Stressful turnpike

Florida’s Turnpike promotes itself as “The less Stressway.” One wonders why the turnpike does not have three lanes in each direction — all the way from Wildwood to Boynton Beach Boulevard. Three lanes are found on I-75 from the Georgia border to the turnpike connection at Wildwood.

The highly touted Visit Florida marketing program encourages tourists to come to sunny South Florida. The turnpike should have three lanes to accommodate the ever-increasing flow of traffic to the area. Slower-moving vehicles often clog up the solo passing left lane, making driving more stressful — not less — as advertised.

When an accident occurs on this two-lane, fee-based road, there are massive delays. Factor in Florida’s deserved reputation of aggressive driving and road rage, and you have a recipe for more commuting problems.

In addition, there is a glaring lack of law enforcement on both I-75 and the turnpike. Do not ask the uninformed tourist to switch to the no-toll I-95 as an alternative — one is constantly at risk on this “freeway of fear.”

This story was originally published December 21, 2016 at 8:13 PM with the headline "Stressful turnpike."