Polk County Commissioners Approve Contractor For Thornhill Road Bridge

BARTOW, FL — The Polk County Board of County Commissioners approved a contract on Tuesday with Denson Construction Inc. for the Thornhill Road Bridge replacement project.

The contract is for $2,302,597.35, and includes the removal of the current bridge and the construction of a new bridge.

The project is expected to be started within 60 days, and there are incentives for Denson Construction Inc. to finish within 180 days of the start date.

A full closure of Thornhill Road with a detour using Spirit Lake Road and State Road 540 (Winter Lake Road) will be necessary during construction.

The existing Thornhill Road Bridge was built in 1960 and carries about 7,900 vehicles over Lake Lena Run each day. The bridge is functionally obsolete due to its narrow width, which limits vehicle clearance, particularly for semi-trucks, and is deteriorating. There also have been numerous guardrail collisions within the last few years.

To proposed bridge features two 12-foot lanes with 8-foot shoulders (4 feet paved).