 State Road 408 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spessard L. Holland East-West Expressway | ||||
 SR 408 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained byFTE andCFX | ||||
| Length | 22.107 mi[1][2] (35.578 km) | |||
| Existed | October 26, 1973–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |  Florida's Turnpike inGotha | |||
| Major intersections |    US 17 /US 92 /US 441 inOrlando I-4 inOrlando SR 417 nearUnion Park | |||
| East end |  SR 50 inAlafaya | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Florida | |||
| Counties | Orange | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
State Road 408 (SR 408), officially named theSpessard L. Holland East–West Expressway, is acontrolled-accesstoll road running east–west throughOrlando, Florida,United States. It is owned and operated by theCentral Florida Expressway Authority (CFX), except for the westernmost mile (1.5 km), which is owned byFlorida's Turnpike Enterprise as a connection toFlorida's Turnpike. The road runs fromFlorida's Turnpike inGotha, east through downtownOrlando, where it intersects withI-4, ending nearSR 50 south of theUniversity of Central Florida. The road is named forSpessard L. Holland.
A short connection toSR 417, originally part of SR 408, was a spur of SR 408,[3] and is sometimes labeledState Road 4080.[4] The spur has been removed and the interchange with SR 417 has been revamped. Theright-of-way where SR 408 once ended at SR 50 west ofSR 435 (Kirkman Road) was once calledState Road 4081.[5] This spur is now a drainage basin.
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SR 408 begins atFlorida's Turnpike, heading east towards West Colonial Drive (SR 50) nearOcoee. After the interchange with Good Homes Road, the tollway passes through the Hiawassee barrier toll, the first of four mainline toll barriers. From there, SR 408 serpentines eastward through the neighborhoods ofOrlo Vista andPine Hills making major junctions withState Road 435 (Kirkman Road), passing through the Pine Hills barrier toll east of Pine Hills Road,State Road 423 (John Young Parkway), andU.S. Route 441 (Orange Blossom Trail), withCamping World Stadium (formerly the Citrus Bowl) being accessible from the Orange Blossom Trail exit. Motorists heading east enter the Orlando city limits at mile marker 8, where they are greeted with a view of the high-rise skyline ofCentral Orlando. The East–West Expressway passes through a major stack interchange withInterstate 4 in Downtown and proceeds eastward to the Conway Toll Plaza, followed by major junctions withState Road 436 (Semoran Boulevard), andState Road 417 (Central Florida Greeneway). The route continues through the Dean Road Toll Plaza and the exits toState Road 434 (Alafaya Trail) andState Road 50 (East Colonial Drive). The tollway's eastern terminus is Challenger Parkway near its intersection at Woodbury Road. Challenger Parkway continues on until Alafaya Trail as it cuts through the southern part ofCentral Florida Research Park.
SR 408 runs almost entirely parallel toState Road 50 throughout its entire route.
There are four mainline toll plazas on the tollway. Each of them have at least two express lanes dedicated toE-Pass/SunPass forelectronic toll collection which do not require motorists to stop at a booth and lanes dedicated to cash collection. Excepting the Mills off ramp, which has only two lanes for exact change, the ramp toll plazas have both a lane dedicated to ETC and a lane dedicated to exact change only with no change provided.
