Florida State Road 7
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|---|---|---|
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| North end | 60th Street in Loxahatchee | |
| Location | ||
| Country | United States | |
| State | Florida | |
| Counties | Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach | |
| Highway system | ||
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Florida State Road 7 (SR 7) is a major north–south artery in South Florida connecting
Route description
Miami-Dade
The state road begins at US 41, which is also the national southern terminus of US 441. The road in
Broward
In
Palm Beach
The
History
In 2009, part of a long-awaited northern extension opened with a 3.5 miles (5.6 km) stretch from SR 704 to Persimmon Boulevard in The Acreage. Future plans have the road extending another four miles north to Northlake Boulevard near Palm Beach Gardens, but it was not anticipated to be completed until 2015.[4] About 3⁄4 mile (1.2 km) has already been built at the Northlake Boulevard end, and is marked on street signs as State Road 7.[5]
Controversy
Environmental groups argue that the extension of SR 7 just west of the Grassy Waters environmental preserve in Palm Beach County, also the source of the drinking water supply for the West Palm Beach[6] region, threatens to damage critical habitat for several endangered species including the Everglades Snail Kite. As of 2005, only about 1,300 of the hawks were known to still be extant.[7] Because of the potential impact on nesting Snail Kites and their habitat, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been urging the Florida Department of Transportation, since 2005, to reconsider the road placement through Grassy Waters Preserve. In its Biological Opinion issued on 13 November 2014, the USFWS stated "While the Service finds the project is unlikely to jeopardize the continued existence of the Everglade snail kite, based on the current small size of the snail kite population and the unknown, and potentially significant, effects of the project on the Everglade snail kite, the Service continues to urge the FDOT to eliminate the proposed corridor for the project and either adopt the “no build” alternative for the proposed roadway extension, or choose an alternative that does not impact the PCNA or GWP - such as an alignment west of the Ibis development."[8] The Audubon Society lists the Snail Kite population as being in trouble since much of its habitat has been drained and remaining parts inundated to improper water levels needed to sustain the Apple snails on which it feeds.[9] The SR7 expansion will exacerbate both issues by destroying habitat and changing water levels in the habitat bordering the road.
Major intersections
| County | Location | mi[1][2] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interchange; north end of concurrency with US 441 | |||||
| 65.556 | 105.502 |       SR 704 east (Okeechobee Boulevard) to Florida's Turnpike / I-95 – Royal Palm Beach, West Palm Beach | West end of SR 704 | ||
| The Acreage | 68.966 | 110.990 | Permission Boulevard | ||
| Loxahatchee | 70.066 | 112.760 | 60th Street North | Temporary northern terminus | |
CR 809A (Northlake Boulevard) | Proposed northern terminus | ||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
- ^ a b FDOT straight line diagrams Archived March 6, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, accessed January 2014
- ^ a b Google (December 30, 2015). "SR 7 north of Okeechobee Boulevard" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
- ^ http://www.pbcgov.com/pubInf/Agenda/20171219/3C2.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ "Long-awaited State Road 7 extension opens for Palm Beach County's western communities," Mitra Malek, "Palm Beach Post", April 7, 2009.
- ^ Google Street View photos, April 2011
- ^ "Renewed Concerns Over State Road 7 Extension" Archived 2014-09-06 at the Wayback Machine City of West Palm Beach, "West Palm Beach", February 6, 2014.
- ^ Will restoring wetlands block State Road 7 extension? Joel Engelhardt, "Palm Beach Post", November 27, 2010.
- ^ "SR7 Biological Opinion" (PDF). www.sr7extension.com. United States Department of Interior Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
- ^ "Everglades Snail Kite". Audubon Society. 20 January 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
External links
Media related to Florida State Road 7 at Wikimedia Commons