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Florida State Road 874

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State Road 874 (SR 874), named the South Miami Dade Don Shula Expressway for its length, is a controlled-access toll road in southern Miami-Dade County, Florida. It extends 7 miles (11 km) northeast from the Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike (HEFT) in southwestern Kendall to SR 826 (Palmetto Expressway) in Glenvar Heights, allowing traffic from the far south of Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys to move to more central regions of metropolitan Miami and vice versa, bypassing communities along US 1, while also permitting local access to the Kendall district. The road, named in honor of the long-serving coach of the Miami Dolphins NFL team, is maintained and tolled by the Greater Miami Expressway Agency (GMX). Contrary to the numbering plan of Florida State Roads, SR 874 is signed north–south.

State Road 874 marker
State Road 874
South Miami Dade Don Shula Expressway
Map
SR 874 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by GMX
Length7.034 mi[1] (11.320 km)
Existed1973[2]–present
Major junctions
South end Florida's Turnpike Extension in Three Lakes
Major intersections SR 878 in Kendall
North end SR 826 in Glenvar Heights
Location
CountryUnited States
StateFlorida
CountiesMiami-Dade
Highway system
← SR 870→ SR 876

Route description

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SR 874 begins at an interchange with the HEFT on the boundary of the communities of Three Lakes, Richmond Heights and Kendall,[3] about 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Downtown Miami.[4] The expressway is formed from the median lanes of the HEFT, and immediately turns to the northeast, passing under the HEFT's northbound lanes. Southbound HEFT traffic cannot access northbound SR 874; likewise, southbound SR 874 traffic cannot access the HEFT northbound. After turning to the northeast and entering Kendall, the six-laned Don Shula Expressway subsequently parallels CSX's Homestead Subdivision past predominantly residential neighborhoods for its entire route. SR 874 meets its first of three toll gantries about 1.4 miles (2.3 km) north of its southern terminus, just north of its former lone toll plaza.[1][5]

About two miles (3.2 km) from SR 874's southern terminus, the expressway interchanges with Killian Parkway (SR 990) and Southwest 107th Avenue (SR 985) at a partial cloverleaf interchange. The Don Shula Expressway continues on for 1.1 miles (1.8 km), passing through another toll gantry, before reaching an interchange with Kendall Drive (SR 94). Almost immediately afterwards, SR 874 crosses the Snapper Creek Canal and enters the Sunset district.[6] It then reaches the partial interchange with the Snapper Creek Expressway (SR 878); indeed, southbound motorists along the Don Shula Expressway who wish to exit to Kendall Drive are directed onto the westernmost portion of SR 878. Once past the Snapper Creek Expressway, SR 874 features no interchanges for the remainder of its route. Just north of the bridge over Sunset Drive (SR 986), about one-half mile (800 m) north of SR 878, motorists in both directions are provided with a separated lane to take their vehicles to if caught in an accident. One-quarter mile (400 m) past the accident investigation sites, the Don Shula Expressway swings north over the railroad, crossing over Galloway Road (SR 973) in the process, and resumes its northeasterly orientation, now forming the boundary between the communities of Olympia Heights, to the road's north, and Glenvar Heights, to the south.[7] 0.6 miles (970 m) later, SR 874 passes through its third and final toll gantry, before reaching its northern terminus in a partial interchange with the Palmetto Expressway after another one mile (1.6 km). Like at its southern terminus, SR 874 forms the central lanes of SR 826 northbound; however, its interchange is integrated with SR 826's interchange with Bird Road (SR 976). Also like its southern terminus, there is no access for northbound SR 874 or SR 826 traffic to the other route's southbound counterpart.[1][5][8]

Tolls

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SR 874's tolls are entirely electronic: cash cannot be accepted along its length. Payment is done either via SunPass transponders or via toll-by-plate billing, the latter of which attracts a higher cost. Three toll gantries are located along the Don Shula Expressway: the first between the HEFT and Killian Parkway, the second between Killian Parkway and Kendall Drive, and the last between the Snapper Creek and Palmetto Expressways. The relationship between the tolling points and interchanges along SR 874 and SR 878 is that all motorists are charged at least one toll for using the road; there are no "free sections".[9] As of July 1, 2013, the cost for a two-axled vehicle to drive the entire length of SR 874 is $1.00 with a SunPass transponder, or $2.00 via the toll-by-plate program, with the two southern gantries charging $0.25 (SunPass) or $0.50 (toll-by-plate) each, and the northern one charging twice as much. Each additional axle on a vehicle attracts a surcharge equal to the cost of a two-axled vehicle for each gantry passed.[10]

