Roundabout Construction To Cause Detours In Lake Wales For Month

LAKE WALES, FL — A roundabout project under construction at the intersection of Old Bartow Lake Wales Road and Rattlesnake Road (County Road 653) in Lake Wales will close the intersection for at least three more weeks.

Construction began on Monday.

Local access will be maintained to the point of closure, but no traffic will be permitted to cross the intersection. Depending on the starting point and direction of travel, detour signs will redirect traffic along a combination of roads that will include State Road 60, Rifle Range Road, County Road 540A (Eloise Loop Road and/or Thompson Nursery Road), Old Bartow Road, Mountain Lake Cutoff Road and U.S. 27. Detouring may be lengthy for some commuters. Drivers are advised to add extra time to trips through this area.

The roundabout will improve the flow and safety of traffic through the intersection and provide access to a new subdivision being built on the northeast and southeast side of the intersection. A new elementary school is also being constructed along the northwest quadrant of the intersection.

The roundabout is being built for Polk County through a developer’s agreement to save the county time and money,

Other active roadway construction projects continue to affect traffic countywide.