Central Polk Parkway

The Central Polk Parkway, also known as Florida State Road 570B (SR 570B), is a proposed toll road in Polk County, Florida. The proposed road is actually two separate roads—called "legs" by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The western segment will connect the Polk Parkway with State Road 60 between Bartow and Lake Wales.[1] The eastern leg will start a few miles east of State Road 60 and run north, paralleled US 27, and terminated at Interstate 4 north of Davenport.[1] The most recent, and viable, proposed routing will connect the two "legs" together near the CSX Intermodal Facility south of Wahneta.[2][3] In December 2015, the Florida Department of Transportation announced the cancellation of any further work on the project, citing insufficient funds (a $1 billion shortfall) and low traffic volume.[4] The project continued to have the support of the local business community and local politicians, however, and it was revived in 2018.[5][6]

Central Polk Parkway
State Road 570B
The map of Central Polk Parkway
Route information
Maintained by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise
HistoryRevived in 2018
Major junctions
South end SR 570 in Winter Haven
North end I-4 in Davenport
Location
CountiesPolk
Highway system
← SR 570→ SR 573

Beginnings
Funding status of design phase (as of 2014)

The Central Florida Parkway had its beginnings in another proposed road project, the controversial Heartland Parkway, which was proposed to connect the Lakeland area with Fort Myers. It would have run 150 miles (240 km) through undeveloped land in the Florida Heartland.[3] This proposal was supported by former governor Jeb Bush, but his successor Charlie Crist criticized the idea due primarily to environmental concerns.[3] The northernmost segment of the Heartland Parkway segment in Polk County has been dubbed as "the fish hook" by proponents of the project.[7] According to feasibility studies on various east–west and north–south routes throughout the state by the Florida's Turnpike Enterprise, the route from State Road 60 to the Polk Parkway was the only feasible route, meaning it would be supported by tolls alone. Further studies were funded and the project is currently past the initial planning stages.

Needs

The Central Florida Parkway fulfills a number of needs in Polk County, according to the FDOT and the road's proponents:

  • It will act as a beltway around the City of Winter Haven, providing easy freeway access to the Polk Parkway and Interstate 4.
  • The planned CSX freight terminal off of US 27 in Winter Haven was supposed to have created substantial truck traffic, and the proposed road would have helped keep these trucks off of local roads.[8]
  • The Clear Springs development in Bartow will double or triple Bartow's population in the next 20 years, increasing traffic substantially on State Road 60 and US 17.
  • The construction of Legoland Florida on the site of the old Cypress Gardens will bring added traffic to the area.
  • The road would have reduced traffic on State Road 60, US 17 and US 27.

Revival

The project was revived in early 2018, and a preliminary design was released in June 2019.[6]

See also

References
  1. "Central Polk Parkway workshop scheduled". Fort Meade Leader. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  2. Florida Department of Transportation. "Central Polk Parkway PD&E study: Viable Corridors & Evaluation Matrix" (PDF). Florida Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 8, 2011. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
  3. "The Heartland Parkway Is Back On Track". tbo. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  4. Palmer, Tom (December 10, 2015). "FDOT: Central Polk Parkway dead for now". The Ledger. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  5. Rufty, Bill (January 6, 2016). "Maybe Polk County Will Build a Toll Road Anyway". Florida Politics. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  6. White, Gary (June 23, 2019). "Central Polk Parkway route raises concerns". The Ledger. p. A10.
  7. Pittman, Craig (February 18, 2019). "Heartland Parkway is the toll road that wouldn't die". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  8. Florida Department of Transportation. "Central Polk Parkway Homepage". Florida Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on February 23, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
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