Bealsville then turns east again as it crosses the wetlands of the English River, and shortly after it intersects South County Line Road at the Hillsborough-Polk County Line only to return to the southeast as it approaches the South Lakeland Airstrip . Along this second southeast trajectory it crosses
11136-530: The metal and another as a final finish. Paint choices in the American automotive industry, as well as in others (including locomotives, furniture, bicycles, and the rapidly expanding field of electrical appliances), were shaped by the development of the chemical industry . These included the disruption of dye sources during World War I and the advent, by the mid-1920s, of new nitrocellulose lacquers that were faster-drying and more scratch-resistant and obviated
11264-459: The need for multiple coats. Understanding the choice of paints for the Model T era and the years immediately following requires an understanding of the contemporaneous chemical industry. During the lifetime production of the Model T, over 30 types of black paint were used on various parts of the car. These were formulated to satisfy the different means of applying the paint to the various parts, and had distinct drying times, depending on
11392-410: The new car was such a departure from the old that Ford wanted to start all over again with the letter A . The Model T was Ford's first automobile mass-produced on moving assembly lines with completely interchangeable parts , marketed to the middle class . Henry Ford said of the vehicle: I will build a motor car for the great multitude. It will be large enough for the family, but small enough for
11520-576: The next decade, Model T tractor conversion kits were harder to sell, as the Fordson and then the Farmall (1924), as well as other light and affordable tractors, served the farm market. But during the Depression (1930s), Model T tractor conversion kits had a resurgence, because by then used Model Ts and junkyard parts for them were plentiful and cheap. Like many popular car engines of
11648-542: The north in 1968. Since then, traffic on the Tamiami Trail across the Everglades has lessened significantly, while urban sections of the road are now often congested. In 1968, the Dade County Port Authority began construction on what was to become the world's largest airport. The Miami Jetport was located 36 miles (58 km) west of Miami, just across the Collier County line. It was to be
11776-506: The north, on Southwest Seventh Street, as the easternmost 2.7 miles (4.3 km) of the U.S. Highway now lie along a one-way pair ). While US 41 and SR 90 have not significantly changed since the 1960s (aside from the widening to the east of SR 997 in Miami-Dade County in the 1970s and in 2002-2005), its importance to motorists of southeastern Florida has changed since the opening of Alligator Alley (I-75) to
11904-474: The now-tandemed rear wheels, essentially making it a half-track ) and skis replacing the front wheels. They were popular for rural mail delivery for a time. The common name for these conversions of cars and small trucks was "snowflyers". These vehicles were extremely popular in the northern reaches of Canada, where factories were set up to produce them. A number of companies built Model T–based railcars. In The Great Railway Bazaar , Paul Theroux mentions
12032-454: The part, paint, and method of drying. Although Ford classified the Model T with a single letter designation throughout its entire life and made no distinction by model years, enough significant changes to the body were made over the production life that the car may be classified into several style generations. The most immediately visible and identifiable changes were in the hood and cowl areas, although many other modifications were made to
12160-501: The peninsula. The configured Interstate would not be completed for another 19 years. Since then, the Tamiami Trail has been designated a National Scenic Byway by the United States Department of Transportation for its unique scenery in the Everglades and the Big Cypress National Preserve . In 1928, the Tamiami Trail was considered a feat of engineering, although there appears to have been minimal consideration of
12288-640: The potential damage to the Everglades by the roadway and the Tamiami Canal. Both have acted as a dam to block water flow from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay at the southern tip of the peninsula. As a result, the Everglades—the "River of Grass"—has had its water flow greatly diminished over the years, resulting in a devastating effect on the ecology of the region. In the 1990s, a few canals were filled and additional culverts were constructed under US 41 to help regulate water flow. Yet, according to