History

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The history of the Don Shula Expressway can be traced back to 1957 when, in planning for the Palmetto Expressway's routing, Dade County Commissioner Ralph Fossey proposed an alternative southern alignment of the expressway to follow the then Seaboard-owned railroad southwest from near Miller Drive (Southwest 56th Street) to Southwest 117th Avenue, before heading south to US 1 at Goulds, instead of heading due south to Kendall.[11] While the Palmetto Expressway was built to its original plan in 1961,[12] the concept of an expressway next to the Seaboard tracks south of Miller Drive, termed the South Dade Expressway, continued to feature in transportation plans over the next decade.[13] By the middle of 1969, bonds for construction of the South Dade Expressway were being secured from the Turnpike Authority;[14] however, plans for the expressway were revised and incorporated into wider plans involving the West Dade Expressway (what would become the HEFT) in 1970, which included a toll of ten cents and a shift of the South Dade Expressway to the northern side of the Seaboard railroad north of Galloway Road (Southwest 87th Avenue).[15] Funding was secured in 1971, and a construction end-date was set for early 1973.[16] This did not eventuate due to difficulties to acquire land for the expressway's right-of-way,[17] resulting in the final section of the South Dade Expressway, between Kendall Drive and the Palmetto Expressway, opening at midday on July 31, 1975.[2]

 
Former NFL Coach Don Shula autographs a "Don Shula Expressway" sign for a fan during an event in Pinecrest, Florida.

In 1983, the South Dade Expressway was renamed by the Florida Legislature to the Don Shula Expressway, in honor of the Hall of Fame head coach of the Miami Dolphins NFL team.[18] Tolls along the Don Shula Expressway were collected at the southern toll plaza[19] until July 17, 2010 when, as part of MDX's rollout of electronic tolling across its owned roads, the road was converted to open road tolling at the same time as the adjoining Snapper Creek Expressway.[20][21] Initially, tolls were $0.25 for SunPass users at the southern gantries and $0.50 at the northern gantry, with a $0.15 surcharge for motorists using the toll-by-plate system at all gantries.[9] The toll-by-plate rate increased on July 1, 2013, while the SunPass rate was unaffected.[10]

Future

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As part of its long-term plans for the region, GMX is seeking to improve access to the Don Shula Expressway from its surrounding communities, particularly from the areas west of the HEFT.[22] Notably, MDX has launched a project to build exit and entry ramps from SR 874 into the Three Lakes district west of its southern terminus, aiming to relieve congestion at the Southwest 120th Street and Coral Reef Drive (SR 992) interchanges with the HEFT by providing alternative access and egress of the area via SR 874. Studies to build the connection ran from 2010 until early 2012, in which six alternative routes for the ramps were suggested: the preferred route sees Southwest 128th Street widened east of Southwest 137th Avenue to four lanes, with flyovers from east of Southwest 122nd Avenue, heading over the HEFT/SR 874 interchange, to merge with SR 874 east of Southwest 117th Avenue. Construction began in April 2017, and was completed on September 10, 2021.[23][24]

An additional project to improve connectivity with the Don Shula Expressway sees the construction of a partial diamond interchange between SR 874 and Sunset Drive (SR 986), so as to relieve congestion along SR 986 and improve access to the Sunset and neighboring districts. The interchange's ramps would permit movement only to and from SR 874 north of SR 986. GMX began preliminary studies of the project in 2009, but no timeline for construction has yet been published.[25]

Exit list

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The entire route is in Miami-Dade County. [4]All exits are unnumbered.

