State Road A19A was a highway loop in the southern portion of Pinellas County, Florida. The southern terminus was at an intersection with 54th Avenue South, 34th Street South and Interstate 275/SR 93 in St. Petersburg, just north of the Sunshine Skyway. The northern terminus was an intersection with US 19 in Largo.
Route description
From St. Petersburg to St. Pete Beach, A19A comprised the entirety of SR 682 as part of the Pinellas Baywaytoll road. Within St. Pete Beach, A19A followed the portion of SR 699 from the Bayway to 75th Street. From St. Pete Beach, A19A followed and the entirety of SR 693, South Pasadena Boulevard and 66th Street ), going northward until it reaches its terminus at US 19 in Largo, between SR 686 and SR 688. Cities and communities served by A19A included : St. Petersburg, St. Pete Beach, South Pasadena, Kenneth City, Pinellas Park and Largo.
Comparisons with A1A
Despite the similar numbering, comparisons with SR A1A can lead to faulty conclusions. While the barrier islands along the Atlantic coast of Florida have seven discontinuous segments of A1A traveling along them, there is no such “continuity” on the longer Gulf coast. The Gulf Coast barrier islands feature the following State Roads: • SR 951 – Marco Island • SR 865 – Estero Island • SR 767 – Pine Island • SR 771 – Gasparilla Island • SR 758 – Casey Key and Siesta Key • SR 789 – Longboat Key • SR 679 – Mullet Key and Cabbage Key • SR 699 – St. Pete Beach to Indian Rocks Beach • SR 300 – St. George Island • SR 30E • SR 30A – Santa Rosa Beach to Inlet Beach • SR 399 – Navarre Beach to Pensacola Beach • SR 292 – Perdido Key While SR A1A received its current designation after people were confusing the original “SR 1” with nearby U.S. Route 1, the SR A19A designation was the original numbering of the Pinellas Bayway. Since A19A branches off Alternate US 19 and connects with the parent route US 19, a likely explanation for the numbering is for the loop to represent “Alternate 19 Alternate,” or “Alternate 19A.”
History
For two decades after the opening of the Pinellas Bayway on December 23, 1962, “A19A” signs lined the entire route. In the mid-1980s the Florida Department of Transportation removed the A19A designation, and gave the Pinellas Bayway its current designation, while restoring the designations of SR 699 and SR 693 along their routes.