12416-419: The pre-Civil War track gauge for many railroads in the former Confederacy . The standard 56-inch track being very near the 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in (143.5 cm) inch standard railroad track gauge, meant that Model Ts could be and frequently were, fitted with flanged wheels and used as motorized railway vehicles or "speeders" . The availability of a 60 in (152 cm) version meant
12544-456: The price to decline from $ 780 in 1910 (equivalent to $ 25,506 in 2023) to $ 290 in 1924 ($ 5,156 in 2023 dollars ). It was mainly designed by three engineers, Joseph A. Galamb (the main engineer), Eugene Farkas , and Childe Harold Wills . The Model T was colloquially known as the " Tin Lizzie ". The Ford Model T was named the most influential car of the 20th century in the 1999 Car of
12672-434: The rear, 3 in (76 mm) in the front. Clinchers needed much higher pressure than today's tires, typically 60 psi (410 kPa), to prevent them from leaving the rim at speed. Flat tires were a common problem. Balloon tires became available in 1925. They were 21 in × 4.5 in (530 mm × 110 mm) all around. Balloon tires were closer in design to today's tires, with steel wires reinforcing
12800-438: The requirements and design of the Model T based on contemporary realities. Consequently, the Model T was (intentionally) almost as much a tractor and portable engine as it was an automobile. It has always been well regarded for its all-terrain abilities and ruggedness. It could travel a rocky, muddy farm lane, cross a shallow stream, climb a steep hill, and be parked on the other side to have one of its wheels removed and
12928-697: The road briefly becomes wider at locations such as Robert's Ranch, Grape Hammock Road and the KICCO (Kissimmee Island Cattle Company) Wildlife Management Area The road is joined by the Florida National Scenic Trail just before the bridge and dam over the Kissimmee River , where it crosses the Polk-Osceola County Line. From there the road curves southeast again, and the trail leaves SR 60 at an intersection with
13056-576: The road is surrounded mostly by sod farms, with a brief interruption known as the intersection with Indian River County Road 512 , a county road leading to Sebastian . Further east, it passes by a historical marker at the site of Fort Vinton in the eastbound lanes. The area becomes more developed as it approaches Interstate 95 at Exit 147 in West Vero Corridor . The street name is changed to Richard Raczkoski Memorial Highway from I-95 to 43rd Avenue, though it still signed as 20th Street. It
13184-572: The road with the addition of a TECO Substation on the south side and an FDOT building on the north side. East of these two structures, the road edges at a southeast angle where the presence of construction and chemical companies begins to diminish (though not necessarily disappear) as it approaches the second crossing of the Valrico Subdivision. The road gains the name West Main Street west of Bartow city limits, but then moves northeast onto North Van Fleet Drive between West Main Street runs straight east into Downtown Bartow. North Van Fleet Drive runs along
13312-491: The route is joined in another overlap with southbound US Business Route 41 at the intersection with North Tampa Street. Northbound US Bus 41 can be accessed two blocks later at North Florida Avenue when it leaves Kennedy Boulevard a block north, taking hidden SR 685 with it to Lutz. Just before leaving Downtown Tampa, SR 60/US Bus 41 runs beneath the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway (westbound only Exit 8) and
13440-881: The route passes by the Henry B. Plant Museum just before crossing the Kennedy Boulevard Drawbridge over the Hillsborough River . Originally known as the Lafayette Street Drawbridge, the bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 20, 2018. Immediately after crossing the Hillsborough River, eastbound SR 60 turns south for one block along Ashley Drive, then turns back east again along Jackson Street. Merely one block later
13568-475: The route-numbering guidelines of AASHTO ). In addition, both sections south of Fort Myers received the State Road 27 designation. North of Fort Myers , it was designated State Road 5. While a 1927 Rand McNally map indicated the southern terminus at Fort Myers , US 41 signs had already been erected on the completed segment (south to Naples) in late 1926; US 94 signs made their appearances when
