This browser does not support the Video element.
South Florida Avenue 'Road Diet' project timeline
The "Dixieland Corridor" dubbed an eyesore is now more than halfway through its design phase. FOX 13's Carla Bayron reports.
LAKELAND, Fla. - A road diet project dubbed an 'eyesore' in the Dixieland corridor is now more than halfway through its design phase and construction is expected to begin in 2027.
Just last week, the city of Lakeland announced that the phase is 60% complete.
They released new renderings that show sidewalks, two travel lanes, and a center two-way left turn.
The backstory:
Several years ago, the city and Florida Department of Transportation, which owns the road, agreed to reduce the road between Ariana St and Lime St from a narrow five lane roadway to a three-lane roadway in an effort to improve safety. This was called the "road diet project."
PREVIOUS: 'Road diet' intended to fix narrow lanes on Lakeland road, but not everyone's happy
The concrete barriers added to both sides of the road were supposed to only last a year, but FDOT and the city couldn't come to a funding agreement.
What they're saying:
Zack Colp is a manager at Bent's Cycling, which has been located at S. Florida Ave. for 65 years.
He says he's still seen his fair share of speeding and accidents even after the road diet project.
"People would drive up on the barriers," said Colp. "I've seen cars stuck on top of them. I've seen people get rear-ended more."
Last year, the city agreed to pay the design phase of the one-mile stretch.
PREVIOUS: 'Road diet' project's future uncertain as frustration grows among drivers in Lakeland
"It's not going to be like downtown, and I've heard that from multiple people because of just the speed and traffic," said Colp. "But maybe when they redo everything, it's going to slow the traffic down. But it's not going to be like what they think it's going to be."
The renderings also show a proposed crosswalk between Belmar Street and Park Street.
What's next:
Construction is now expected to begin in spring 2027--one lane at a time--which Colp says is great because he's worried about construction impacting his new bicycle shop, which he'll be opening in April just a minute north.
Bent Cycling's current owner is retiring and selling the building.
"I'm hoping for the best, but I know it has to be done. It needs to get done," said Colp. "We knew it was going to happen anyway; we just didn't know it was going to be this long."
The current construction cost for the project is $22 million.
The Source: The information compiled in this article is from the city of Lakeland and the manager at Bent's Cycling.