The current toll rates took effect in July 2012.[6]
TheOrlando-Orange County Expressway Authority had been formed in 1963 for the purpose of building theBee Line Expressway. In early 1966, while that road was still under construction, GovernorHaydon Burns asked the OOCEA to look into an east–westfreeway across downtownOrlando to relieve traffic onState Road 50 (Colonial Drive). An engineering study recommended a western terminus at SR 50 west ofState Road 435 (Kirkman Road) and an eastern terminus at SR 50 east ofGoldenrod Road (State Road 15A). One alternate ran close to SR 50, while the other – which was chosen by June 1969 – ran further south. Bonds were sold in May 1971. In December of that year, the OOCEA voted to name it theSpessard Lindsay Holland East–West Expressway, in honor ofSpessard Holland, who had just retired from representing Florida in theU.S. Senate.Groundbreaking was held just east ofSemoran Boulevard on February 5, 1972.[7]
The final design took SR 408 acrossInterstate 4 just south of Anderson Street. Theinterchange – adouble trumpet – connected to I-4 south of Gore Street, and resulted in the closure of four of the six ramps at Gore Street, which had intersected I-4 with a six-ramppartial cloverleaf. (The loops were in the southwest and southeast quadrants.) To the east, SR 408 crossed Lake Underhill. East ofGoldenrod Road, the decision was made in 1970 to temporarily include threeat-grade intersections at Chickasaw Trail, Valencia College Lane and Millinocket Lane.[7]
The west half, from SR 50 to Mills Avenue, opened October 26, 1973. The rest was completed by December 11. The two barrier toll plazas – Holland West and Holland East – each charged 20 cents, while the ramp tolls – present atOrange Blossom Trail, Mills Avenue, Bumby Avenue, Conway Road andSemoran Boulevard, charged 10 cents. TheFlorida Department of Transportation took over operation and maintenance, giving revenues to the OOCEA. The final cost of the 13.3-mile (21.4 km) road was about $89 million.[7]
Most tolls were doubled on January 1, 1987.[7]
Prior to the start of construction on the eastern extension, theNortheastern Beltway (State Road 417) was built north from the existing east end of the East–West Expressway at Colonial Drive. As part of this project, in 1987 and 1988, two ramps were added to theGoldenrod Road interchange to make it full, and the threeat-grade intersections were removed – Chickasaw Trail became an overpass, Valencia College Lane became aninterchange, and Millinockett Lane was simply cut. Ramp tolls were added at Valencia College Lane and SR 50, adding to the cost of traveling the original East–West once tolling on the new road began January 1, 1989.[7]
By 1984, the alignment of the eastern extension of SR 408 had been chosen. The area was planned to be developed, and the OOCEA hoped to build the road before development made that impossible. Construction began in 1987, and the west piece, from existing SR 408 (redesignated SR 4080) to Rouse Road, opened May 12, 1989. The rest of the six-mile (10 km) road opened in June, with a total cost of $105 million. This project included a fullinterchange with the plannedSoutheastern Beltway (opened April 14, 1990), the Dean Road barrier toll, as well as a connection at the east end to theCentral Florida Research Park. A widemedian was left where the road curves north to end at SR 50 for further extension, but the land to the east has since been developed.[7]
A connection toFlorida's Turnpike and the plannedWestern Beltway was studied in 1985. (The Beltway, which would have run where Clarke Road now is, was soon shifted west.) Construction on the 4.5-mile (7 km) extension began in mid-1989 and was completed on October 8, 1990, costing $102 million total. The former west end at SR 50 west of Kirkman Road was temporarily designated SR 4081 during construction, and became aretention pond. A fourth barrier toll – the Hiawassee Road plaza – was added to the road. The extension was designed to have a fullinterchange with the Turnpike, but originally only the north-pointing ramps were built. The fullinterchange with the Turnpike was completed in August 2006. A temporaryticket system booth was installed until the Turnpike switched to a coin system in 1991.[7]
Tolls were again raised July 1, 1990, to 75 cents at barrier tolls and 50 cents on ramps. After public backlash, an experiment began October 11, 1992, in which some of the changes were reverted. The Hiawassee Road and Dean Road barriers were dropped back to 50 cents, and ramp tolls at Hiawassee Road, Valencia College Lane, Dean Road and Rouse Road were cut to 25 cents. The OOCEA board voted on June 17, 1993, to make the changes permanent.[7]
Due to confusion resulting from the four named toll roads in the Orlando area (East–West Expressway,Bee Line Expressway,Eastern Beltway andSeminole County Expressway), the OOCEA decided in 1992 to use the numbers that had already been designated by theFlorida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The oldorange symbol was replaced by the number 408 in the new toll road symbol, recently approved by FDOT. Signs were changed in 1993.[7]
At some point in the late 1990s, theJohn Young Parkway (SR 423)interchange was completed; it had formerly only had ramps to and from the east.
All the mainline toll plazas were reconstructed with expressE-Pass lanes in the latter half of the 2000s. On November 10, 2006, the new Pine Hills Main Toll Plaza opened 2 miles (3.2 km) west as a replacement of the now demolished Holland West Toll Plaza. The new toll plaza features three expressE-Pass lanes in both directions with open road tolling.
At the western end of the expressway a new set of ramps toFlorida's Turnpike opened in August 2006. Previously it was only possible for westbound traffic to go northbound on the Turnpike. A new ramp allows traffic to also go southbound on the Turnpike. Likewise, previously only southbound Turnpike traffic could exit onto eastbound TOLL 408. A new ramp on the northbound Turnpike allows traffic to enter eastbound TOLL 408. New west facing ramps opened in March 2007 at Good Homes Road, joining pre-existing east facing ramps.