13696-488: The runway was allowed to be used as a flight training center. The runway remains today as a part of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport . Also in 1968, construction of an extension of Interstate 75 (I-75) south from Tampa to Miami was started, with an eye toward routing the freeway along an upgraded Tamiami Trail from Naples to a soon-to-be completed SR 836 whereupon it would continue on
13824-408: The same could be done on the few remaining Southern 5 ft (152 cm) railways – these being the only nonstandard lines remaining, except for a few narrow-gauge lines of various sizes. Although a Model T could be adapted to run on track as narrow as 2 ft (61 cm) gauge (Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington RR, Maine has one), this was a more complex alteration. By 1918, half of all
13952-409: The same outer diameter as 30 in (760 mm) clincher tires. All tires in this time period used an inner tube to hold the pressurized air; tubeless tires were not generally in use until much later. Wheelbase is 100 in (254 cm) and standard track width was 56 in (142 cm) – 60 in (152 cm) track could be obtained on special order, "for Southern roads," identical to
14080-468: The southeastern coast of Florida. In 1945, a restructuring of Florida's State Road system resulted in the removal of the SR ;27 signs from US 94 and the assignment of the hidden Florida Department of Transportation designation State Road 90, which continues to be applied to the east–west stretch of highway to this day. The north-south section was assigned the designation State Road 45. In 1949,
14208-466: The southern terminus of Florida State Road 655 in Eloise. East of the vicinity of the lake is a share intersection between Old Bartow-Lake Wales Road which leads to Polk County Road 653 and the northeast end of Polk County Road 655A, and after this the route runs southeast again. Still not able to remove itself from its not to urban surroundings and features, the road's barren scenery is interrupted by
14336-648: The southern terminus of SR 589 (Veterans Expressway) in Tampa. The road runs along a reverse J hook around Runway 19R of the Tampa International Airport into the airport interchange which includes SR 616 (Spruce Street) to US 92 in Westshore, and the George L. Bean Parkway to the airport. Memorial Highway ends at the interchange with I-275 , but SR 60 turns east along John F. Kennedy Boulevard (originally Grand Central Avenue), thus becoming
14464-429: The team, as were Galamb's fellow Hungarian immigrants Gyula Hartenberger and Károly Balogh. Production of the Model T began in the third quarter of 1908. Collectors today sometimes classify Model Ts by build years and refer to these as " model years ", thus labeling the first Model Ts as 1909 models. This is a retroactive classification scheme; the concept of model years as understood today did not exist at
14592-485: The term "pavement" as opposed to "sidewalk" comes from that era, when streets and roads were generally dirt and sidewalks were a paved way to walk along them.) Agriculture was the occupation of many people. Power tools were scarce outside factories, as were power sources for them; electrification, like pavement, was found usually only in larger towns. Rural electrification and motorized mechanization were embryonic in some regions and nonexistent in most. Henry Ford oversaw
14720-478: The then-narrow toll road was dangerous to both motorists and wildlife (most notably the Florida panther ) alike, and SR 836, with its left exits and narrow lanes, was not being built to Interstate Highway standards , with the costs to upgrade it being too expensive. As a result, construction for a rerouted I-75 in southern Florida began in 1974, now with I-75 using Alligator Alley instead of US 41 to cross
14848-414: The time for painting, but carbon black pigment was indeed one of the cheapest (if not the cheapest) available, and dark color of gilsonite , a form of bitumen making cheap metal paints of the time durable, limited the (final) color options to dark shades of maroon, blue, green or black. At that period Ford used two similar types of the so-called Japan black paint, one as a basic coat applied directly to
14976-416: The time. Even though design revisions occurred during the car's two decades of production, the company gave no particular name to any of the revised designs; all of them were called simply "Model T". The Model T has a front-mounted 177-cubic-inch (2.9 L) inline four-cylinder engine, producing 20 hp (15 kW), for a top speed of 42 mph (68 km/h). According to Ford Motor Company,
15104-409: The tire bead, making lower pressure possible – typically 35 psi (240 kPa) – giving a softer ride. The steering gear ratio was changed from 4:1 to 5:1 with the introduction of balloon tires. The old nomenclature for tire size changed from measuring the outer diameter to measuring the rim diameter so 21 in (530 mm) (rim diameter) × 4.5 in (110 mm) (tire width) wheels has about
