Counties: Pasco Constructed 28 March 2002 | Length 10.83 km County Pasco County, Florida | |
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Existed: March 28, 2002 – present West end: SR 54 / CR 54 in Wesley Chapel East end: Meadow Pointe Blvd. in Wesley Chapel | ||
State Road 56 (SR 56) is a six lane state highway 6.732 miles (10.834 km) in length that runs from State Road 54 east to Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wesley Chapel.
Contents
Map of FL-56, Wesley Chapel, FL, USA
Route description
State Road 56 begins at a three-way intersection with State Road 54. At this point, State Road 54 makes a sharp left turn while State Road 56 continues straight on the same roadway. The state road at the beginning of its route is a 6 lane avenue that passes through a rural area of Wesley Chapel. After 0.9 miles, 56 comes to an interchange with Interstate 75, which is exit 275 on the highway. The on-ramps allow access to both northbound and southbound I-75. After its intersection with I-75, 56 enters the commercial district of Wesley Chapel. It travels 2.1 miles through the town before reaching a four-way intersection with State Road 581. After this intersection, the speed limit increases to 55 mph, and 56 travels another 3.8 miles through rural Wesley Chapel before coming to its eastern terminus at a three way intersection with Meadow Pointe Blvd.
History
The first segment of SR 56, which stretched from SR 54 to Bruce B. Downs Boulevard (SR/CR 581), opened on March 28, 2002 after three years of construction. The highway allows a more-direct access to Interstate 75 two miles (3 km) north of the northern terminus of Interstate 275, as opposed to SR 54, which parallelled I-75 for about three miles before meeting at its interchange.
The first phase of expansion, from Bruce B. Downs to Meadow Pointe Boulevard, began construction in March 2008 to mark the imminent opening of the Shops at Wiregrass. On July 31, 2010, after numerous delays, this extension of SR 56 opened for vehicular traffic.
Future
An extension to US 301 in Zephyrhills is being planned by the FDOT, and has been part of the plan since the highway's conception.
Major intersections
The entire route is in Pasco County.