Location[4]mi[1][5][26]kmDestinationsNotes[10]
Three Lakes0.0000.000 
  Florida's Turnpike Extension south		Exits 16 on Turnpike Extension
0.3500.563  SR 992 (Southwest 152nd Street) / SW 117th AvenueSouthbound exit only; other movements via Turnpike Extension exit 16
0.9501.529Southwest 128th Street / Southwest 122nd AvenueSouthbound Exit and Northbound Entrance (Opened 2021)
Kendall1.32.1Toll gantry
2.2763.663  
  SR 990 (Killian Parkway) / SR 985 north (Southwest 107th Avenue)		Southern terminus of SR 985. Access to MDC Kendall
2.74.3Toll gantry
3.6615.892   SR 94 (Southwest 88th Street / Kendall Drive)Access to Baptist Hospital of Miami, Baptist Children's Hospital
Sunset4.3066.930 
  SR 878 east		Northbound exit and southbound entrance; western terminus of SR 878
Olympia Heights6.19.8Toll gantry
Glenvar Heights–Olympia Heights line6.710.8  SR 976 (Southwest 40th Street / Bird Road)Southbound exit is via SR 826
7.03411.320 
   SR 826 north – Airport
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d District 6 (November 26, 2012). "Straight Line Diagram of Road Inventory". Florida Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 5, 2013. Retrieved September 29, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ a b "Expressway link opens Thursday". The Miami News (Final Home ed.). July 29, 1975. p. 5A. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  3. ^ P.L. 94-171 County Block Map (2010 Census): Miami-Dade County, FL (PDF) (Map). Cartography by Geography Division. U.S. Census Bureau. January 7, 2011. Sheet 99. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  4. ^ a b P.L. 94-171 County Block Map (2010 Census): Miami-Dade County, FL (PDF) (Map). Cartography by Geography Division. U.S. Census Bureau. January 7, 2011. Index Sheet. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  5. ^ a b c "Map of State Road 874" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  6. ^ P.L. 94-171 County Block Map (2010 Census): Miami-Dade County, FL (PDF) (Map). Cartography by Geography Division. U.S. Census Bureau. January 7, 2011. Sheet 85. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  7. ^ P.L. 94-171 County Block Map (2010 Census): Miami-Dade County, FL (PDF) (Map). Cartography by Geography Division. U.S. Census Bureau. January 7, 2011. Sheet 71. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  8. ^ General Highway Map Miami-Dade County, Florida (PDF) (Map) (May 2010 ed.). Cartography by Surveying and Mapping Office, State of Florida, Department of Transportation. Florida Department of Transportation. April 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 16, 2011. Retrieved September 29, 2013.{{cite map}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  9. ^ a b "Welcome to Open Road Tolling: SR 874 Don Shula Expressway & SR 878 Snapper Creek Expressway" (PDF). Miami-Dade Expressway Authority. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  10. ^ a b c "Toll Rate Schedule" (PDF). Miami-Dade Expressway Authority. July 1, 2013. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  11. ^ Verne O. Williams (April 21, 1957). "Agreement Seen Next Week On Expressway". The Miami News (Final ed.). p. 8A. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  12. ^ "Florida's New Palmetto Expressway". New York Times. June 18, 1961. p. XX23.
  13. ^ Verne O. Williams (January 8, 1969). "Jan. 20 Marks End Of The Expressway Era – Transportation Age Must Begin". The Miami News (Final ed.). p. 15C. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  14. ^ Clarke Ash (August 26, 1969). "With every new expressway, a new toll booth". The Miami News (Final ed.). p. 10A. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  15. ^ Morton Lucoff (June 17, 1970). "State bonds, 2 tolls okayed as x-ways plans cemented". The Miami News (Final ed.). p. 5A. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  16. ^ Dick Holland (June 30, 1971). "X-ways top list for funds". The Miami News (Final ed.). p. 5A. Retrieved September 29, 2013.[permanent dead link‍]
  17. ^ William Tucker (May 24, 1972). "X-way, hydrobus plans shift into higher gear here – $38 million road bids set". The Miami News (Final ed.). pp. 1A, 6A. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  18. ^ "Shula Expressway South Dade Expressway Renamed". Miami Herald. May 21, 1983. p. 10A.
  19. ^ Verne Williams (March 19, 1980). "Snapper Creek: U.S. 1–South Dade connection finally open – It's no missing link". The Miami News (Metropolitan ed.). p. 5A. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  20. ^ Chardy, Alfonso (July 15, 2010). "Don Shula, Snapper Creek expressways to get electronic toll collection" (PDF). The Miami Herald. Miami-Dade Expressway Authority. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  21. ^ "Schedule 09/10 | Miami-Dade Expressway ORT". Miami-Dade Expressway Authority. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  22. ^ "Miami-Dade Expressway Authority Long-Range Master Transportation Plan" (PDF). Miami-Dade Expressway Authority. December 2009. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  23. ^ "SR 874/Don Shula Expressway Ramp Connector to SW 128th Street" (PDF). mdxway.com. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  24. ^ "New SR 874 Ramp Connector Now Open to Help Alleviate Congestion in West Kendall". September 10, 2021.
  25. ^ Angela Marino (2011). "MDX SR 874/Don Shula Expressway – Proposed Partial Interchange at SW 72nd Street (Sunset Drive) [Newsletter]" (PDF). Miami-Dade Expressway Authority. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  26. ^ Hatcher, Tina (November 24, 2008). "Florida Department of Transportation Interchange Report" (PDF). Florida Department of Transportation. p. 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 8, 2012. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
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