Starting in September 2003, a $600 million widening project occurred in the central and western part of the road. As part of the project, two through lanes were added along the entire length of the expressway from Hiawassee Road in the west to Oxalis Road (just east of the SR 436 interchange) in the east. The section from downtown Orlando to Hiawassee Road was completed in Spring 2007. The entire project was completed in June 2010.
In the summer of 2010, the Expressway Authority began the widening of SR 408 from Oxalis Avenue to Goldenrod Road as well as the widening of the SR 408 Chickasaw Trail Bridge. This project was completed in March 2012.[8] In addition, the interchange with SR 417 was expanded. This resulted in the elimination of SR 4080 and the interchange with Valencia College Lane. Traffic to Valencia College was redirected to Chickasaw Trail and Dean Road.[9]
On October 13, 2016, Central Florida Expressway board members approved to rename a portion of SR 408 after professional golferArnold Palmer. State RepresentativeMike Miller and State SenatorDavid H. Simmons sponsored legislation for renaming the road, which was signed into law by GovernorRick Scott on June 14, 2017. The section of SR 408 between Kirkman Road and Clarke Road was renamed the Arnold Palmer Expressway on July 1, 2017.[10]
Astack interchange withInterstate 4 near downtownOrlando replaced the original double-trumpet interchange in recent years. The first construction phase began in April 2006 and was completed in November 2008. Due to a lack of funds, the rest of the interchange project was ultimately postponed until the I-4 Ultimate project. Following the first phase, the ramp that originally handled all traffic merging from I-4 only handled traffic from I-4 eastbound, which left abandoned lanes. Aramp stub was constructed in advance of the completion the conversion tostack interchange on SR 408 westbound.[11] TheFlorida Department of Transportation was responsible for this project. On May 19, 2020, GovernorRon DeSantis formally opened the reconstructed SR 408 ramps with I-4. This was completed as part of the acceleration of I-4 Ultimate improvement project as part of the lack of traffic in Florida due to stay-at-home orders that were implemented within the state of Florida during theCOVID-19 pandemic.
The OOCEA 2025 Master Plan (2000) suggested extending SR 408 further east toward the west end ofSR 520.[12] In the OOCEA 2030 Master Plan, this proposed extension was further extended toI-95 inBrevard County.[13]
So far, the SR 408 Eastern Extension project has been put on hold.[1] The alternative solution, dubbed the Colonial Parkway has been shelved by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE)[14] so as of now the extension is still sitting on hold.
Talks of extending SR 408 south pastSR 528, Nova Road, down toUS 192, named the Northeast Connector Expressway Extension (NECEE), a CF&M study done by theCentral Florida Expressway Authority.[15] This further extension would take SR 408 from the Challenger Parkway Interchange withSR 50/East Colonial Drive over to the proposed terminus at SR 50 near the SR 50/SR 520 then down southward to US 192. But the Southward extensions won't become a reality until after 2040 since these are part of a development plan dubbed the North Ranch Master Plan inOsceola County[16]
Florida's Turnpike Enterprise is currently planning to widenFlorida's Turnpike from 8 to 12 lanes from SR 408 inGotha toSR 50/West Colonial Drive nearOakland andClermont which includes interchange improvements at Florida's Turnpike/SR 429(Daniel Webster Western Beltway) and SR 408 by constructing an 8 lane (4 lanes in both directions) Collector/Distributor System, connecting SR 408 with SR 429 without having to take Florida's Turnpike mainline, which helps drastically decrease the congestion and weaving between the two expressways on the Turnpike.[17]
The entire route is inOrange County.
