 Galloway Road | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Road 973 West 87th Avenue | ||||
 SR 973 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained byFDOT | ||||
| Length | 9.505 mi[1] (15.297 km) Galloway Road extends 21.0 miles (33.8 km) total | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  US 1 inKendall | |||
| Major intersections | ||||
| North end | Northwest 12th Street inDoral | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Florida | |||
| Counties | Miami-Dade | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Galloway Road, also known asWest 87th Avenue, is a north–south route through the western areas of suburbanMiami-Dade County,Florida, from the Black Point area south ofCutler Bay almost to theBroward County line north ofMiami Lakes. It exists in seven different unconnected segments that total 27.5 miles (44.3 km) in length,[2][3][4][5][6][7][8] acting as connecting roads, neighborhood streets, and arterial routes. Approximately 9.5 miles (15.3 km) of Galloway Road, betweenPinecrest andDoral, is designated asState Road 973.[1]
Galloway Road, or locally Southwest 87th Avenue (south ofFlagler Street), begins at a dead-end across the Black Creek Canal from theBlack Point Marina, next toBiscayne National Park, just over a mile south of the town ofCutler Bay in unincorporated Miami-Dade county.[9][10] After following the canal northwest as a two-laned road for about half a mile, Southwest 87th Avenue turns north and takes on this alignment until the northern reaches ofKendall.[11] As it continues north through undeveloped mangrove forest, Galloway Road parallels a drainage canal to its left, with both the road and canal crossing into Cutler Bay at Southwest 232nd Street. Galloway Road reachessuburbia by Southwest 216th Street, still with the canal beside it as it travels north, passing by schools, gatedcondominium communities and the backs of residential neighborhoods. A small leftwards chicane on Southwest 87th Avenue marks the northern end of the canal, with the road soon crossingOld Cutler Road and entering older residential neighborhoods on the other side. Although houses now have frontage onto Galloway Road, the road retains an open feel as it passes by retirement communities and a nature preserve. More houses line Galloway Road as it continues north, crossing into the village ofPalmetto Bay at Eureka Drive (Southwest 184th Street).[12] The village retains the same residential character as Galloway Road continues north to aroundabout at Richmond Drive (Southwest 168th Street). North of here, Galloway Road continues for one block where its southernmost section terminates at a T-intersection, with the bulk of traffic encouraged to turn left and travel westward along Southwest 164th Street.[2]
On the other side of Canal C-100 from the previous T-intersection, Galloway Road/Southwest 87th Avenue resumes at Southwest 163rd Terrace on the same alignment as a two-laned residential road. As it nears Southwest 144th Street, Galloway Road passes a medical centre and then, as it continues north, it becomes a residential street, losing itscentre-line markings. It becomes little more than a laneway north of Southwest 141st Street, providing rear access to a condominium community, and terminates at another canal.[3]
Southwest 87th Avenue resumes on the same alignment as a two-laned street approximately 700 yards (640 m) to the north in south-eastern Kendall,[13] on the other side of a shopping mall from theSouth Dixie Highway (US 1) and theSouth Miami-Dade Busway at Southwest 134th Street, travelling two blocks north to Southwest 132nd Street where it gains the State Road 973 designation.[4]
For the most part, State Road 973 follows Galloway Road/Southwest 87th Avenue north from the south-western end of the Pinecrest–Kendall boundary[13] to the State Road's terminus in Doral;[14] however, as Galloway Road has no direct access to US 1, SR 973 begins at the intersection of US 1 and Southwest 132nd Street and travels northwest 190 yards (170 m) to Galloway Road, crossing the Busway in the process.[1][15] Here, properly now in Kendall,[13] the four-laned State Road becomes divided by amedian turn lane as it turns north at the intersection and travels past light industry, dropping back to a two-laned road on the northern side of Southwest 128th Street where it enters residential neighborhoods. After crossingSouthwest 112th Street (SR 990) a mile (1.6 km) later, SR 973 continues north past more houses for another 1.2 miles (1.9 km) until it crosses Southwest 94th Street, where it passes by a mixture of condominiums and medical service buildings near theBaptist Hospital of Miami. In this neighborhood, Galloway Road chicanes to the right and immediately meetsKendall Drive (SR 94), expanding to a four-laned divided road and taking on its ultimate alignment.
