Earlier this year, additional lanes opened on I-4, stretching east from US 27 in Polk County toward Orlando. Now, it's the west side's turn: Congestion relief lanes are coming between Lakeland and Tampa.

The project will add an express lane from County Line Road at the Polk/Hillsborough border to the I-75 interchange in Tampa. That means 17 miles of additional lanes for drivers in both directions (and hopefully less time in traffic).

When the east Polk County congestion relief plans were announced, several readers told us they hoped for more lanes in the other direction:

"I wish there was something going towards Tampa." — Ted R.
"Lakeland to Tampa needs another lane too." — Margo J.
"We need this on the west side of Polk too." — Tim

Those requests are being answered nine years faster than planned; the Florida Department of Transportation had originally slated the project for 2037, but construction is now scheduled to begin in 2028.

Would you hitch a ride in an autonomous car? | Photo provided by Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise

That's not the only big project on the books. FDOT is also constructing "vertiports" at the SunTrax testing site to research Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). Think of these battery-powered aircraft like taxis that can take you over I-4, bypassing traffic altogether. Upon completion, SunTrax will be the nation's first dedicated AAM airspace, and there are plans to create a network of vertiports around the state.

Back on the ground, FDOT also plans to build a truck parking facility at the I-4/Polk Parkway interchange with space for 100 commercial trucks. More plans are also in the works for the interchange at SR 33.