Polk County Road Closures Sept. 27 – Oct. 3: Affecting Lakeland, Bartow, Winter Haven, Davenport, and More
The westbound Interstate 4 on-ramp at Kathleen Road in north Lakeland is closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day of the coming week, the most disruptive item on a list of roughly three dozen work zones across Polk County from Sunday, Sept. 27 through Saturday, Oct. 3. Unlike almost everything else on this week’s list, that closure lands in the middle of the working day rather than overnight. The Florida Department of Transportation is replacing the CSX railroad bridge approximately 1,200 feet west of Kathleen Road, at Exit 31, and the same ramp closes again from 8:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Monday through Friday nights. The posted alternate runs north on Kathleen Road, east on Griffin Road to U.S. 98, then north on U.S. 98 to the westbound on-ramp at Exit 32.
Two other areas to prepare for. Starting Monday, Sept. 28, crews open a coring operation on Interstate 4 between U.S. 27 and State Road 655, closing alternating travel lanes overnight from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. for what the department expects to be two to three weeks. In Bartow, the full closure of Old Bartow Lake Wales Road at State Road 60, in place since Sept. 8, is scheduled to end at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30.
Drivers wanting same-day confirmation can reach FDOT District One at (863) 519-2828.
Interstate 4
The coring work is new this week and covers the longest single stretch of interstate under closure in the county. FDOT says it will close alternating eastbound and westbound travel lanes between U.S. 27 and State Road 655, better known as Recker Highway, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. beginning Monday, Sept. 28.
At the State Road 33 interchange, Exit 38 in north Lakeland, the reconstruction continues with overnight work. Single lane closures on Interstate 4 run from 8:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. nightly, and double lane closures from 10:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. nightly. On State Road 33 itself, lane closures and flagging run from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., with possible detours Monday through Friday from 9:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. FDOT also lists periodic nighttime closures of the eastbound and westbound off-ramps at Exit 38, Sunday through Thursday nights from 9:30 p.m. to 6 a.m.; when those are shut, drivers are directed to continue to Exit 33 and follow posted detour signage to reach State Road 33.
The detour on State Road 659, North Combee Road, that began in August for approximately 60 days remains in place, which puts its expected end just past this window. Drivers on Combee Road should also know that the traffic light at Combee Road and Village Lakes Boulevard will be inactive during the night of Sept. 30. The project rebuilds the Interstate 4 bridges over State Road 33 along with barrier walls, paving, markings, drainage and utilities, and FDOT estimates completion in summer 2029.
Two further Interstate 4 projects affect the same corridor. The CSX bridge replacement near Exit 31 is swapping a 250-foot bridge for two new 400-foot bridges. Separately, resurfacing between Galloway Road and U.S. 98 brings eastbound and westbound nighttime lane and ramp closures at Kathleen Road from 8:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., Sunday through Thursday, as part of milling and resurfacing, concrete slab rehabilitation, guardrail and intelligent transportation system work.
U.S. 27
In Davenport, two projects close lanes at night. At the Holly Hill Road and Massee Road intersection, crews milling and repaving to remove existing striping are closing the northbound and southbound inside lanes from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., Sunday through Thursday, and FDOT tells drivers to be prepared to merge or stop.
Between Ridgewood Lakes Boulevard and Holly Hill Road 2, drainage work and a new median turn lane bring northbound and southbound closures from 7:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. on the same nights.
Farther south, between Cypress Gardens Boulevard and Hunters Glen in the Waverly and Lake Wales area, crews building new turn lanes are closing lanes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and again from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. FDOT says that work continues through Sept. 30. At Live Oak Drive in Lake Wales, pole replacement closes a southbound lane daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., through September.
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U.S. 98
The widening between West Socrum Loop Road and County Road 54, in the Lakeland and Kathleen area, carries the most specific schedule of the week. Lane shifts and flagging run from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 27 through Thursday, Oct. 1, with flagging on Rock Ridge Road during the same hours on the same nights, and periodic flagging at various points along the corridor from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28 through Friday, Oct. 2. The speed limit through the work zone is reduced to 45 mph or lower. The project is widening U.S. 98 to a four-lane divided highway and building roundabouts.
