BeautiVacation Project.
When
The Walt Disney company purchased 47 square miles of Real Estate to
the west of Kissimmee in 1965. US Hwy 192 was a dusty truck route
that came West from US Hwy 1, at Melbourne on the east coast of
Flirida, to feed the growing city
of Orlando.
Walt Disney World opened in 1971 with US 192 now extended to form
the entrance to the Magic Kingdom. The Main Gate West & Main
Gate East areas.
It took some time for WDW to really take off but within 15 years the
Main Gate areas, and it's links to the Interstate 4 Freeway, became
one of the most visited roads anywhere.
Planning of the road and it's infrastructure had no real direction
as the entire area blossomed and then exploded with developments.
Now finished on US Hwy 192 is the 'BeautiVacation
Project' transforming the popular tourist
corridor from a rural highway to an urban thoroughfare, creating six
lanes instead of four, and adding curbs and 10-foot wide sidewalks
with lighting to each side of the road.
Started mid-summer 1996 the development adds bus shelters, water
fountains, trash receptacles, benches, new street signs at major
intersections, and landscaping.
388 Washingtonia Palm Trees have been planted and pride of place is
given to 22 guide markers on either side of the highway thru a
12-mile stretch, from just past US Hwy 27 east to Vine Street.
The 18- to 20-foot-tall, Guide Markers are easy for even the most
confused traveller to spot and are a most useful way of explaining
where a location is situated.
Placed approximately one mile apart, they are purple (apart from in
front of the town of Celebration, where they are green) and feature
a street lamp design at the top and icons depicting various
activities.
In front of the Old Town attraction, there is an old car icon. Near
the Silver Spurs Rodeo, a boot with a spur; and at Celebration, a
tree & a man cycling.
New Bus pull-off lanes also make passenger boarding easier.
Our pictures give some idea of how it all looks -
The Markers are numbered from West to
East starting at US Hwy 27. Nothing =much happens for the first few
miles, so the first one is Mile Marker #
4.
Maingate West is covered by MM's
5 &
6.
The entrance to Walk Disney World and Interstate 4 are between MM's
6
& 7.
Maingate East runs from MM#
8 to MM# 10.
The Mile Markers end at MM#
15 as US Hwy 192 becomes Vine Street in the City of Kissimmee.
You can locate your Accommodation, the Shops and Attractions in
relation to BeautiVacation Mile Markers by using our
Map/Directory.
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