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Former Florida State Road 758 on Siesta Key

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As of September 2020 Florida State Road 758 west of US Route 41 on Siesta Key has been relinquished to Sarasota County.  I happened to be staying on Siesta Key during June of 2021 and thought it would be an opportune time to see if any signage changes to Florida State Road 758 had occurred (spoiler; there hasn't been any).  As an active highway Florida State Road 758 begins at US Route 41 in Sarasota and extends 5.432 miles east  to Interstate 75.  


Part 1; the history of Florida State Road 758 on Siesta Key

Prior to being truncated to US Route 41 the alignment of Florida State Route 758 ("FL 758") began at the western terminus of FL 72 on Siesta Key.  FL 758 followed Midnight Pass Road northward to High Avenue.  FL 758 followed High Avenue north to Siesta Drive in the fringe City Limits of Sarasota and began an eastward trek towards US Route 41.  FL 758 followed Siesta Drive over Bay Island and the Sarasota Bay Bridge to Osprey Avenue.  From Osprey Avenue FL 758 followed Bay Road to a junction with US Route 41.  

It is unclear when FL 758 on Siesta Key was incorporated into the State Road System.  FL 789 can be seen originating from the southern tip of Siesta Key at Midnight Pass and ending at US Route 41/FL 72 on the 1956 Shell Highway Map of Florida  It is likely the road network of Siesta Key was added to the State Road System due to the expensive swing bridge structures that existed there at the time.  USGS maps show a change in designation from FL 789 to FL 758 occurring at some point between 1992 and 2000. 

In 2018 Sarasota County accepted a $40,000,000 dollar road transfer offer with the Florida Department of Transportation.  This transfer offer included relinquishing all of FL 758 west of US Route 41 sans the Sarasota Bay Bridge to Sarasota County.  The transfer offer between Sarasota County and the Florida Department of Transportation was finalized during September of 2020.  Interestingly all FL 758 signage remains active in-field as of June 2021.  


Part 2; a drive on former Florida State Road 758 on Siesta Key

FL 758 began from the western terminus of FL 72 which has also been truncated to US Route 41 on Stickney Point Road.  West of US Route 41 Stickney Point Road is stilled signed as FL 72 onto Siesta Key.  Stickney Point Road crosses the Siesta Key Bridge and terminates at the Midnight Pass Road on Siesta Key.  The Siesta Key Bridge was constructed in 1968 as a replacement for an earlier bridge and features a dual bascule draw span design.  The Siesta Key Bridge is 567.6 feet in length and is still maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation.















Old Stickney Point Road can be found on Siesta Key.  As indicated on the 1956 Shell Highway Map of Florida this would have once been FL 782 before FL 72 realigned.  




Siesta Key has been previously called "Little Sarasota Key" and "Sarasota Key."  Siesta Key was largely plotted out and subdivided by the Siesta Land Company beginning in 1907.  Access to Siesta Key was connected by ferry until 1917 when the first bridge over Sarasota Bay was built.  This bridge was supplemented by the first Stickney Point Bridge being constructed in 1927.  Siesta Key largely is recognized as one of the more notable Gulf Coast resort communities in Florida. 


Former FL 758 follows Midnight Pass Road northward towards an intersection with Beach Road.  Beach Road is signed as the Siesta Key business district and was once part of County Route 789A.  The FL 758 signage directs traffic following the former State Road to stay on Midnight Pass Road.  










Former FL 758 continues north on Midnight Pass Road and turns right onto High Avenue. 













Former FL 758 continues north on High Avenue into the City Limits of Sarasota and swings eastward over the Hanson Bayou Bridge onto Siesta Drive on Bay Island.  The Hanson Bayou Bridge is a concrete tee beam design which opened in 1928.  








Former FL 758 follows Siesta Drive eastbound over the Sarasota Bay Bridge to Osprey Avenue.  The Sarasota Bay Bridge was constructed in 1972 as a replacement for a previous span in the same location which was built during 1926.  The Sarasota Bay Bridge is bascule design which is 1,278.3 feet in length.  Downtown Sarasota and the Ringling Causeway of FL 789 can be seen from the Sarasota Bay Bridge.  


























As noted in Part 1 FL 758 followed Osprey Avenue and Bay Road to US Route 41.  







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