15232-541: The transition into Brandon where the route approaches a parclo interchange with Interstate 75 at exit 257 and Adamo Drive changes its name to Brandon Boulevard. The zoning gradually transitions from industrial to mainstream commercial, most notably at the northwest entrance to the Brandon Town Center . Brandon Boulevard ends at Mount Carmel Road, but the route continues eastward simply as "State Road 60." Between Valrico Road and Miller Road, SR 60 runs along
15360-437: The vehicle. The styling on the last "generation" was a preview for the following Model A, but the two models are visually quite different, as the body on the A is much wider and has curved doors as opposed to the flat doors on the T. When the Model T was designed and introduced, the infrastructure of the world was quite different from today's. Pavement was a rarity except for sidewalks and a few big-city streets. (The meaning of
15488-614: The west and east coasts of Florida originated in April 1915 at an informal meeting in Tallahassee between Francis W. Perry, then president of the Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce, and James F. Jaudon of Miami, after which they returned to their respective cities and began advocating for the construction of what was originally called the Miami to Marco Highway. At a subsequent meeting in Orlando, on June 10, 1915, of what became
15616-415: The work on the Tamiami Trail had officially begun. The team consisted of Hobart Crabtree (county engineer), James F. Jaudon, L. T. Highleyman, Van Cleve Hallowes, Wallace Culbertson, Walter Ludlam, J. T. Albritton, A. W. Frederick and one helper. At the time, Lee County was a much larger county (Collier and Hendry Counties were created out of Lee County in 1923). In 1919, for financial reasons, Lee County
15744-431: The world were Fords. It was so successful Ford did not purchase any advertising between 1917 and 1923; instead, the Model T became so famous, people considered it a norm. More than 15 million Model Ts were manufactured in all, reaching a rate of 9,000 to 10,000 cars a day in 1925, or 2 million annually, more than any other model of its day, at a price of just $ 260 ($ 4,517 today). Total Model T production
15872-550: Was accepted as a "South Loop" of the Tamiami Trail. As construction of the north–south section resumed, Collier hired A. R. Richardson to be the head engineer of the Naples-to-Miami section. A few months later, A. W. Frederick replaced Richardson, who returned to the Everglades Drainage District. The Tamiami Trail Blazers would launch an expedition leaving out of Fort Myers on April 4, 1923, with
16000-468: Was available for the town cars only and red only for the touring cars. By 1912, all cars were being painted midnight blue with black fenders. Only in 1914 was the "any color so long as it is black" policy finally implemented. It is often stated Ford suggested the use of black from 1914 to 1925 due to the low cost, durability, and faster drying time of black paint in that era. There is no evidence that black dried any faster than any other dark varnishes used at
16128-637: Was finally surpassed by the Volkswagen Beetle on February 17, 1972, while the Ford F-Series (itself directly descended from the Model T roadster pickup) has surpassed the Model T as Ford's all-time best-selling model. Henry Ford's ideological approach to Model T design was one of getting it right and then keeping it the same; he believed the Model T was all the car a person would, or could, ever need. As other companies offered comfort and styling advantages, at competitive prices,
16256-517: Was rerouted as a bypass along unsigned SR 45A around Venice Gardens , while Business US 41 signs grace the three-mile-long (4.8 km) former alignment (which is still named Tamiami Trail). This configuration of US 41 south of Tampa remained intact until the U.S. Highway was truncated to US 1 and Southwest Eighth Street in Miami in 2001—the historic eastern terminus of US 94, former SR 27, and current SR 90 (westbound US 41 and SR 90 now begin one block to
16384-471: Was unable to complete its portion of the Tamiami Trail. Jaudon had already purchased 207,360 acres (83,920 ha) of land, mostly in Monroe County . His company, the Chevelier Corporation, came to the rescue and offered to build a link of the highway through its holdings in Monroe County if Dade and Lee counties would agree to re-route the Tamiami Trail through Monroe County. The proposal was accepted;
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