Florida Department of Transportation
The
Florida Department of Transportation (
FDOT) is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the state of
Florida. It was formed in 1969, absorbing the powers of the old
State Road Department and
Florida State Turnpike Authority.
In 1954, FDOT completed the original
Sunshine Skyway Bridge, the first fixed span to connect
Saint Petersburg directly to
Bradenton. This shortened the travel time between the two cities greatly, as before cars would have to either use a
ferry or drive about 100 miles around
Tampa Bay. A parallel span was completed in 1971 to make the bridge Interstate standard, and it became part of
I-275. After the southbound (newer) span was destroyed in 1980 when the
SS Summit Venture collided with it, a replacement bridge was completed in 1987.
In
1974, FDOT completed
Florida's Turnpike, a 309-mile limited access toll highway that connected the
panhandle area through
Orlando to
Miami. The turnpike is part of an initiative to finance transportation with user fees.
In
2004, FDOT reopened the I-10 Escambia bridge 17 days after
Hurricane Ivan ripped it apart . In recent years, FDOT has had much experience in emergency repairs, including a sinkhole that destroyed most of westbound I-4 in
Lake Mary in
2001, a tanker truck fire that critically damaged a ramp from SR 528 to I-4 in
Orlando in
2002, and a car accident that destroyed an I-75 overpass near
Gainesville in
2003.
Each of FDOT's seven semi-autonomous districts is managed by a District Secretary. The FDOT Secretary is responsible for coordinating the Department as a whole. The
Florida Transportation Commission, made up of nine commissioners chosen by Florida's Governor and
Legislature, provides oversight for FDOT.
On March 5,
2003, Governor
Jeb Bush appointed José Abreu, P.E., as Secretary of FDOT.
On June 27,
2005, Governor
Jeb Bush appointed Denver Stutler, Jr., as Secretary of FDOT. Previously, Sutler was Bush's chief of staff.
*
Florida's Turnpike Enterprise*
Florida State Roads# # # # # #
*
Official website
