County Road 610 (CR 610), locally known as University Parkway, is a seven-mile-long (11 km) county route in Sarasota County and Manatee County, Florida. It is a major commuter route from U.S. Highway 41 (US 41) to Interstate 75 (I-75) and it is the primary access road for Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport.
  County Road 610 | |
|---|---|
| University Parkway | |
 CR 610 highlighted in red | |
| Route information | |
| Maintained by Sarasota County Public Works and Manatee County Public Works | |
| Length | 7.2 mi[1] (11.6 km) |
| Major junctions | |
| West end |  US 41 in Sarasota |
| |
| East end |  I-75 near Lakewood Ranch |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Florida |
| Counties | Sarasota, Manatee |
| Highway system | |
University Parkway from US 301 west to US 41 is fully within and maintained by Sarasota County.[2] East of US 301, the route runs along the Sarasota-Manatee county line. While the route along this segment is predominately in Manatee County, Sarasota and Manatee counties have a unique interlocal agreement with the road in regards to maintenance due to its proximity to the county line. Manatee County is responsible for maintenance of the physical roadway on this segment, while Sarasota County is responsible for maintaining traffic signals and landscaping along the corridor.[3]
Route description
editUniversity Parkway begins at an intersection with US 41 (Tamiami Trail) on the north side of Sarasota directly across from the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. From US 41, University Parkway is a four-lane road and it passes to the south of Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport. Shortly after passing the main entrance to the airport, it turns northeast and crosses the Seminole Gulf Railway before turning back east. It then expands to six lanes and comes to an intersection with US 301.[4]
East of US 301, University Parkway runs east along the Sarasota–Manatee county line. It immediately crosses another branch of the Seminole Gulf Railway and intersects with Lockwood Ridge Road. It passes a number of residential areas and intersects Honore Avenue before coming to an intersection with Cattlemen Road. At Cattlemen Road, it passes the Mall at University Town Center and its surrounding commercial areas before coming to a diverging diamond interchange with I-75.
CR 610 officially terminates at I-75, though University Parkway continues east another six miles (9.7 km) through Lakewood Ranch.[5]
History
editThe route that would become University Parkway was originally a rural road from US 301 east. At the time, US 301 turned west at University Parkway and continued north to Bradenton along present-day 15th Street (301 Boulevard). US 301 north of University Parkway would not be moved to its current alignment until 1985.[6][7]
University Parkway was extended east to connect with I-75 by the time the freeway opened through the area in 1981.[8] It was designated as SR 610.[9]
University Parkway was heavily expanded in the early 1990s. At this time, it was widened to a multi-lane divided road from US 301 to I-75. The widening was jointly funded by both Sarasota and Manatee counties.[10] Around the same time, University Parkway was extended west as a four-lane road from US 301 southwest to Desoto Road (CR 778). Desoto Road from there west to US 41 was also widened to four lanes, which then became part of University Parkway linking it to US 41 and Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport.[11] The road between US 301 and Desoto Road was built on the route of a former railroad spur that once linked the two railroad lines in the area (part of the spur is still in place near US 301).[12]
University Parkway was also extended west from I-75 to provide access to the newly-developed Lakewood Ranch by the time the first phase of that community was complete in 1995.[13]
In 2017, University Parkway's interchange with I-75 was converted to a diverging diamond interchange. It was the first diverging diamond interchange in the state of Florida and it is one of the largest diverging diamond interchanges in the country.[14]
Major intersections
edit| County | Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarasota | Sarasota | 0.0 | 0.0 | US 41 (Tamiami Trail) | |
| Sarasota–Manatee county line | | 2.0 | 3.2 |  US 301 (Washington Boulevard) | |
| | 3.6 | 5.8 | Lockwood Ridge Road | ||
| | 6.2 | 10.0 | Honore Avenue | ||
| | 6.7 | 10.8 | Cattlemen Road | ||
| | 7.1 | 11.4 | I-75 – Tampa, Naples | Exit 213 on I-75 | |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
References
edit- ^ a b "CR 610" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
- ^ "Street". Sarasota County GIS. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ "Amended and Restated Interlocal Agreement for the Maintenance and Operation of University Parkway From U.S. Highway 301 to Interstate 75" (PDF). Sarasota County Government. October 12, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ Surveying and Mapping Office (2022). General Highway Map, Sarasota County (PDF) (Map). c. 1:190,080. Tallahassee: Florida Department of Transportation. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ Surveying and Mapping Office (2018). General Highway Map, Manatee County (PDF) (Map). c. 1:190,080. Tallahassee: Florida Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
- ^ White, Dale (June 25, 2014). "Alternate U.S. 41/U.S. 301 route may get makeover". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
- ^ Florida Department of Transportation (1985). Florida Official Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). 1:1,077,120. Tallahassee: Florida Department of Transportation. § J10.
- ^ "Interstate 75". AARoads. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
- ^ Florida Department of Transportation (1978). Plans of the State Highway Right of Way Map: F.A. Project No. M-1032-(1) State Road 610 Manatee County (PDF) (Map). 1:4,800. Tallahassee: Florida Department of Transportation. Sheet 1. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
- ^ Sams, Jim (December 5, 1991). "Road Plan a Green Light to Growth". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
- ^ "North County University Parkway Area". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. January 19, 1990. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
- ^ United States Geological Survey (1947). Bradenton map (Map). 1:24,000. Reston, Virginia: United States Geological Survey. Retrieved August 1, 2024 – via Living Atlas.
- ^ Bubil, Harold (August 1, 2024). "Lakewood Ranch: How a town was born". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
- ^ Becnel, Thomas (May 21, 2017). "Diverging Diamond makes its University Parkway debut". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved August 1, 2024.