Between State Road 60 and County Road 540A in Bartow and Highland City, the median opening at Lyle Parkway is closed for paving and traffic signal installation, and drivers needing to turn there are directed to the next median opening to make a U-turn. Between south of Griffin Road and Sharon Drive in Lakeland, milling, resurfacing, and drainage work brings periodic overnight lane closures, weather permitting, plus periodic daytime closures north of Interstate 4 while crews finish punch list items. FDOT publishes no fixed hours for that one.
U.S. 17, U.S. 17/92 and U.S. 92
In Davenport, widening and new turn lane work between Palmetto Street and Market Street closes a northbound or southbound lane from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., which FDOT describes as continuing through late September.
At Powerline Road, widening and turn lane work just south of Bargain Barn Road closes northbound and southbound lanes from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Between Bartow and Winter Haven, the project from north of Transport Road to Avenue G Southwest has overnight lane closures Monday through Friday nights while crews handle milling and resurfacing, sidewalk work, curb and gutter, signal sensors and pavement markings. In Winter Haven, work running from the Snively Avenue and Lake Shipp Drive intersection north to just past State Road 540, or Cypress Gardens Boulevard, is building new driveways at the Target development and a traffic signal, and adding a second left turn lane from southbound U.S. 17 onto Snively Avenue, with nightly lane closures near that intersection.
On U.S. 92, Memorial Boulevard in Lakeland, safety striping and thermoplastic refresh work between Wabash Avenue and Gary Road closes lanes from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. on alternating nights through Oct. 9, with flaggers directing traffic.
Lakeland
Four more items sit inside the city. On State Road 700, Lake Parker Avenue, between U.S. 98 and U.S. 92, crews cleaning and videoing the stormwater system are closing lanes from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. through Wednesday, Sept. 30, so that work ends midweek.
The State Road 33 reconstruction on Lakeland Hills Boulevard, between Parkview Place and Griffin Road, continues with the speed limit reduced to 35 mph and traffic shifted from the west to the east side between south of East Bella Vista Street and Parkview Place. FDOT lists three operations this week: electrical crews installing signalization, lighting conduit and bases, drainage crews installing drainage, and paving crews paving the left turn lanes. One lane in each direction stays open for most of the project.
On State Road 37, South Florida Avenue, between West Christina Boulevard and Shepard Road, crews extending the left turn lane are closing a southbound lane from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. On South Frontage Road, between Harden Boulevard and Old Road 37, a single lane is closed from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. for bus stop installation, running from Sept. 16 through Friday, Oct. 2, which covers every weekday of this week.
The city’s own work adds one daytime closure. On South Central Avenue, between Olive Street and West Walnut Street, Lakeland is replacing damaged sidewalk and a bus stop pad in the northbound travel lane right of way, with daily lane closures under traffic control and flaggers. The city says the work began Sept. 21 and runs about a month.
Winter Haven and Auburndale
Two striping jobs bracket the area on identical schedules. On State Road 655 and State Road 620, together known as Recker Highway, between State Road 540 and U.S. 92, and on State Road 559, Berkley Road, between Granada Road and C. Fred Jones, safety striping and thermoplastic refresh work closes lanes from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. on alternating nights through Oct. 9, with flaggers present. On State Road 540, Winter Lake Road, at Thomas Wood Lane, roadway stabilization and paving close lanes from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. through the end of October.
Two Winter Haven jobs are not confined to overnight hours. At State Road 544, Lucerne Park Road, and Old Lucerne Park Road East, crews installing a new traffic signal are hooking up electrical wiring, adjusting light pole bases, and placing sod, with periodic lane closures seven days a week and completion expected in the fall. On State Road 544, Havendale Boulevard, between Lake Blue Drive and 26th Street Northwest, crews installing a six-foot sidewalk on the south side, upgrading pedestrian signal equipment and adding high-visibility crosswalks are closing the eastbound lane during the day.
Bartow and Southern Polk
The county’s one full road closure in this window ends midweek. Old Bartow Lake Wales Road at the State Road 60 intersection in Bartow has been closed since 8 a.m. Sept. 8, and Polk County expects to reopen it at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30. Traffic is detoured on Logistics Parkway and Old Bartow Lake Wales Road. The work widens Old Bartow Lake Wales Road to improve traffic flow onto State Road 60. The county’s Roads and Drainage Division, reachable at (863) 535-2200, notes that all dates are subject to change due to conditions in the field.
