Traffic Delays Expected Due To Continuing Polk County Roadwork

POLK COUNTY, FL — Countywide heavy construction projects continue to slow Polk County drive times as contractors extend or revise schedules and new road closures are added to a growing list of detours.

Polk County’s widening of Lake Wilson Road requires three nights of utility installations that will close Lake Wilson Road in Davenport south of the County Road 532 (Osceola Polk Line Road) intersection for 10 hours each night starting Tuesday evening, July 18, and ending Friday morning, July 21.

Traffic will be detoured along Ronald Reagan Parkway (County Road 54), Heritage Pass and Lake Wilson Road to bypass the nightly closures. Heritage Pass is posted “No Thru Trucks.”

Starting Thursday, July 20, the westbound travel lane of West Daughtery Road west of the US 98 intersection in north Lakeland will close for six to eight weeks for drainage installations and road restoration for the Lake Gibson Apartments project.

While eastbound traffic along West Daughtery Road can still access US 98, there will be no westbound traffic permitted from US 98 onto West Daughtery Road. Traffic will detour along US 98, Mann Road, Green Road and Gib-Galloway Road to get around closure.

A daylong mid-block closure of Plateau Avenue between West Hickory Street to Wayman Street in Lakeland is scheduled for Thursday, July 20, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. to complete a utility installation for the Plateau Village apartment complex. Traffic will briefly detour along West Hickory Street, Wayman Street and Wabash Avenue to avoid the work zone.

The schedule for previously announced closures along the Old Bartow Lake Wales Road and Rattlesnake Road (County Road 653) approaches to the new roundabout in southeast Winter Haven has changed.

Construction of turn lanes into the new Southpointe Elementary will now close the Old Bartow Lake Wales Road approach for two days starting Tuesday, July 18, with the Rattlesnake Road leg closing for two days starting Thursday, July 20.

During the Old Bartow Lake Wales Road closure, traffic will detour along State Road 60 and Rifle Range Road, while the Rattlesnake Road closure will divert traffic to County Road 540A (Eloise Loop Road or Thompson Nursery Road) to bypass the closure and work zone.

The closure of Tillery Road from Clubhouse Road (County Road 540) to Valley High Drive in Lakeland has been extended to Monday, July 24, due to ongoing drainage installation conflicts with underground telecom and water utilities. Traffic will continue to detour along Clubhouse Road or Peterson Road to Harrells Nursery Road to avoid the construction area with deep excavations to install drainage pipe and structures.

Drivers are advised to drive carefully, be alert to crews and equipment and follow detour signs. Travel delays can be expected, especially during peak-hour drive times. Commuters should add extra time to trips through these areas.

For further details, call Bill Skelton with the Polk County Roads & Drainage Division at 863-535-2200.