In their Monday, Feb. 3 meeting, Lakeland city commissioners approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) that could further progress the Dixieland road reconstruction project on South Florida Avenue. But wait — where did this project leave off?

City commissioners approved a plan to reconstruct the Dixieland corridor with 11-ft-wide lanes, a center left turn lane, and 11.5-ft-wide sidewalks to bring it in line with state safety requirements. Then, in April of 2024, FDOT officials shared that they needed additional funding over the ~$9 million originally budgeted. Now, this new agreement could finally get the ball rolling on construction.

According to the MOU, the City of Lakeland is responsible for:

Funding + managing the design process
Managing construction with current city staff
Paying for design features (think: landscaping and decorative streetlights)

That leaves these to FDOT:

Approving the road design
Reimbursing the city for all typical construction costs
Funding + acquiring right-of-way

Now that the MOU has the green light — along with a $1.85 million agreement with Patel, Greene & Associates for the design, which was also approved in the meeting — the city's Civil Engineer Manager Ryan Lazenby says the design process could take around two years if it begins in February.

In the agenda study prior to the commission meeting, Lazenby also said that Lakelanders could start seeing calls for public design feedback by next fall, so start brushing up on your HGTV lingo.

Speaking of public input, what do you think of this new plan? Join the conversation.