About Navigating The Area
The Miami - South Florida Travel Wiki
by Danny Pryor, Turnpikes.com
The South Florida region encompasses primarily the tri-county area of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. However, the region also includes portions of Monroe County, because the Florida Keys are accessed via the Card Sound Road toll bridge at the south end of Miami-Dade County, which is the primary access road to the Keys.
As with other larger metro areas in Florida, there are multiple toll roads in this region, and multiple agencies handling toll collections. The three primary agencies responsible for tolls in this region include Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE), the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX) and the Card South Toll Authority. A fourth agency, the Miami-Dade County Causeways Division (Miami-Dade Causeways), handles tolls across the bridges connecting downtown Miami with Miami Beach.
The largest toll road in the Miami and South Florida region, in terms of mileage, is Florida's Turnpike. The mainline of Florida's Turnpike, or SR 91, ends at the locally-notorious Golden Glades Interchange, where it connects to I-95, the Palmetto Expressway (SR 826), 167th/163rd Streets in North Miami Beach, and a local Tri-Rail / Metro Rail station and switching yard, nestled within the interchange, itself.
Just north of the Golden Glades, the Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike, also known as HEFT or simply as 'the turnpike extension', separates from the turnpike's mainline and cuts a path westward across the far south end of Broward County, running parallel to County Line road, separating Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. This westward turn continues until the extension reaches I-75, the other major interstate to connect with Florida's Turnpike in South Florida.
At I-75, Florida's Turnpike arcs to the south, passing through western Miami-Dade County until it reaches US 1 in Florida City, which is where the HEFT comes to an end.
Card Sound Road connects with US 1 in south Miami-Dade County, south of the terminus of Florida's Turnpike.
The other major toll roads in South Florida are found mostly in Miami-Dade County, including the Dolphin Expressway (SR 836), a key east-west commuter road connecting to I-95 on the east end and to the Palmetto Expressway and Florida's Turnpike on the west end. East of I-95, the Dolphin Expressway becomes I-395 and joins the MacArthur Causeway to Miami Beach.
The Airport Expressway (SR 112) is also a key east-west toll route connecting I-95 to Miami International Airport. The western portions of SR 112 also connect with US 27, which is Okeechobee Road through Hialeah, and to 36th Street, which flanks the north side of Miami International Airport and is a key route to cargo centers, flight schools and private terminals.
Other, short-route roads criss-cross south Miami-Dade County, including the Don Shula and Snapper Creek Expressways.
The Venetian and Rickenbacker Causeways connecting downtown Miami to Miami Beach are tolled, but the Julia Tuttle Causeway (I-195) and the MacArthur are not tolled. The Rickenbacker Causeway is a key access point for the Port of Miami.
Farther north, in Broward County, the Sawgrass Expressway (SR 869), operated by FTE, cuts a north-south line across the western edge of the county, defining the western border separating Broward's developed metro area from the Florida Everglades, which lies immediately to the west. It turns to the west in Coral Springs and Parkland, running nearly due east-west until it connects with Florida's Turnpike, just south of Boca Raton, ending just east of the turnpike at SW 10th Street in Deerfield Beach.
At its south end, the Sawgrass connects with I-595 and I-75. I-595 is the main east-west expressway to Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood, as well as Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. I-75, runs south into Miami-Dade, but turns due west and strikes a solid line through The Everglades, where it is tolled as Alligator Alley.
Region Map ▴Road List ▾
▸ Airport Expressway
▸ Alligator Alley
▸ Dolphin Expressway
▸ Don Shula Expressway
▸ Florida's Turnpike
▸ Gratigny Parkway
▸ Sawgrass Expressway
▸ Snapper Creek Expressway
▸ Rickenbacker Causeway
▸ Venetian Causeway
▸ Card Sound Road
Miami-Dade Expressway Authority
Florida's Turnpike Enterprise
Miami-Dade County Causeways Division
Card Sound Toll Authority
Garcon Point Bridge ▹
Bob Sikes Bridge ▹
SR 293 ▹
First Coast Expressway ▹
Central Florida Greeneway/Seminole Expy ▹
East West Expressway ▹
Beachline Expressway ▹
Western Beltway/Wekiva Pkwy ▹
Apopka Expressway ▹
Poinciana Parkway ▹
SR 453 ▹
Goldenrod Road Extension ▹
Osceola Parkway ▹
SR 451 ▹
Polk Parkway ▹
Selmon Expressway ▹
Veterans Expy/Suncoast Pkwy ▹
Sunshine Skyway ▹
Pinellas Bayway ▹
Gateway Expressway ▹
Sanibel Causeway ▹
Midpoint Memorial Bridge ▹
Cape Coral Bridge ▹
