STATE ROAD 417 (CENTRAL FLORIDA GREENEWAY)
If you need to travel between Sanford, Oviedo, the University of Central Florida, East Orlando or Kissimmee, State Road 417 makes getting there faster and safer. The 55-mile toll road through Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties was developed by the Expressway Authority and the Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise.
The Expressway Authority built and operates the 36 miles in Orange County, known as the Central Florida GreeneWay, from SR 535/536 (International Drive) to SR 426 (Aloma Avenue) at the Orange-Seminole County line.
SR 417 was the first in the OOCEA system to have all mainline toll plazas converted to Express Lanes, which keep traffic moving by allowing customers to pay tolls at the posted highway speed.
Portions of the Central Florida GreeneWay have been accommodating motorists for two decades. The first six-mile section from SR 408 to SR 426 opened in December 1988 and included interchanges at Valencia College Lane, SR 50 and University Boulevard.
In June 1990 the Expressway Authority opened the nine miles from SR 408 to SR 528, greatly improving access to the Orlando International Airport.
The roadway was designated the Central Florida GreeneWay and new signs installed in January 1993 to honor the late James B. Greene, who chaired the OOCEA board from 1971-1985.
The 22 miles of SR 417 from SR 528 to SR 535/536 opened in 1998 and was celebrated at a June 26 event that also marked the 30th anniversary of the Expressway Authority. This portion of the roadway not only continued to improve access to OIA, but also served the increasing number of communities in the area including Meadow Woods, Southchase, Lake Nona and Hunter’s Creek.
SR 417 includes the University Main Toll Plaza, the first in Florida to be converted from conventional toll lanes to Express Lanes, which improve traffic flow efficiency. The Expressway Authority chose this plaza for the first conversion due to the heavy traffic (at the time more than 70,000 vehicles per day) and the extensive use of E-PASS (more than 60 percent of tolls at the time were paid electronically).
Also, the University Boulevard interchange is a key commuter link for more than 58,000 students and faculty at the nearby University of Central Florida, and for professionals working in the sprawling Research Park. This section of SR 417 is also heavily traveled by visitors en route between the Orlando-Sanford International Airport, the Orlando International Airport and the attractions area.
The Expressway Authority finished expanding and converting the University Main Toll Plaza to Express Lanes in July 2003. That project also included widening 3.4 miles of SR 417 and expanding the University Boulevard interchange to include dedicated E-Pass lanes.
In close succession, the Expressway Authority followed up with Express Lane plaza conversions on SR 417 being completed at the Curry Ford Main Plaza in July 2005, and the Boggy Creek and John Young Main Plazas in March 2007. In addition to other improvements, the plaza conversions included installing new dynamic message signs utilizing the Expressway Authority’s fiber optic network system which provides up-to-date traveler information to motorists.
The Florida’s Turnpike operates the northern 17 miles of SR 417 as the Seminole Expressway, beginning at Aloma Avenue at the Seminole County line and extending north to Interstate 4 in Sanford.
For the 12-mile section of SR 417 from SR 426 to U.S. Highway 17-92 in Sanford, the Seminole County Expressway Authority handled the design and permitting, and the Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise built the segment, which opened in 1994. At the time, the 2.1-mile bridge over Lake Jesup was one of the largest inland bridges in the state.
The remaining six-mile segment of the Seminole Expressway opened to traffic from U.S. 17-92 to I-4 in September 2002.
The Turnpike also operates the southern end of SR 417, about 6.5 miles from a mile east of SR 535 running southwest into Osceola County to connect with I-4 about four miles west of Disney World. This section of SR 417 is known as the Southern Connector Extension, but it is also referred to as the southern end of the Central Florida GreeneWay.
The Turnpike opened the road in June 1996. At a final cost of $153 million, it was the largest public-private project at the time built by FDOT, with Disney building a 2.5-mile frontage road along I-4, as well as other cash and in-kind contributions from private interests.
For the Expressway Authority's SR 417 map, click here  .
For information on current SR 417 Expressway Authority projects, click here.
For information on the Expressway Authority portion of the SR 417 -
Central Florida GreeneWay, contact:
Brian Hutchings
Public Information Officer
407-383-5817
408work@oocea.com
For information on the Florida's Turnpike Enterprise portion of the SR 417 -
Central Florida GreeneWay, contact:
Christa Deason
Florida's Turnpike Enterprise Headquarters
Public Information Office
PO Box 613069
Ocoee, FL 34761
407-264-3492
christa.deason@dot.state.fl.us
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