A much longer closure begins the day before it lifts. At the Fort Fraser Trail bridge on State Road 60, between Wilson Avenue and U.S. 17, FDOT says the westbound left-turn lane and median opening from State Road 60 to the Chick-fil-A will close starting Tuesday, Sept. 29, and stay closed through early spring 2027. A single eastbound lane, from that median opening up to the left turn lanes into Walmart, is also scheduled to close through early spring 2027. The trail itself remains closed at the north trailhead just north of State Road 60. Crews are pile driving and installing mechanically stabilized earth wall panels for the multi-use trail bridge being built over the highway.
Elsewhere on State Road 60 in Bartow, between Rifle Range Road and Alturas Road, storm drainage work in the median closes an eastbound lane from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. through the end of October. South of Bartow on State Road 37, Church Avenue, just south of the Fort Green mine, crews refreshing safety striping at the railroad crossing are closing lanes from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. with flaggers. In Frostproof, on State Road 17, Scenic Highway, between West Fourth Street and Bulldog Way, sidewalk, curb and inlet repairs close lanes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and again from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. through Oct. 30.
Polk City, Lake Hamilton, Eagle Lake and Haines City
Polk City has two items on State Road 33, which carries the name Commonwealth Avenue through town. At Mount Olive Road, a new traffic signal is being installed with periodic lane closures seven days a week and completion expected in the fall. Farther along Commonwealth Avenue, between the Centerstate Logistics Park and Epicenter Boulevard, crews installing final striping close lanes from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Lake Hamilton has the third of the department’s three Polk County signal installations, on State Road 17, Scenic Highway, at County Road 546, Kokomo Road, with the same periodic closures seven days a week and the same fall estimate. On State Road 17 between Old Scenic Highway and State Road 544 and County Road 544, the resurfacing project is installing erosion control fencing and placing signs, and FDOT tells drivers to watch for shoulder closures and workers close to the road. The department’s project page for that job says driveway and side street paving is scheduled to start Oct. 2, moving to travel lane paving after that, mostly at night with limited daytime hours as necessary.
In Eagle Lake, at U.S. 17 and State Road 540, Cameron Road, Polk County is building a new alignment of Thompson Nursery Road. FDOT says that work sits behind a barrier wall with no additional lane closures planned.
Haines City has the week’s one open-ended closure. The city closed 24th Street North between Pine Avenue and Thelma Avenue, along with Mason Avenue and Thelma Avenue between 23rd and 24th streets north, beginning Sept. 22 for emergency utility work, and said only that the work would continue until the project is complete. No reopening date has been posted. The Utilities Department can be reached at (863) 421-3695.
Long-Term Projects
Three projects will shape Polk County driving well past this week. The Polk Parkway, State Road 570, is being resurfaced from west of Lakeland Highlands Road to south of U.S. 92, a roughly $20 million job covering the parkway, the U.S. 98 ramps, Lakeland Highlands Road and Winter Lake Road, along with new guardrails, rumble strips, highly reflective signs and pavement markings. FDOT’s report still lists completion as mid-2026, a date that has passed, and the department has not published a revised one.
Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise is building the Central Polk Parkway, State Road 570B, a four-lane toll road with two lanes in each direction that begins where the Polk Parkway meets Winter Lake Road and runs approximately 6.5 miles to U.S. 17, also designated State Road 35. Construction is listed through 2029 at approximately $257 million.
The Interstate 4 interchange rebuild at State Road 33 has an estimated completion of summer 2029, which makes the overnight closure pattern at Exit 38 the standing condition on that stretch until then. One further closure is already on the calendar past this window: Duke Energy utility work on State Road 544, Lucerne Park Road, between U.S. 27 and Lake Hamilton Drive will close lanes from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. from Thursday, Oct. 15 through Sunday, Dec. 20.
Frequently Asked Questions
What roads are closed in Polk County this week?
