Special routes of U.S. Route 17
A total of at least 32 special routes of U.S. Route 17 have existed: 3 in Florida, 6 in South Carolina, 17 in North Carolina, and 6 in Virginia.
Florida
Kissimmee truck route
U.S. Highway 17 Truck is an alternate route for US 17/US 92 in northern Kissimmee, Florida, following State Road 423 and the Osceola Parkway instead of Vine Street and the Orange Blossom Trail. It was signed in about 2011 when the single-point urban interchange at the John Young and Osceola parkways was completed.Until 1999, a truck bypass was signed around downtown Kissimmee. It began where US 17/US 92 formerly turned from John Young Parkway onto West Emmett Street and continued north in a straight line along John Young Parkway to US 192, where it turned east until it returned to US 17/US 92 at North Main Street. The route existed from sometime during the 1980s until 1999, when US 17/US 92 itself was rerouted to bypass downtown Kissimmee.
Maitland truck route
U.S. Highway 17 Truck is designated to divert overheight truck traffic away from a low railroad bridge that carries the SunRail rail line over US 17/US 92 in southern Maitland, Florida. The route follows SR 423, Interstate 4, and SR 414 in Winter Park and Maitland. It formerly used Wymore Road and Lake Avenue instead of I-4 and SR 414.Jacksonville alternate route
The Roosevelt Expressway is a spur of I-10 west of downtown Jacksonville, in the U.S. state of Florida, built partially to freeway standards. It travels northeast from an intersection with Roosevelt Boulevard, traveling parallel with nearby McDuff Avenue, to a partial interchange with I-10.The road is designated as a spur of SR 15 and was formerly numbered SR 15A. It has also been—and may still be—an unsigned U.S. Highway 17 Alternate, which originally continued east on I-10 and north on I-95 to return to US 17 north of the Trout River.
Roosevelt Expressway is the bypass built as a spur of I-10, which converted US 17 into a limited-access expressway north of Blanding Boulevard, bypassing the Post Street/College Street route that Roosevelt Boulevard used to travel through the Riverside and Avondale historic district, passing by McDuff Avenue to I-10 eastbound. The expressway is accessible southbound via I-10 west as a left exit.
The current design was preferred over the proposed River Oaks Freeway, which would have decimated the Avondale district. The partial interchanges with Blanding and I-10 reflect the nature of the original need of a bypass system. Intended to stimulate commerce and encourage connectivity to Jacksonville's downtown to and from the suburbs and Orange Park, while streamlining commutes and lessening the impact such travel was to potentially have on Jacksonville's oldest areas in the southwest side of town by removing high volume and chaotic redevelopment from the streets of Avondale and Lakeside Park, the area east of the Roosevelt Expressway is now protected in the form of a zoning overlay largely allowed by the basic design of this alternate route. Roosevelt Expressway has been signed in the last number of years as Roosevelt Boulevard, even though it's still in the Jacksonville Transportation Authority books as Expressway. It is part of the Blue Star Memorial Highway and named for President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
In early 2006, the Florida Department of Transportation applied to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials to reroute US 17 via the Roosevelt Expressway, I-10, I-95, and US 23. If this is accepted, US 17 Alt. will be eliminated. As of March 2007, it appears that US 17 has been rerouted. US 17 goes north on the Roosevelt Expressway, to east I-10, north on I-95, and east on Union Street until Main Street and picking back up on its original course.
Georgia
Savannah alternate route
U.S. Highway 17 Alternate was an alternate route of US 17 that existed entirely within the city limits of Savannah, Georgia. The roadway that would eventually become US 17 Alt. was established between November 1946 and February 1948 as State Route 25 Spur, from US 17/SR 25 on the western edge of the city to US 17/US 80/SR 25/SR 26 in the main part. Between April 1949 and August 1950, it was then indicated to have started at US 17/SR 25, traveled east-southeast on 52nd Street, turned left on Whatley Avenue and traveled to the northeast, curved to the north-northeast onto Montgomery Street and traveled north-northeast to its northern terminus. By the beginning of 1952, US 17 Alt. was established on the path of SR 25 Spur from US 17/SR 25 east-southeast on Mills B. Lane Boulevard, northeast on Whatley Avenue, and north-northeast on Montgomery Street, as previously. In 1953, the path of US 17 Alt. on SR 25 Spur was redesignated as the northbound lanes of US 17.;Major intersections
Georgia–South Carolina alternate route
U.S. Highway 17 Alternate was an alternate route of US 17 that existed in Savannah, Georgia, and the southern part of South Carolina. It was concurrent with SR 25 Alt. for its entire length in Georgia. Between June 1954 and June 1955, US 17 Alt. and SR 25 Alt. were established from an intersection with the southbound lanes of US 17/SR 25, north-northeast on Stiles Avenue, right onto Gwinnett Street to the east-southeast, and left onto Boundary Street to the north-northeast. The highways reached the South Carolina state line, where SR 25 Alt. reached its northern terminus. US 17 Alt. crossed over the Savannah River on a toll bridge. It curved to the northwest and reached its northern terminus, another intersection with US 17. In 1985, US 17 Alt./SR 25 Alt. was rerouted to begin at an interchange with I-516/US 17/US 80/SR 21/SR 25/SR 26. It traveled east-southeast on Bay Street, turned right onto West Broad Street, traveled to the south-southwest, turned right onto York Street, traveled to the west-northwest, and turned right onto Boundary Street to continue as before. In 1991, the path of US 17 Alt./SR 25 Alt. was redesignated as SR 25 Connector.;Major intersections
This table shows the 1985–1991 intersections.