| Location | mi[1][2] | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gotha | 0.000 | 0.000 |   Florida's Turnpike toSR 429 –Ocala,Miami | Directional T interchange; exit 265 on Florida's Turnpike (SR 91) | ||
| | 0.898 | 1.445 | 1 |  SR 50 (West Colonial Drive) | Half-Y interchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance; access toHealth Central andWest Oaks Mall; transition fromFTE toCFX maintenance | |
| | 1.552 | 2.498 | 2 | Good Homes Road | Trumpet/partial cloverleaf interchange; tolled eastbound exit and westbound entrance | |
| | 2.3[18] | 3.7 | Hiawassee Mainline Toll Plaza | |||
| Orlo Vista | 3.335 | 5.367 | 4 | Hiawassee Road | Diamond interchange; tolled westbound exit and eastbound entrance | |
| 4.520 | 7.274 | 5 |  SR 435 (Kirkman Road) | Diamond interchange | ||
| | 5.112 | 8.227 | 6 |  CR 431 (Pine Hills Road) | Half diamond interchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance | |
| | 5.5[18] | 8.9 | Pine Hills Mainline Toll Plaza | |||
| Orlando | 6.191 | 9.963 | 7 |  CR 526 (Old Winter Garden Road) | Half diamond interchange; tolled westbound exit and eastbound entrance | |
| 7.272 | 11.703 | 8A |  SR 423 (John Young Parkway) | Diamond interchange; tolled westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
| 7.936 | 12.772 | 8B | Tampa Avenue | Half diamond interchange; eastbound exit and westbound entrance; Access toCamping World Stadium andTinker Field | ||
| 8.447 | 13.594 | 9 | US 17 /US 92 /US 441 (Orange Blossom Trail) | Diamond interchange; tolled westbound exit and eastbound entrance; road is unsignedSR 500 /SR 600; Access toCamping World Stadium andTinker Field | ||
| 9.017 | 14.511 | 10A | I-4 –Tampa,Daytona Beach | Four-level cloverstack interchange; signed as exit 10 westbound; exit 82 on I-4 (SR 400) | ||
| 9.629 | 15.496 | 10B |  SR 527 (Orange Avenue) –Downtown Orlando | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; former exit 10C; toOrlando Regional Medical Center | ||
| 9.629 | 15.496 | 11A | Rosalind Avenue (SR 527) | Half diamond interchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance; toOrlando Regional Medical Center | ||
| 10.292 | 16.563 | 11B | Mills Avenue (SR 15) | Three-quarter diamond interchange; tolled eastbound exit; no westbound entrance | ||
| 11.21 | 18.04 | 12A | Bumby Avenue (viaSR 15 south) | Half diamond interchange; tolled eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
| 11.71 | 18.85 | 12B |  Crystal Lake Drive (viaSR 15 north) | Half diamond interchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance; formerSR 526; Access toOrlando Executive Airport andOrlando Fashion Square | ||
| 11.917– 12.239 | 19.179– 19.697 | Lake Underhill bridge | ||||
| 12.484 | 20.091 | 13 |  SR 15 (South Conway Road) | Half-Y interchange; tolled eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
| 13.1[18] | 21.1 | Conway East-West Mainline Toll Plaza | ||||
| Orlando–Azalea Park line | 13.750 | 22.128 | 14 |  SR 436 (Semoran Boulevard) / Andes Avenue –Orlando International Airport | Hybrid half diamond and partial cloverleaf interchange; Tolled interchange except westbound entrance | |
| Azalea Park | 15.264 | 24.565 | 16 |  SR 551 (Goldenrod Road) | Diamond interchange; Access to AdventHealth East Orlando | |
| | 15.81 | 25.44 | 17 | Chickasaw Trail to Valencia College Lane | Half diamond interchange; eastbound exit and westbound entrance | |
| | 17.029 | 27.406 | 18 | SR 417 –Orlando International Airport,Sanford | Cloverstack interchange; exit 33 on SR 417 | |
| Union Park–Alafaya line | 17.856 | 28.736 | 19 |  CR 425 (Dean Road) | Diamond interchange; tolled eastbound exit and westbound entrance; former SR 425 | |
| 18.4[18] | 29.6 | Dean Mainline Toll Plaza | ||||
| 19.126 | 30.780 | 20 | Rouse Road | Trumpet/partial cloverleaf interchange; tolled westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
| Alafaya | 20.327 | 32.713 | 21 | Alafaya Trail | Half diamond interchange; eastbound exit and westbound entrance; ToWaterford Lakes Town Center | |
| 21.958 | 35.338 | 23 | SR 50 (East Colonial Drive) | Partial cloverleaf interchange; eastbound exit and westbound entrance; end ofCFX maintenance | ||
| University | 22.107 | 35.578 | Challenger Parkway | Continuation east toCentral Florida Research Park | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | ||||||
Challenger Parkway (local/non-tolled) begins right after SR 408 ends at an interchange with SR 50. It then intersects with Woodbury Road then turns westward, intersecting with 2 streets at traffic lights, Ingenuity Drive and Challenger Tech Court then ends at SR 434 (Alafaya Trail) at a traffic light.
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