Embedded Files
100 years of US routes: 1926-2026
US route endpoint in
1930-present
During the first four years of the US highway system, the south end of US 19 was continually being moved. 1930 was the year of its extension to St. Petersburg. There were no other US routes in town that would have served as a logical endpoint for US 19, but the designation was extended east on 5th Avenue North all the way to 4th Street:
c. 1947, FDoT
In 1953 the US 92 designation was extended over Tampa Bay to St. Petersburg. It came in on 4th Street North, so the two routes briefly shared a common terminus. In fact, the 1953 issue of the official state highway map is the only one showing that situation. Already by then, the original US 19 had been re-designated as US 19 Alternate. The mainline US 19 designation had been applied to its current corridor as far as 34th Street, but since that road was not yet complete, US 19 traffic was temporarily signed down Haines Road and 9th Street to 5th Av N:
c. 1953, FDoT
The map from the following year showed US 19 extended over the Sunshine Skyway, south to its current endpoint in the Bradenton area. In this photo, we are looking south on 4th Street North, or US 92/FL 687:
Karners, Dec. 2009
That is the last westbound US 92 sign, just after 22nd Avenue North. About a mile ahead, we come to the end of US 92, but signage to that effect has been unimpressive for a long time:
Karners, Dec. 2009
Nitzman, Apr. 2016
The cross street is 5th Av N, which today is FL 595 (running westbound only). But back in the 1930s, 5th Av N ran both ways, and the south beginning of US 19 was to the right. Today there is no "End" sign, so one can only assume that US 92 ends here. The next trailblazer ahead (on the far side of 5th, shown here) indicates that 4th St carries only FL 687 traffic:
Allen, 2000 (same as of 2006)
These next shots were taken from the opposite direction on 4th Street's counterpart (northbound on FL 687, or 3rd St N):
Nitzman, Apr. 2016
Both left lanes must turn left on 5th Ave N, but US 92 traffic is directed to use the outer turn lane, because the beginning of that route is to the right on the next block (4th St):
Field/Nitzman, Jan. 2005
Nitzman, Apr. 2016
Those references to Alt US 19 are interesting, because mainline US 19 once began straight ahead. Since 1953, US 92 has begun to the right. Upon turning that direction, the first US 92 confirming assembly is just north of there:
Allen, 2000
Field, Dec. 2000
Nitzman, Oct. 2015
Research and/or image credits: James Allen; Andy Field; Karin and Martin Karner; Alex Nitzman; Dale Sanderson
Page originally created 2000;last updated May 15, 2025.
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