Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently proposed a $7 billion transportation initiative — Moving Florida Forward — which includes $635 million for more I-4 lanes in Polk County. If the Florida Legislature gives it the green light, the initiative would bring new I-4 lanes and an express lane between ChampionsGate and US Highway 27. This particular project would be one of 20 congestion relief projects identified in the proposal.
While we can’t yet say whether or not this proposal will come to fruition, we can point you to projects currently in progress, right here in Swan City.
The City of Lakeland keeps a running list of public works projects — from those already underway (like the Lake Hunter Drive project) to projects slated to begin in early 2023 (like the Olive Street sidewalk). Here are a couple to note:
- Improvements to County Line Road at US 92 — This $1,570,500 project added a north-bound right turn lane with the aim to “increase the capacity of the intersection.”
- Drane Field Road and Don Emerson Drive roundabout — To ease congestion near the Publix Super Markets corporate offices and Lakeland Linder International Airport, a single-lane roundabout was funded jointly by the Florida Department of Transportation and the City of Lakeland, which put up $2.2 million and $750,000, respectively.
- Road pavings — The City of Lakeland’s Fiscal Year 2023 road pavings list has been released. While exact dates are TBA, you can view the list to see which roads will be paved, including the start and end point of construction.