During a one-year test of a “road diet” reducing Florida Avenue in Dixieland from five lanes to three, an unprecedented collection of data will supplement community feedback in determining how the project affects safety, travel time, economic impact and effects on nearby roads. Eleven sensors along the corridor are already collecting speed and travel-time data, and traffic counters will be installed at each intersection.
The Morning Paper got an advance look at a proposed new Citrus Connection route and scheduling plan to be released today that will make bus service available earlier in the morning and later in the evening on weekdays. The goal is to accommodate more riders going to and from work, but mid-day riders might find buses run less frequently.
An awkward five-way intersection at the north end of Lake Beulah would become a roundabout with four access points, under a plan being floated by city officials. Members of the public will have a chance to learn more and comment on the proposal at two public meetings scheduled for later this month. More
With construction of its Florida Poly-area oval track to test autonomous vehicles nearly complete, Florida Turnpike Enterprise is looking at next steps: hire a contractor to operate SunTrax by summer, start building the infield in August, and attract major companies to test driverless vehicles there by 2021.
Railroad work is nearing completion downtown. In this noontime video, CSX workers are applying asphalt after placing rubber bumpers on rails on the crossings at Kentucky and Massachusetts Avenues. Drivers should be able to cross the tracks by Thursday morning, city spokesman Kevin Cook said. Work at Tennessee Avenue will take a bit longer.
As rail construction blocks key downtown intersections longer than expected, the owner of LkldTV said stray construction debris damaged his building.
CSX construction in downtown Lakeland leaves pedestrians stepping gingerly as they try to cross over debris. The word is that work is expected to be completed Friday, but no work was seen Wednesday morning or afternoon.
Southbound Florida Avenue lanes are closed south of the Polk Parkway because of a water main break at Doris Drive, the Lakeland Police Department reports.
It will be at least 9 p.m. tonight before the road re-opens, according to an LPD tweet.
At 1:45 p.m., Google Maps showed traffic congested past the Polk Parkway to WalMart, and by 2:25 it was backed up nearly to Edgewood Drive. More
Railroad work blocking downtown crossings at Massachusetts, Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri Avenues is expected to be completed by Friday, the city of Lakeland says in a new Facebook post. City crews will follow up by adding new asphalt over the weekend so that regular traffic can resume on Monday.
The replacing of CSX rails downtown has snarled roadways this week as north-south traffic has been forced to Florida Avenue, creating a bottleneck. Those who can bypass downtown via U.S. 98 or Sykes Boulevard are urged to do so. More
A viewer named Susan asked WFLA’s “Road Rants” reporter to look into I-4 Exit 32, saying holes and cracks “give a bad impression of Lakeland.” The reporter found out that the intersection is part of a plan to repave I-4 between exits 32 and 38 in 2021.
