Florida State Road 786
State Road 786 (SR 786), locally known as PGA Boulevard, is an 8.6-mile-long (13.84 km) east–west highway located completely within the city limits of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Serving as the major east-west route in the city, it spans from the Bee Line Highway (SR 710) to Federal Highway (U.S. Route 1 or US 1) and SR A1A.
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| PGA Boulevard | ||||
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by FDOT | ||||
| Length | 8.647 mi[1] (13.916 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |  | |||
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| East end |   | |||
| Location | ||||
| Counties | Palm Beach | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Route description
The western terminus is an intersection with Bee Line Highway (SR 710) near North Palm Beach County General Aviation Airport at the Palm Beach Gardens city limits. It begins as a two lane road through undeveloped sections of Palm Beach Gardens, with the first development on the road occurring after a canal crossing two miles from the western terminus and becomes a four lane road. The road then creates the border between two major golf country clubs, with the Country Club at Mirasol to the north and the Professional Golfers' Association of America's National Golf Club, where PGA Boulevard receives its name, to the south. Following the Avenue of Champions/Jog Road intersection, SR 786 reaches the intersection with Florida's Turnpike (SR 91), with an overpass with the toll road just east of it. To the east of the Turnpike, PGA Boulevard borders the Ballenisles Country Club to the south, and other residential communities to the north, and quickly transitions to a commercial road, with a shopping center on both sides of the road heading closer to Military Trail.[2][3]
After this interchange, PGA Boulevard moves to the northeast and quickly approaches the interchange with Interstate (I-95 or SR 9), an overpass with SR 811 and access via a side road. This overpass also crosses the Florida East Coast Railway, where Tri-Rail has proposed adding a station. Afterwards, the road heads straight east and forms the southern boundary of The Gardens Mall, with other shopping centers on the southern side of the road. At the southeast end of the mall, the southern side of PGA Blvd. forms the northern border of the Palm Beach State College Palm Beach Gardens campus until an intersection with Prosperity Farms Road. Afterwards, the road passes through a drawbridge over a canal before reaching the eastern terminus at the intersection with Federal Highway (US 1-SR 5) and SR A1A. East of US 1, PGA Boulevard becomes Ocean Boulevard and SR A1A, which continue along a barrier island of the Atlantic Ocean and pass through John D. MacArthur Beach State Park.[2][3]
History
Most of the original alignment of the highway was known as "Monet Road" (named for a settlement located near the modern day intersection of RCA Boulevard and SR 811 in Palm Beach Gardens)[4] and was a gravel road. The highway had received the "PGA Boulevard" name in 1965 six years after the incorporation of Palm Beach Gardens at the request of the city's founder John D. MacArthur.[5] Following a realignment of SR 786 east of I-95, a portion of the old road was renamed "RCA Boulevard" due to the road serving a new RCA factory there.[6]
From 1973 until 1987, SR 786 served as the temporary northern terminus of I-95 in southeastern Florida, when a previously approved alignment in which I-95 would be cosigned with Florida's Turnpike for a 41-mile (66 km) stretch from PGA Boulevard northbound to SR 70 in Fort Pierce was rescinded in favor of a separate alignment for I-95[7][8][9][10] The portion of I-95 north of PGA Boulevard was completed in 1987.[11] Since then, PGA Boulevard has become an important commercial and commuter route due to the rapid population growth in northeastern Palm Beach County.[6]
Major intersections
The entire route is in Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Beach County.
| mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.000 | 0.000 | | |||
| 4.129 | 6.645 | | Exit 109 on Turnpike | ||
| 5.778 | 9.299 |   | Northern terminus of SR 809; southern terminus of CR 809 | ||
| 6.02 | 9.69 | | Exit 79 on I-95 | ||
| 6.5 | 10.5 |  | Grade-separated interchange; former routing of Dixie Highway and SR A1A | ||
| 8.273– 8.345 | 13.314– 13.430 | PGA Boulevard Bridge over Lake Worth Creek | |||
| 8.647 | 13.916 | | |||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
- Transportation and Data Analytics Office (October 19, 2018). "Straight Line Diagram of Road Inventory". Florida Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
- Map of State Road 786 (Map). MapQuest, Inc. 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
- Municipalities of Palm Beach County, Florida (PDF) (Map). Cartography by Palm Beach County GIS. Palm Beach County, Florida. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 January 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
- United States Geological Survey (January 23, 2020). Riviera Beach quadrangle (Topographic map). Reston, VA: United States Geological Survey. Retrieved January 23, 2020 – via TopoQuest.
- Peters, Sarah (March 8, 2018). "NEW: How the PGA of America helped Palm Beach Gardens grow up". Palm Beach Post. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- Capozzi, Joe (September 2, 1997). "Transformation of PGA Boulevard". Palm Beach Post. Retrieved January 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Squabbles unnecessary". Boca Raton News 10 May 1973: 4A
- "Free Roads Vs. Toll: A Secret Stall?" St. Petersburg Times 21 Apr 1963: 1D
- "Toll-Free I-95 In State Still A Long Way Off". St. Petersburg Times 11 Nov 1967: 3B. Retrieved 11 Aug 2009.
- "I-95 'Missing Link' Okayed". Lakeland Ledger 19 Apr 1973: 4A
- "Gap In I-95 To Close Saturday". Miami Herald 13 Dec 1987: 1A
External links
- When PGA Boulevard was a two-lane gravel path - Sarah E. Skinner, Historic Palm Beach Blog, June 14, 2012