Originally Posted by
djk7
As a side note, I-95 wasn't completed in south Florida until 1987, and there had been talk in the late '70s and early '80s that it might never be (similarly, I-75 south of Tampa wasn't finished until 1986, with the same talk). So for over 20 years, the turnpike did save a lot of time, but since I-95 has been completed, there seems to be little value in using it south of Ft. Pierce.
What's unfortunate about the Turnpike in So. Florida is that it COULD act as a sort of western beltway relieving some of the thru traffic on I-95 and moving in to the less populated western sections of those counties. But the vast majority of its potential customers decide -- rightfully -- that it's not worth paying the Turnpike's high tolls when you can simply cruise down I-95 for free.
As you allude to, though, this has been obvious for decades, and nothing has changed. I'm not holding my breath for a "transportation visionary" in South Florida. I'd just like them to stop fleecing me now.