North of SR 94, Galloway Road passes by more houses and crosses the Snapper Creek Canal, leaving Kendall and forming the boundary betweenSunset andGlenvar Heights, which lie to the west and east of SR 973 respectively.[16] A few blocks of houses later, Galloway Road interchanges with the overheadSnapper Creek Expressway (SR 878). SR 973 continues for another half-mile (0.8 km) north past a mixture of commercial and residential uses, intersects withSunset Drive (SR 986), then continues through more of the same for another 0.35 miles (0.56 km) until it passes under theDon Shula Expressway, crossing aCSX railroad between the two flyover bridges. There is no interchange between SR 973 and the expressway.
To the north of the expressway, Galloway Road forms the boundary between Sunset andOlympia Heights[17] as it passes housing on its right and a string of Miami-Dade County facilities on its left, including awater treatment plant, cemetery and emergency services. As it crosses Southwest 56th Street, SR 973 properly enters Olympia Heights[17] and resumes its residential feel. 1.1 miles (1.8 km) later, Galloway Road intersectsBird Road (SR 976) amidst shopping malls and crosses intoWestchester.[17] Between Southwest 32nd and 28th Streets, SR 973 passes twoRoman Catholic high schools and aseminary; it then intersectsCoral Way (Southwest 24th Street) a few blocks later again amidst shopping malls. The pattern repeats one mile (1.6 km) later at SR 973's intersection with theTamiami Trail (US 41). Here, Galloway Road entersFontainebleau,[14] immediately crosses the Tamiami Canal and continues for another half-mile (0.8 km) past condominiums to intersectFlagler Street and the western terminus of SR 968. North of baseline Flagler Street, Galloway Road is designated Northwest 87th Avenue. Past Flagler, SR 973 expands to six lanes and continues past more condominium complexes for another 0.7 miles (1.1 km), whereupon it reaches theDolphin Expressway (SR 836). Passing under it and entering the city of Doral,[14] SR 973 terminates a mere 0.2 miles (0.32 km) past the expressway at Northwest 12th Street; however, Galloway Road/Northwest 87th Avenue continues north, picking up the County Road 973 designation for its next 1.83 miles (2.95 km).[1][11][15][18]
Beyond Northwest 12th Street, Galloway Road crosses a CSX branch railroad line and then travels through a large business precinct punctuated bybig-box retail, restaurants and office buildings until it reaches Doral Boulevard, where the CR 973 designation ends.[1] Past here, Galloway Road narrows to four lanes before passing theDoral Golf Resort & Spa. Opposite the resort, the neighborhood becomes increasingly industrial as Northwest 87th Avenue continues north, crossing to both sides of the road beyond Northwest 58th Street. Here, Galloway Road leaves Doral and enters unincorporated Miami-Dade County with nodesignated communities,[19] and loses its central divider. Soon, Galloway Road passes the formerNorthwest 58th Street Landfill[20] to its left with more industrial buildings to its right until the road reaches Northwest 74th Street. North of here, Northwest 87th Avenue quickly drops to a dirt access road for a construction company, becoming private soon afterwards.[4] This is the last segment to be named Galloway Road.
