SR 417 was originally planned to be a full beltway around Orlando. Eventually, the beltway was divided, with the west side being designated SR 429, and the east side retaining the SR 417 designation. Until 2024, the two expressways were non-continuous. SR 429 is now extended via Wekiva Parkway to meet SR 417 in the Sanford/Heathrow area.
Route description
Although SR 417 is signed north–south throughout its entire route, it runs east–west between Celebration and CR 15. After the latter road, it runs north–south through the rest of its route.
Between the International Drive interchange and the Orange–Seminole county line, the tollway is known as the Central Florida GreeneWay, and is operated by CFX.
The Seminole Expressway section of the tollway begins at the county line. This section, also run by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise is 17-mile-long (27 km), extends to an interchange with I-4 in Sanford at the end of the beltway.[4]
Tolls
There are six mainline toll plazas on the tollway and have at least one express lane dedicated to E-Pass/SunPass for electronic toll collection (ETC), which do not require motorists to stop at a booth, as well as lanes dedicated to cash collection. The Celebration toll plaza has one ETC lane, and all of the others have at least two ETC lanes. The ramp toll plazas have a lane dedicated to ETC and exact change only, with no change provided.
While both E-Pass and SunPass are accepted at all interchanges along the toll road, portions maintained by CFX are signed as E-Pass and portions maintained by FTE are signed as SunPass.
History
Phase I: The Eastern Beltway
Northbound at the University Mainline Toll Plaza, recently rebuilt with high-speed (express) lanes.
The OOCEA began construction of phase I in July 1987 and the road was opened to the public on December 16, 1988, at a cost of $105 million, with $35 million being spent on acquiring the right-of-way for the 6-mile (9.7 km) route.
Phase II: The Southeastern Beltway
GreeneWay shield, formerly used in Orange County
Phase II, the "Southeastern Beltway", was considered one of the most important parts of the Eastern Beltway because motorists could use this portion to travel from downtown Orlando to the Orlando International Airport without ever getting off the expressway system. This portion of the GreeneWay had passed through some of the most barren portions of Orange County. It skirts the Econlockhatchee River marshes that cover some of eastern Orange and northern Osceola.
The OOCEA began construction of the Southeastern Beltway, from Colonial Drive to the Beachline Expressway in January 1989, and opened ahead of schedule in July 1990. The 7.6-mile (12.2 km) route cost $72 million, with an estimated $13 million being spent on acquiring the right-of-way.
Phase III: The Southern Connector
The "Southern Connector" was to become a route extending from SR 528 all the way to SR 535. The OOCEA began construction of the 22-mile (35 km) road in November 1991 and completed construction July 1, 1993, at a cost of $273 million. It was during the construction of this section that the Orange County portion of the beltway project was renamed the Central Florida GreeneWay. From 2015 through 2016, a limited interchange was completed with SR 417 and Florida's Turnpike. The remaining ramps to complete the full interchange were opened May 21, 2021.[5]
Phase IV: The Seminole Expressway
The original logo for the Seminole County Expressway
The Seminole Expressway, the northern leg of SR 417, is located in Seminole County and is owned and operated by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. The section south of Aloma Avenue to the county line (less than one mile) was acquired from the Seminole County Expressway Authority in April 1990 as part of Florida's Turnpike Expansion Program authorized by Senate Bill 1316.
The initial stretch, from just south of Aloma to US 17/92 opened in phases in 1994. The final six miles (10 km) connect to Interstate 4 near Sanford/Lake Mary, and opened to traffic on September 15, 2002, approximately seven months ahead of the final schedule. This leg features only one mainline toll plaza (just south of CR 427), but it is also the priciest toll plaza on SR 417 at $2.50 per vehicle. This section also features the only "free movement" on SR 417. No toll is collected for motorists traveling between I-4 and Rinehart Road (whose interchange with SR 417 is used for travelers on SR 46 and CR 46A to get to and from SR 417).
Phase V: Southern Connector Extension
Due to the multiple entities involved, which included OOCEA, Walt Disney World, Osceola County, private landowners, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, and the Florida's Turnpike Enterprise, building the southernmost 6.4-mile (10.3 km) between I-4 and the GreeneWay became a complex task. Eventually, they agreed on the Southern Connector Extension, as well as the 12.4-mile (20.0 km) Osceola Parkway.
Florida's Turnpike began construction of the 6.4-mile (10.3 km) extension from the GreeneWay to I-4 in 1994 and completed construction in mid 1996. The project cost almost $153 million, with $74 million coming from contributions from the private parties involved in building this route, making it possible to get from Walt Disney World to the Orlando International Airport without ever driving on Interstate 4.
Later changes
In 2008, the Turnpike Enterprise began a $49 million project to reconstruct the Lake Jesup toll plaza, allowing for the inclusion of SunPass/E-PASS express lanes. The project was completed in April 2011.[6]
On December 14, 2011, the northern terminus of SR 417 was extended from Interstate 4 to International Parkway. The $11.4 million project began construction on November 29, 2010.[7]
The Turnpike Enterprise and OOCEA (now CFX) agreed to build a partial interchange between SR 417 and Florida's Turnpike in the late 2000s, after negotiations dating back to a 1991 field study.[8][9] The interchange was built in two phases. The first phase, built by CFX, added ramps from southbound SR 417 to southbound Florida's Turnpike and from northbound Florida's Turnpike to northbound SR 417. Construction on the first phase began in September 2013 and opened on January 26, 2015. The second phase to complete the interchange was built by the FTE, with construction beginning in late 2014 and completed in 2017, several years ahead of its original completion date.[10][11]
In January 2015, the speed limit along the entire highway was raised to 70 mph (110 km/h) from the previous 65 mph (105 km/h) speed limit. The increase followed a study that found 85% of drivers on the highway already drove between 70–80 mph (110–130 km/h).[12]
In 2019, construction started on a new interchange between SR 429 (Wekiva Parkway), SR 417, and Interstate 4, and was completed in 2024 to finish the beltway around Orlando.[13][14]
Future
The OOCEA 2030 Master Plan suggested widening the entire expressway to six lanes from International Drive to the Seminole County line.[15] Florida's Turnpike Enterprise has also completed a project development & environment study (PD&E) to evaluate the widening of the Seminole Expressway, the portion of SR 417 north of University Boulevard. Construction between University Boulevard and SR 434 was scheduled to begin in 2020, but hasn't started yet as of 2023.[16]
