State: | FL |
Type: | I |
Route: | 175 |
Alternate Name: | South Bay Drive |
Map Custom: | yes |
Map Notes: | I-175 highlighted in red |
Length Mi: | 1.372 |
Length Round: | 3 |
Established: | 1980 |
Direction A: | West |
Terminus A: | in St. Petersburg |
Direction B: | East |
Terminus B: | in St. Petersburg |
Counties: | Pinellas |
Spur Type: | I |
Spur Of: | 75 |
Previous Type: | SR |
Previous Route: | 173 |
Next Type: | SR |
Next Route: | 187 |
Interstate 175 (I-175) in St. Petersburg, Florida, also known as South Bay Drive, is a 1.3-longNaN-long spur route from I-275 into downtown St. Petersburg. It is also designated as the unsigned highway State Road 594 (SR 594). There is a sibling segment of freeway nearby designated as I-375.
The Interstate begins at I-275 with Tropicana Field on the northeast side of the interchange, going east into downtown St. Petersburg, passing through eastbound exits with 9th Street South/8th Street South and 6th Street South before the Interstate ends at 5th Avenue South next to an at-grade intersection with 4th Street South. Westbound, the Interstate begins with a split from southbound 4th Street South just north of the 4th Street South/5th Avenue South intersection and has no exits until the interchange with I-275. Along with its sister highway, I-375, I-175 lacks exit numbers.
The freeway was originally to have been a part of the former Pinellas Belt Expressway, which would have continued from its western terminus at I-275. The Pinellas Belt Expressway was budgeted in 1974 but was canceled in the late 1970s due to local opposition.[1] I-175 was built between 1977 and 1980 and opened on April 23, 1980, at a cost of $5.5 million (equivalent to $ in).[2]
When I-75 was relocated in the late 1970s–early 1980s, 5miles of additional Interstate became available; thus, the St. Petersburg feeder sections of I-175 and neighboring I-375 were upgraded to Interstate status.