The City of Lakeland has announced that construction on a long-planned “road diet” project along South Florida Avenue in the Dixieland corridor is expected to begin in spring 2027, after the design phase reaches about 60% completion.
The project, estimated to cost $22 million, calls for reducing the road between Ariana Street and Lime Street from five narrow lanes to three — two travel lanes with a center left-turn lane — along with new sidewalks and a planned crosswalk between Belmar Street and Park Street.
City officials and the Florida Department of Transportation, which owns the roadway, agreed years ago to the redesign to improve safety. Earlier temporary concrete barriers installed at the site were intended to be short-term, but remained in place longer due to funding negotiations.
Some local business owners have expressed mixed views, noting ongoing speeding and collisions even with the interim setup. Construction will proceed one lane at a time, and officials say this phased approach should help reduce impacts on nearby businesses.
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