The Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise appreciates your interest in this project. Please use the navigation menu to view public hearing videos and display boards. Clicking on the graphic will enlarge the view. The display boards are available for download on the main project website under the Documents section. If you wish to submit comments, please use the comment form below.
This video will provide helpful information about the project. It begins by discussing the three participation options for the December 1, 2020 Public Hearing, then provides a project overview and explains how you can get involved.
The project purpose and need are to enhance safety, address forecasted Year 2045 traffic needs, improve accessibility and mobility, and enhance emergency evacuation while avoiding or minimizing environmental impacts.
The Central Polk Parkway will serve the future traffic needs and will improve connectivity by redirecting commuter and truck traffic north and south, improve emergency evacuation and accommodate future population and growth.
The limits of this project are from Polk Parkway (SR 570) to US 17 (SR 35). The length of the project is approximately 6 miles.
A Project Development & Environment (or PD&E) Study from Polk Parkway to Interstate 4 was completed by the Florida Department of Transportation or FDOT – District One in 2011. FDOT – District One began the design of Central Polk Parkway from Polk Parkway to just south of US Highway 17 in 2013, stopped work in 2016, and transferred the project to Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise in 2017. In 2018, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise began design on the Central Polk Parkway from Polk Parkway to US Highway 17. This graphic is available for download on the main project website (www.centralpolkparkway.com) under the Documents section.
The typical section for the project corridor provides four, 12-foot wide travel lanes, two in each direction, with 8-foot wide shoulders on the inside, 12-foot wide shoulders on the outside, and separated by a 74-foot wide median. The proposed limited access right of way for the road will be 310-feet in width. Stormwater facilities will be constructed along both sides of the roadway. This graphic is available for download on the main project website (www.centralpolkparkway.com) under the Documents section.
Aerial Board Number 1 shows the design of the Central Polk Parkway from Polk Parkway (SR 570) to just south of Thornhill Road. The legend in the bottom right-hand corner provides a visual explanation of the symbols and lines used. A typical section is shown in the upper right-hand corner, which is a detailed cross section depiction for the new roadway. This graphic is available for download on the main project website (www.centralpolkparkway.com) under the Documents section.
Aerial Board Number 2 shows the design of the Central Polk Parkway from just south of Thornhill Road to Sheffield Road (near Polk County Traffic Engineering Operations). This graphic is available for download on the main project website (www.centralpolkparkway.com) under the Documents section.
Aerial Board Number 3 shows the design of the Central Polk Parkway from Sheffield Road (near Polk County Traffic Engineering Operations) to US 17 (SR 35). This graphic is available for download on the main project website (www.centralpolkparkway.com) under the Documents section.
Travel time within the project corridor will be improved with the construction of the first segment of the project. Once completed, the Central Polk Parkway will provide a more direct route from US 17 to SR 540, Polk Parkway and Interstate 4. This graphic is available for download on the main project website (www.centralpolkparkway.com) under the Documents section.
The project corridor was evaluated to analyze potential effects to the Business & Residential Impacts, Utility Impacts, Environmental Impacts, and Right-of-Way Need in accordance with state and federal regulations. The evaluation matrix shown here summarizes the evaluation results.
The Design of the Central Polk Parkway was started by Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise in the 2018 and is scheduled for completion in Fall 2022.
Persons wishing to express their concerns about Title VI compliance may do so by contacting either the Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise, or the Tallahassee office of the Florida Department of Transportation.
We encourage your questions or comments regarding this project! Please contact one of the individuals shown here, using your preferred method. Comments and questions must be submitted (or postmarked) by December 16th, 15 days after the public hearing, to become part of the Public Hearing Record.