The Extension begins at Cargo Road in Orlando International Airport, traveling north for 0.3 miles before an interchange with the five-ramp partial cloverleaf at State Road 528. The next 1.2 miles northward is tolled, with the barrier toll, and then the Extension intersects with Hazeltine National Drive and Lee Vista Boulevard. North of these intersections, there are median breaks for several more intersections, as the road enters a newly developed area, heading towards Hoffner Avenue. At Hoffner Avenue, the Extension heads towards its northern terminus at Goldenrod Road, continuing north as SR 551. Despite SR 551 using the older Goldenrod Road to reach Hoffner Avenue, the main route between Hoffner Avenue and Goldenrod Road is via the Extension, and so it is signed TO SR 551 from Hoffner Avenue. From the south end, at Cargo Road, Heintzelman Boulevard continues south around the east side of the airport, including two tunnels under taxiways. South of the airport terminals, it curves west to meet Jeff Fuqua Boulevard, which runs from the airport south to Boggy Creek Road and State Road 417. The southern extension is not signed a state road number, but the Central Florida Expressway Authority's website displays a shield for State Road 551 Toll. Although the toll, which currently costs $0.50 and can be paid with cash or E-Pass, is operated by CFX, the money collected at this toll is only used to fund the Extension and is not used for any other CFX roads; conversely, money collected elsewhere on the CFX system is not used for the Extension. Once the cost of building the road is paid off, the road will be transferred to the City of Orlando and the toll will be removed.
History
SR 15A was assigned on December 5, 1947 along pre-1945 State Road 287. It was defined as beginning at a point on SR 15 in Section 23, T 23 S, R 30 E and running North approximately nine miles to intersection with SR 426 in Section 2, T 22 S, R 30 E. Since then, two changes have been made: the number was changed to SR 551 in the early 1980s, and the northernmost piece was moved from Goldenrod Road to Palmetto Avenue to avoid two curves. Construction on the southern extension began in 2001. It opened March 12, 2003, with a total cost of $38 million. The Orlando Orange County Expressway Authority, predecessor to the CFX, built the road in partnership with the City of Orlando, Orange County, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, and several private developers in the area, in order to get it done quickly.
