The 468 exist just isn't going to happen. It is long dead and no longer feasible. There is no place for the exit/entry ramps. All four corners on the intersection are now under some phase construction with development by The Villages of Lake-Sumter. The county already submitted the paperwork to terminate the plan. To be of any use as a part of an evacuation plan/route there would need to be services at this exist - gas station, food, lodging, etc. - but there's no place for any of that now. Not for a mile or more off the would-be exit in either direction.
Think about it in other terms, do you really want an exit from the Turnpike in the middle of the community especially when there are already exits that are at the northern (US301) and southern (CR470) end of the development (that's known so far). These two exits are less than 9 miles apart and unlike the Orlando, Ft Lauderdale, and Miami areas will never have the business and residential density to justify the additional access points. What's there now is a great fit for what is foreseeable to come in the next 30 years or so.
Personally I think this was all brilliantly played. When I moved to Florida 11 1/2 years ago I came here to work a project that ran the entire length of the Turnpike. One of the exits in our contract was the CR468 exit. This translates to being in the planning stages for at least 15 years. In project meetings when CR468 was brought up the general response was that they were waiting to built the additional bridge and exit ramps.
15 years ago The Villages was no where near the Turnpike, back then everything was focused around CR466 and the Sumter Landing area. But by September 2004 CDD 9 & 10 were established, which means that the developer (Mr. Harold Schwartz and H. Gary Morse) had already owned all the land down to SR44 and likely had eyes on even more property to the south as their planned community had taken off better than anyone could have hoped. Long term planning was long underway at this point.
Fast forward a few years and plans are solidified, Brownwood is being built and work south of CR466A has begun. To keep the business alive it has to keep building. The Fruitland Park area was a nice piece of property but would not sustain the business. The logic direction to move is South but there is a major roadblock, the Turnpike and how to get across it. The obvious answer would be a bridge as tunnels would be insanely expensive under such a major artery. The bridges were in the planning for the 468 interchange and would need to be wide to support the Turnpike needs. The easy answer would be to let them build and then scrap the project. Instant connectivity and room for golf cart lanes as well.
Sure enough, the new bridge was built across the Turnpike and the land for the ramps no longer was available, scrap the exit. New infrastructure is now in place.
Looking now at the map its easy to see a need for multiple crossing across the Turnpike for the residents and to keep the development unified. Where to put these? We know the bridge between CR468 and US301 for golf carts is a go. The Bailey bridge now makes another logical connection. With miles between a cart lane across CR468 would not be out of the question. And let's not forget the far end and put a cart lane on the CR470 bridges or even build another cart bridge across the Turnpike itself to match the first one.
The tea leaves and hidden history become easier to read every year. Yes there is some speculation here but the developer has long since proven their ability to plan well into the future so much of this fits easily.
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