People who commute on Kathleen Road between Block Pine Road and Raulerson Road will have to take a detour for the next five months.

Why? Polk County workers closed the road Tuesday morning for drainage installation and road reconstruction for a new subdivision.

New homes: The Fox Branch Ranch subdivision is being built and will include 641 single-family homes on 401 acres on the west side of Kathleen Road, south of Palow Road.

Detour route: Southbound traffic will detour east along Raulerson Road to North Campbell Road, then south to West Campbell Road and west to Kathleen Road. Northbound traffic along Kathleen Road will be diverted at West Campbell Road and detour in reverse order.

Local traffic only: During construction and closure, access will remain open only to local residents and businesses.

Stay safe: Delays and backups are expected, especially rush-hour traffic. Commuters are advised to drive carefully, add extra drive-time to trips in this area, and to consider alternate routes to avoid slowdowns.

Reopening: The road is scheduled to reopen sometime in October.

SEND CORRECTIONS, questions, feedback or news tips: newstips@lkldnow.com

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Kimberly C. Moore, who grew up in Lakeland, has been a print, broadcast and multimedia journalist for more than 30 years. Before coming to LkldNow in the spring of 2022, she was a reporter for four years with The Ledger, first covering Lakeland City Hall and then Polk County schools. She is the author of “Star Crossed: The Story of Astronaut Lisa Nowak," published by University Press of Florida. Reach her at kimberly@lkldnow.com or 863-272-9250.

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1 Comment

  1. North Lakeland does not need this. There’s enough subdivisions already. More over-priced junk construction homes. Can’t wait.

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