Just like rush hour traffic, Lakeland's South Florida Avenue (State Road 37) road diet is slowly but surely inching forward. In a workshop with city officials on Friday, Feb. 13, Civil Engineering Manager Ryan Lazenby shared that the design phase of the project is 60% complete.
The city and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) began the project years ago, installing concrete barriers on a crash-heavy stretch between Ariana Street and Lime Street in 2020. While this cut down the number of lanes, it widened the remaining ones to align with state safety standards. Need a refresher? Listen to this quick recap.

Lazenby laid out a timeline for the next design + construction phases:

60% design completion — February 2026
90% design completion — July 2026
Final plans submitted — December 2026
Design phase completion — February 2027
Construction start — Early 2027

The project is expected to cost $22.6 million, with the city paying around $5 million for special features, like decorative lighting and landscaping. Next on the to-do list are state right-of-way acquisition and utility design.

When the project is complete, drivers can expect wider travel lanes, shared sidewalks for pedestrians + bicyclists, and midblock pedestrian crossings.