Coral Way
Encyclopedia
Coral Way is a primarily east-west street that begins in the Brickell
neighborhood of Downtown
, Miami, Florida
, United States
, ending in Westchester
.
(U.S. Route 1), where it begins as South 13th Street (SR 972
). It is a four-lane dual direction main road in downtown Miami from Brickell Avenue until it crosses Broadway (South 15th Road) and curves to the southwest as is goes under I-95
. At this point it becomes a divided road (West 3rd Avenue) with many old ficus
and banyan
trees in its median
. This is where the historic scenic drive of Coral Way begins. There is a sign marking this.
It continues southwest as West Third Avenue until it reaches the intersection at West 12th Avenue. There it curves due west and becomes South 22nd Street.
It continues west through the city of Miami until it crosses Douglas Road (West 37th Avenue) and enters the city of Coral Gables
. This is the western terminus of SR 972
.
For half a mile (between Douglas Road and LeJeune Road (West 42nd Avenue) it is the major east-west road through downtown Coral Gables and is known also as Miracle Mile
. It is still divided by a median, although along this stretch the median has large date palm
trees and flower beds.
After crossing LeJeune Road (West 42nd Avenue), it is one-way westbound for two blocks until crossing Segovia Street, where it is again two-way, but it is a 2-lane street without a median.
After crossing Segovia Street, it borders the Granada Golf Course for two blocks until it enters a residential area after crossing South Greenway Drive/Anderson Road. From this point west it is covered by large oak
, mahogany
and other hardwood
trees which form a natural canopy
from each side of the road.
It continues west through the city of Coral Gables with its natural tree canopy until it crosses Red Road
(West 57th Avenue) and emerges into unincorporated Miami-Dade County as Coral Way and South 24th Street. At this point it becomes a four-lane roadway again.
It continues west as South 24th Street through Miami-Dade County until a short distance after crossing the Florida Turnpike (after West 117th Avenue) where it curves slightly farther south and becomes Southwest 26th Street.
It continues west through Miami-Dade County as South 26th Street until its western terminus at West 157th Avenue.
lined streets. A few years later streetcar tracks were laid down the middle. In 1929, a roadside beautification
program was started and 1,200 non-native banyan trees were planted along it.
Brickell
Brickell is an urban neighborhood in Miami, Florida, United States. A neighborhood of greater Downtown Miami, Brickell is Miami and South Florida's major financial district.-Background:...
neighborhood of Downtown
Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
, Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, ending in Westchester
Westchester, Florida
Westchester is a census-designated place in suburban Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 29,862 at the 2010 census....
.
Route description
The road begins at Brickell AvenueBrickell Avenue
Brickell Avenue is the name given to the stretch of U.S. Route 1 in Miami, Florida just south of the Miami River. North of the Brickell Avenue Bridge, US Route 1 is known as Biscayne Boulevard...
(U.S. Route 1), where it begins as South 13th Street (SR 972
State Road 972 (Florida)
State Road 972, part of the historic road Coral Way, is a short east–west divided highway entirely within the city of Miami, Florida, USA. Its current western terminus is Douglas Road ; its eastern terminus is U.S. Route 1 in the Brickell area of Miami...
). It is a four-lane dual direction main road in downtown Miami from Brickell Avenue until it crosses Broadway (South 15th Road) and curves to the southwest as is goes under I-95
Interstate 95 in Florida
Interstate 95 is the main Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States; it serves the Atlantic coast of Florida. It begins at a partial interchange with U.S. Highway 1 just south of downtown Miami, and heads north past Daytona Beach and Jacksonville to the Georgia state line at the St...
. At this point it becomes a divided road (West 3rd Avenue) with many old ficus
Ficus
Ficus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
and banyan
Banyan
A banyan is a fig that starts its life as an epiphyte when its seeds germinate in the cracks and crevices on a host tree...
trees in its median
Median
In probability theory and statistics, a median is described as the numerical value separating the higher half of a sample, a population, or a probability distribution, from the lower half. The median of a finite list of numbers can be found by arranging all the observations from lowest value to...
. This is where the historic scenic drive of Coral Way begins. There is a sign marking this.
It continues southwest as West Third Avenue until it reaches the intersection at West 12th Avenue. There it curves due west and becomes South 22nd Street.
It continues west through the city of Miami until it crosses Douglas Road (West 37th Avenue) and enters the city of Coral Gables
Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami, in the United States. The city is home to the University of Miami....
. This is the western terminus of SR 972
State Road 972 (Florida)
State Road 972, part of the historic road Coral Way, is a short east–west divided highway entirely within the city of Miami, Florida, USA. Its current western terminus is Douglas Road ; its eastern terminus is U.S. Route 1 in the Brickell area of Miami...
.
For half a mile (between Douglas Road and LeJeune Road (West 42nd Avenue) it is the major east-west road through downtown Coral Gables and is known also as Miracle Mile
Miracle Mile (Coral Gables)
Miracle Mile is a section of Coral Way between Douglas Road and LeJeune Road in the city of Coral Gables, Florida, United States...
. It is still divided by a median, although along this stretch the median has large date palm
Date Palm
The date palm is a palm in the genus Phoenix, cultivated for its edible sweet fruit. Although its place of origin is unknown because of long cultivation, it probably originated from lands around the Persian Gulf. It is a medium-sized plant, 15–25 m tall, growing singly or forming a clump with...
trees and flower beds.
After crossing LeJeune Road (West 42nd Avenue), it is one-way westbound for two blocks until crossing Segovia Street, where it is again two-way, but it is a 2-lane street without a median.
After crossing Segovia Street, it borders the Granada Golf Course for two blocks until it enters a residential area after crossing South Greenway Drive/Anderson Road. From this point west it is covered by large oak
Live oak
Live oak , also known as the southern live oak, is a normally evergreen oak tree native to the southeastern United States...
, mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
and other hardwood
Hardwood
Hardwood is wood from angiosperm trees . It may also be used for those trees themselves: these are usually broad-leaved; in temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen.Hardwood contrasts with softwood...
trees which form a natural canopy
Canopy (forest)
In biology, the canopy is the aboveground portion of a plant community or crop, formed by plant crowns.For forests, canopy also refers to the upper layer or habitat zone, formed by mature tree crowns and including other biological organisms .Sometimes the term canopy is used to refer to the extent...
from each side of the road.
It continues west through the city of Coral Gables with its natural tree canopy until it crosses Red Road
Red Road (Miami)
Red Road, also known as West 57th Avenue, is a north-south street that runs west of downtown Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida and into Broward County. Red Road is signed as State Road 959 from U.S. 1 to the Dolphin Expressway, and State Road 823 from U.S...
(West 57th Avenue) and emerges into unincorporated Miami-Dade County as Coral Way and South 24th Street. At this point it becomes a four-lane roadway again.
It continues west as South 24th Street through Miami-Dade County until a short distance after crossing the Florida Turnpike (after West 117th Avenue) where it curves slightly farther south and becomes Southwest 26th Street.
It continues west through Miami-Dade County as South 26th Street until its western terminus at West 157th Avenue.
History
The Coral Way Corridor was built in 1922, connecting the city of Miami to Coral Gables with citrusCitrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
lined streets. A few years later streetcar tracks were laid down the middle. In 1929, a roadside beautification
Beautification
Beautification is the process of making visual improvements to a person, place or thing. With regard to a town, city or to an urban area, this most often involves planting trees, shrubbery, and other greenery, but frequently also includes adding decorative or historic-style street lights and other...
program was started and 1,200 non-native banyan trees were planted along it.