One road is fully closed and reopening midweek: Old Bartow Lake Wales Road at State Road 60 in Bartow, shut since Sept. 8 and scheduled to reopen at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30, with traffic detoured on Logistics Parkway and Old Bartow Lake Wales Road. In Haines City, 24th Street North between Pine Avenue and Thelma Avenue is closed for emergency utility work with no posted reopening date. Everything else on the list is a lane, ramp, or median closure rather than a full road closure.
Is the Interstate 4 ramp at Kathleen Road closed right now?
Yes. The westbound on-ramp at Kathleen Road, Exit 31 in north Lakeland, is closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day and again from 8:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Monday through Friday nights while crews replace the CSX railroad bridge about 1,200 feet west of the ramp. The posted alternate runs north on Kathleen Road, east on Griffin Road to U.S. 98, then north on U.S. 98 to the westbound on-ramp at Exit 32.
When does Old Bartow Lake Wales Road reopen in Bartow?
Polk County expects to reopen it at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30. It closed at 8 a.m. Sept. 8 so crews could widen the road to improve traffic flow onto State Road 60. The county’s Roads and Drainage Division notes that all dates are subject to change due to conditions in the field.
How long will the State Road 60 lane closures in Bartow last?
FDOT says the westbound left turn lane and median opening from State Road 60 to the Chick-fil-A will close starting Tuesday, Sept. 29, and stay closed through early spring 2027, along with a single eastbound lane from that median opening up to the left turn lanes into Walmart. FDOT’s project page for the same job says no lane closures are scheduled, so the two agency sources do not agree, and the department has not resolved the difference.
Who do I call to confirm a Polk County road closure?
For state roads and interstates, FDOT District One is at (863) 519-2828. For county roads, the Polk County Roads and Drainage Division is at (863) 535-2200. For the 24th Street North closure in Haines City, the city’s Utilities Department is at (863) 421-3695.
Sources: “Polk County Road Closures Sept. 20-26: Which Roads Are Closed This Week in Winter Haven, Lakeland, Bartow and Lake Wales?” The Citrus Tea News, thecitrustea.com, Sept. 18, 2026; “District One Districtwide RoadWatch Report No. 39 for Week September 27 to October 3, 2026,” Florida Department of Transportation District One, swflroads.com, undated; “Polk County RoadWatch,” Florida Department of Transportation District One, swflroads.com, undated; “Polk County Construction Projects,” Florida Department of Transportation District One, swflroads.com, undated; “Polk County Projects, All Phases,” Florida Department of Transportation District One, swflroads.com, undated; “S.R. 17 (Scenic Highway) from Old Scenic Highway to S.R. 544/C.R. 544, Project 450883-1,” Florida Department of Transportation District One, swflroads.com, undated; “Fort Fraser Trail Over SR 60, Project 440272-1,” Florida Department of Transportation District One, swflroads.com, undated; “Newsroom,” Florida Department of Transportation District One, swflroads.com, undated; “Old Bartow Lake Wales Road at State Road 60 Will Close Sept. 8 for an Intersection Improvement Project,” Polk County Government, polkfl.gov, Sept. 4, 2026; “Dog Yard Road Scheduled to Close Sept. 21 for Underground Pipe Installation Work,” Polk County Government, polkfl.gov, Sept. 18, 2026; “CSX Closing Old Haines City Lake Alfred Road Rail Crossing for Repairs,” Polk County Government, polkfl.gov, Sept. 22, 2026; “Polk County News,” Polk County Government, polkfl.gov, posts through Sept. 23, 2026; “Roads and Drainage,” Polk County Government, polkfl.gov, April 29, 2026; “Current Road Projects,” City of Lakeland, lakelandgov.net, undated; “Public Works Projects,” City of Lakeland, lakelandgov.net, undated; “Emergency Road Closure Notice in Haines City,” Daily Ridge, dailyridge.com, Sept. 22, 2026; “City of Winter Haven Announces Lane Closure for Evening of September 3,” Daily Ridge, dailyridge.com, Sept. 3, 2026; “News Flash,” City of Winter Haven, mywinterhaven.com, undated; “News Flash,” City of Lake Wales, lakewalesfl.gov, undated; “News and Updates,” Polk Transportation Planning Organization, polktpo.com, undated.
