In a significant development for Polk County, Florida, a groundbreaking ceremony marked the commencement of a major infrastructure project aimed at improving highway connectivity to Interstate 4. The ambitious endeavor, set to span six years and cost $134 million, seeks to enhance the flow of traffic across the region.

A key objective of this initiative is to alleviate the burden of semi-truck traffic in the city of Bartow. As Trish Pfeiffer, the Bartow city commissioner and chair of the Polk Transportation Organization, explained, the city’s unique position as a junction for several major routes has positioned it as a thoroughfare for heavy vehicles. “Highway 60, which runs directly through us, serves as a coast-to-coast corridor—a rarity as it passes through a municipality,” Pfeiffer noted. Additionally, highways 17 and 98 contribute to the north-south traffic flow.

During her remarks at the groundbreaking event, Pfeiffer highlighted the challenges posed by the significant truck traffic in Bartow due to these thoroughfares. This infrastructure project aims to redirect this traffic, enhancing the quality of life for residents and improving transportation efficiency across the county.

Pfeiffer, who was a speaker at Thursday’s groundbreaking, said those major roads attract truck traffic in Bartow.

Traffic, she said, is the biggest complaint she receives from residents.

“That will help alleviate all that truck traffic and just vehicle traffic by taking this route,” she said.

That route is the extension of the Central Polk Parkway from U.S. 17 to State Road 60.

“It provides improved connectivity and reduced congestion by providing a new north/south alternative, (and) will ease the flow of traffic for both residents and for freight. This will mean less time in traffic and more time for things that matter most to us,” said Nicola Liquori, executive director and CEO of Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise.

The road will connect to another extension currently under construction to link the Central Polk Parkway to U.S. 17, which is set to be completed by late 2027.

The Central Polk Parkway has direct access to I-4.

“Polk County is one of Florida’s fastest growing counties, the heart of the central Florida region and a prime location for new businesses in manufacturing, logistics, distribution and technology,” said Liquori, during a speech at Thursday’s groundbreaking.

Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise and the Department of Transportation did not take questions from reporters.

The extension to State Road 60 is a 2.6-mile-long toll road that will cost $134 million to build, according to the state.

It will include a new interchange at U.S. 17, a signalized intersection at State Road 60 and a multi-use trail adjacent to the highway for pedestrians and cyclists.

Local leaders expect it to provide a boost to the local economy.

“Our Bartow Executive Airport is just right over that hill, so we’ve got a very huge complex there. There’s a lot of industrial opportunity along the route here,” Pfeiffer said.

“It’s going to boom. It’s going (to) be very helpful. Polk County is fast growing. It’s going help alleviate some of the traffic flow into the city of Bartow and subsequently the city of Lakeland as well,” said Doris Moore Bailey, president of the African American Chamber of Commerce.

The extension is scheduled to be completed by early 2031.