State Road 30A (SRÂ 30A) is a Florida Department of Transportation designation shared by four alternate routings of SRÂ 30 in the Florida panhandle. Two segments have SRÂ 30A signage; the other two do not as they are segments of U.S. Route 98 (USÂ 98). Three of the four SRÂ 30A segments are next to the shore of the Gulf of Mexico for most (if not all) of their length.
CR 30A: Point Washington State Forest segment
Just west of Santa Rosa Beach, near East Hewlett Road, CRÂ 30A branches off Reddick Road (USÂ 98/SRÂ 30) and heads southeastward toward the shore of the Gulf of Mexico. While USÂ 98/SRÂ 30 continues through the heart of Point Washington State Forest, CRÂ 30A follows the shoreline, passing through Grayton Beach and Seaside, before rejoining SRÂ 30 near Inlet Beach.
While USÂ 98/SRÂ 30 spans the length of Point Washington State Forest, CRÂ 30A doesn't avoid it completely: the westernmost mile forms the boundary between the state forest and Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, and along, the Gulf of Mexico, CRÂ 30A cuts through approximately three miles of state forest between Blue Mountain Beach and Seaside... and another 3 miles (4.8Â km) of Deer Lake State Park to the southeast of Seagrove Beach.
SR 30A: Panama City Beach segment
About 2 miles (3.2Â km) to the east of the eastern terminus of the Washington Point State Park segment of SRÂ 30A, and 1 mile (1.6Â km) west of Hollywood Beach (not to be confused with the city of Hollywood between Miami and Fort Lauderdale), USÂ 98 and (unsigned) SRÂ 30 separate. While SRÂ 30 continues along the shore of the Gulf of Mexico as Front Beach Road, USÂ 98 continues roughly 1 mile (1.6Â km) inland (as Panama City Beach Parkway) with the unsigned FDOT designation SRÂ 30A. The Panama City Beach Segment ends 16 miles (26Â km) from the western terminus, as traffic on USÂ 98/SRÂ 30A rejoins SRÂ 30 on the approach to the Hathaway Bridge crossing St. Andrews Bay and entering Panama City.
State Road 392A
As the 16-mile-long SR 30 parallels the Gulf Coast, it passes through Hollywood Beach, Sunnyside, Laguna Beach, and Panama City Beachâ€"popular "Spring Break" stops for U.S. college studentsâ€"before curving back inland to rejoin US 98. The popularity of the Panama City Beach beachfront (with Miracle Strip Amusement Park) has often resulted in the overloading of Front Beach Road and the prompting of FDOT's "creation" of a second bypass of the downtown area: the three-mile (5 km) long SR 392A.
Unlike SR 30A, SR 392A is entirely within the city limits of Panama City Beach, no more than 0.4-mile (0.64 km) inland from the Gulf of Mexico. Locally known as Hutchison Boulevard, it is signed eastâ€"west. The western terminus is an intersection with SR 30 Alternate near Youpon Road; the eastern terminus is an intersection with SR 30 at Thomas Drive.
The entire route is in Panama City Beach, Bay County.
SR 30A: US 98 through Panama City and Callaway
On the eastern approach to the Hathaway Bridge, SRÂ 30 and USÂ 98 separate at the corner of 18th Street and Beck Avenue in Panama City. USÂ 98 and SRÂ 30A continues eastward along 15th Street, passing through Cedar Grove and Springfield before a southward 90-degree turn onto North Tyndall Parkway in Callaway. As USÂ 98/SRÂ 30A approach the New DuPont Bridge across East Bay, its 11-mile (18Â km) run ends with the merge with Business USÂ 98/SRÂ 30 near Long Point.
US 98 Business and SR 30 in Panama City and Callaway
While USÂ 98/SRÂ 30A follows 15th Street through Panama City and Callaway before reaching North Tyndall Parkway, USÂ 98 Business and SRÂ 30 follows Ninth Street, Beach Boulevard, Sixth Street, and Fifth Street before curving southward (near School Avenue) and eastward (through Parker before rejoining USÂ 98 on the approach to the New Dupont Bridge. The merge marks the eastern terminus of the 10-mile (16Â km) USÂ 98 Business.
SR 30B: Pensacola
State Road 30B is an unsigned road in Pensacola known locally as Gregory Square. Running east from Gregory Street, it dead ends at a culdesac a mere 0.123 miles (0.198Â km) later. The road was once part of State Road 30, until it was realigned.
The entire route is in Pensacola, Escambia County.
Former and current SR 30A: a loop near Port St. Joe
After FDOT started phasing out a set of Florida State Roads in the late 1970s and early 1980s and reverted them to county maintenance, many State Roads disappeared from road maps, and many others were greatly truncated or transformed. One such drastically-affected road was SRÂ 30A, which formed a 19-mile (31Â km) loop in Gulf and Franklin counties.
Historically, SRÂ 30A veered southward from USÂ 98/SRÂ 30 1 mile (1.6Â km) south of Port St. Joe, near the communities of Oak Grove and Ward Ridge, and followed Sand Bar Road along the shoreline of St. Joseph Bay past the St. Joseph Point Lighthouse before turning to the east to follow the shore of Bay San Blas, Indian Lagoon, and Saint Vincent Sound before rejoining USÂ 98/SRÂ 30 1 mile (1.6Â km) east of Nine Mile.
Today, only the northâ€"south section is still signed SR 30A. The eastâ€"west stretch is now County Road 30A.
The entire route is in Gulf County.
Former State Road 30B
State Road 30B (SRÂ 30B) existed on the St. Joseph Peninsula and is known locally as Indian Pass Road. It was a scenic route, with the western terminus at an intersection with SRÂ 30A and an eastern terminus at the Indian Pass campground.
State Road 30E
State Road 30E (SRÂ 30E) exists on the St. Joseph Peninsula and is known locally as Cape San Blas Road. It's a scenic route, with the western terminus in St. Joseph Peninsula State Park near Eagle Harbor. Eastbound motorists drive by the T.H. Stone Memorial and the Cape San Blas lighthouse as they approach the terminus of SRÂ 30E, an intersection with the SRÂ 30A loop roughly a mile south of St. Joseph Point Lighthouse.
The entire route is in Gulf County.
See also
- Florida portal
- U.S. Roads portal
References
External links
- Scenic Highway 30A (Florida Scenic Highways)
- 30A.com
- Discover 30-A