The Florida Department of Transportation is holding an open house to discuss a major roadway project on U.S. 98.
The project impacts drivers in both Polk and Pasco County.
FDOT is widening the roadway from two lanes to four. The goal is to reduce traffic, improve safety, and overall create a safer morning commute for drivers.
The project stretches between Pasco and Polk County.
On the Pasco side, FDOT will widen the roadway from the Polk Couty line to the north of Townsend Road and realign U.S. 98 from the north of Townsend Road to U.S. 301.
Four roundabouts will be built, three signalized intersections will be added, and the bridge over the CSX Railroad and Old Lakeland Highway will be replaced with twin bridges.
In Polk County, the project will widen U.S. 98 to four lanes from W Socrum Loop Road to the Pasco County line. Two roundabouts will be added at the intersections of Big Cypress Boulevard and State Road 471.
These changes are coming as both Pasco and Polk continue to see growth. FDOT said the roadways need to keep up with capacity.
“It’s a major travel route. It’s a major truck route. As Pasco and Polk continue to grow, we need the capacity out here to move the traffic,” John McShaffrey with FDOT said.
He said the added lanes will help reduce traffic congestion, and the roundabouts will help with safety.
“The thing about roundabouts is we slow the traffic down. It makes it safer to go through the intersection and greatly reduces the traffic and crashes because they are low-speed crashes if there are any,” McShaffrey said.
The project is already underway so FDOT is not going to make changes, but they are holding an open house to answer any questions. It's from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Lake Crago Outdoor Recreation Complex, Banquet Room, at 525 Lake Crago Drive in Lakeland.
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