Ridgeland alternate route
South Carolina
South Carolina alternate route
U.S. Highway 17 Alternate is an alternate route of US 17 in South Carolina that runs between Pocotaligo and Georgetown. It is long and has been four-laned in various segments since 1970.Yemassee alternate route
Yemassee connector route
U.S. Highway 17 Connector is a connector route within the city limits of Yemassee, South Carolina. It connects Yemassee Highway with US 17 Alt./US 21 and to the eastern terminus of South Carolina Highway 68. It is known as Flowers Street and is an unsigned highway.Rantowles–Parkers Ferry alternate route
Ridgeville alternate route
Summerville alternate truck route
U.S. Highway 17 Alternate Truck is an truck route of US 17 Alt. that is mostly within the city limits of Summerville, South Carolina. It uses SC 642 and SC 165.Charleston alternate route
Mount Pleasant business loop
U.S. Highway 17 Business in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, ran in an overlap with US 701 Bus. along part of SC 703 and all of I-526 Bus. from 1967 to 1992.Myrtle Beach alternate route
Murrells Inlet–Garden City connector route
U.S. Highway 17 Connector is a connector route between US 17 and US 17 Bus. on the Murrells Inlet–Garden City line in South Carolina. A former routing of US 17, it is unnamed and is an unsigned highway; the northbound side is signed for the business route instead.Myrtle Beach business loop
U.S. Highway 17 Business, also known as Kings Highway, was established by 1967 when mainline US 17 was bypassed west of Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. In 1981, it was extended north to near Briarcliffe Acres, after mainline US 17 was placed on a new highway bypass route. The business route connects: Murrells Inlet, Garden City, Surfside Beach, and Myrtle Beach. The highway is also a major route during the Bi-Lo Marathon weekend; miles 2 to 6 and also 19 to 21 run through this highway during the marathon.Murrells Inlet bypass route
North Carolina
Shallotte business loop
U.S. Highway 17 Business was established in 1991 after the completion of the Shallotte Bypass around Shallotte, North Carolina. The business loop is in length and has the street name Main Street for its entire length. The middle segment is also concurrent with North Carolina Highway 130, which splits from US 17 Bus. in the north to travel to Whiteville and splits in the south to travel to Holden Beach.;Major intersections
Bolivia business loop
U.S. Highway 17 Business was established in 1992 after the completion of the Bolivia Bypass around Bolivia, North Carolina. The business route follows the old alignment of US 17 through Bolivia, the small county seat of Brunswick County. This route is also called the Old Ocean Highway and passes through the center of Bolivia near its northern terminus.;Major intersections
U.S. Route 17-1
U.S. Route 17-1 was an original U.S. highway, established in 1926; in North Carolina, it was overlapped completely on NC 40. It starts, in Wilmington, on 5th Street at Market Street, where it goes north to Nixon Street, then east to McRae Street and proceeds north on Castle Haynes Road. At Wallace, it follows today's NC 11 to Kenansville, then west, via today NC 24 Bus./NC 50, to Warsaw. Continuing north, it goes through Faison, Mount Olive, and through Goldsboro on George Street. Continuing north through Wilson, via Goldsboro Street and Herring Avenue, it connects Elm City, Rocky Mount, Battleboro, Halifax, and finally Weldon, via Washington and Sycamore avenues. Entering Virginia, it connects through Emporia before reaching Petersburg, via Sycamore Street, ending at Washington Street.In 1932, the entire route was renumbered, with most of the Wilmington–Wilson route to US 117 and all of Wilson–Petersburg route to US 301. Today, the entire route is paralleled with I-40 and I-95.