Major Polk road project complete after four years

 Post a comment | E-mail this story | Print 

Drivers don't have to worry about construction zones anymore on this road.

POLK COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- After years of waiting, drivers in Polk County can now travel freely on County Road 540A.

The four year road project has been completed, so there are no more construction cones or detours on the main thoroughfare connecting Lakeland to the county seat.

Four newly paved lanes allow cars to cruise down 540A, and drivers like Charles Gibson say that it's a welcome sight.

"You had all that traffic from the school, George Jenkins down there and being backed up to way here and then going to Bartow High School," said Gibson. "It was pretty rough."

Funding for the project came from impact fees, gasoline taxes, and state transportation grants.

Now that work on 540A is finished, construction delays are still in the future for some Lakeland residents.

Next month, a project to widen Highlands Road is scheduled to begin.

• Watch the story
• E-mail TV reporter Melissa Sogegian

Be in the Know with Bay News 9 Now!

Get news, weather, and traffic alerts delivered directly to your computer desktop, e-mail, or cell phone with Bay News 9 Now.

• Subscribe for free!

More Polk County Stories

• RV rolls over, kills mechanic working underneath
• And the winner is...Skype booth naming rights auctioned
• Man involved in drug-related death to face judge
• Polk boxer passes up millions to help people in Haiti
• 85-year-old man missing in Polk County
• School for Polk County dropouts could close

Terri Schiavo Anniversary

Five years ago Thursday, Terri Schiavo's feeding tube was removed. She died 13 days later.

Was removing the feeding tube the right decision?

• E-mail us with your comments

• Listen live
• Employee blogs
• Twitter page

• Breaking alerts
• RSS news feed
• Upload video

Want to go green?

• Energy saving tips
• Eating green
• County by county recycling

Bay News 9's Partners