Northwest 87th Avenue resumes north of the private property inMedley[19] as a paved industrial side-street between Northwest 90th and 93rd Streets, whereupon it terminates once more.[5] A second section, little more than an industrial laneway, starts across the nearbyFlorida East Coast Railway tracks and travels north for a few blocks, terminating at theMiami Canal.[6]
The road then resumes at the frontage road forOkeechobee Road (US 27) across the canal inHialeah Gardens,[21] between its city hall and aBrothers to the Rescue memorial. After crossingSR 932 at an oblique junction, becoming four lanes wide and then crossing a canal, the road forms the boundary between Hialeah Gardens to the west andHialeah to the east,[21] gaining the additional moniker of West 28th Avenue for its duration through the city. Following a canal north on its left side with condominiums and a shopping mall to its right, the road enters Hialeah proper at West 68th Street (Northwest 122nd Street). West 28th Avenue, still with the canal to its west, passes by tightly packed single-storey houses, then some shops before leaving Hialeah overInterstate 75, just west of its terminus, and entering the town ofMiami Lakes.[21] Northwest 87th Avenue passes by residential neighborhoods before terminating at Miami Lakes Drive/Northwest 154th Street.[7]
The northernmost section of Northwest 87th Avenue begins as a laneway just to the south of Northwest 164th Street, still in Miami Lakes,[22] across an undeveloped field from the next southerly segment of the road. As it passes Northwest 164th Street, the road expands to a divided four-laned road; however, the southbound carriageway of Northwest 87th Avenue is closed to traffic and is not present north of Northwest 166th Terrace, rendering the road as a two-laned residential street. The road leaves Miami Lakes at Northwest 170th Street and, still as a residential street, it forms the western boundary ofPalm Springs North.[22] It passes by the backs of residential neighborhoods until reachingMiami Gardens Drive (SR 860) a mile (1.6 km) later, and expands to four lanes once more as it passes between two shopping malls, re-entering unincorporated Miami-Dade County.[22] After passing by more residential neighborhoods, Northwest 87th Avenue reaches its northern terminus at an incomplete T-junction with Northwest 197th Terrace, traffic being guided around eastwards into that road.[8]
Galloway Road was part of a collection ofDade (now Miami-Dade) County streets that theFlorida Department of Transportation added to its maintenance list in 1980: it was originally assigned theState Road 915 designation, but in 1983, the number was changed to SR 973 as part of a statewide renumbering.[citation needed]
In 2009, the Federal Highway Administration reported that the road was "unsafe" for travel and had recently caused multiple deaths from accidents on State Road 973.[citation needed]
The entire route is inMiami-Dade County.
| Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinecrest–Kendall line | 0.000 | 0.000 | US 1 (South Dixie Highway / Pinecrest Parkway) | UnsignedSR 5 | |
| Kendall | 1.382 | 2.224 |  SR 990 (Southwest 112th Street /Killian Drive) | ||
| 2.920 | 4.699 |  SR 94 (Southwest 88th Street /Kendall Drive) | |||
| Glenvar Heights–Sunset line | 3.45 | 5.55 |  SR 878 (Snapper Creek Expressway) | ||
| 3.911 | 6.294 |  SR 986 (Southwest 72nd Street /Sunset Drive) | |||
| Olympia Heights–Westchester line | 6.033 | 9.709 |  SR 976 (Southwest 40th Street /Bird Road) | ||
| Westchester | 7.023 | 11.302 | Southwest 24th Street /Coral Way | ||
| 8.018 | 12.904 |  US 41 (Southwest 8th Street /Tamiami Trail) | Unsigned SR 90 | ||
| Fontainebleau | 8.535 | 13.736 |   SR 968 east (Flagler Street) | Western terminus of SR 968 | |
| Fontainebleau–Doral line | 9.35 | 15.05 |       SR 836 toSR 969 (Milam Dairy Road) /SR 968 (Flagler Street) /US 41 (Southwest 8th Street /Tamiami Trail) /Florida's Turnpike Extension –Airport | Dolphin–Palmetto Interchange | |
| Fontainebleau–Doral line | 9.35 | 15.05 |    SR 826 (Palmetto Expressway) toI-75 | Dolphin–Palmetto Interchange | |
| Doral | 9.505 | 15.297 | Northwest 12th Street | North end of state maintenance | |
| 11.305[23] | 18.194 | Doral Boulevard | |||
| Medley | 13.505[23] | 21.734 | Northwest 74th Street | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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