Florida State Road 48


State Road 48 is a short east–west state highway in Bushnell, Florida. It runs from Interstate 75 at exit 314 to U.S. Highway 301. Segments formerly a part of the state road are now designated County Road 48 where they are under county maintenance.

History

Previously, SR 48 was much longer than it is today. It originally ran from US 41 in Floral City, in Citrus County. Within Floral City itself, it is called East Orange Avenue, while east of the city it is known as East Bushnell Road. After crossing the Withlacoochee River it wound through western Sumter County along part of the DeSoto Trail before reaching Bushnell.
In the early 21st century, FDOT widened SR 48 to four lanes between east of CR 317 and Interstate 75 and made other improvements in front of a Walmart Supercenter. The widening did not lead to a re-extension of the state designation, though, and road remains two lanes wide both under I-75 and into downtown Bushnell until in intersects CR 475 and CR 548. From there it turns south as a four-lane boulevard before intersecting with US 301.
Returning to its county road status, the former SR 48 runs concurrently with US 301 along East Noble Road, then with CR 476 along North Florida Street and South Florida Street, until it reaches East Seminole Avenue, and turns east before leaving Bushnell's city limits, and heads through the rest of rural Sumter County. North of the city of Webster it intersects with SR 471 as it heads towards Center Hill.
Northeast of Center Hill, SR 48 crossed the Sumter–Lake county line and was named Leesburg Highway. In Okahumpka, the road runs concurrently with CR 33, then turned at 1st Street, taking the designation from CR 470 on its way to SR 19 in Howey-in-the-Hills. Former sections are now designated CR 48 in Citrus, Sumter and Lake counties.

Major intersections