Service Agreements Approved for Intersection Improvements to Buckeye Loop Road and Bates Road
by James Coulter
Two roads in Winter Haven and Haines City are closer to receiving intersection improvements now that agreements for the projects have been approved.
At their regular meeting on Tues. Apr. 7, the Polk County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) voted unanimously to approve two agreements about intersection improvements.
The first agreement was for construction and inspection services for improvements to the intersection at Country Club Road and Buckeye Loop Road in Winter Haven.
These services will be provided through RS&H Inc. at a cost not to exceed $460,157.24. Their services are estimated to be carried out in 11 months. Funding is budgeted and available in the Transportation Trust Fund.
The other agreement will be for professional design services for improvements to the intersection of Bates Road and US Highway 27 in Haines City.
These services will be provided through RK&K, LLP at a cost not to exceed $307,006.07. Funding is budgeted and available in the Transportation Trust Fund within the Roads and Drainage 5-year CIP.
The Buckeye Loop Road Intersection Improvement Project is an active right‑of‑way acquisition project, focusing on enhancing traffic flow and safety.
Last year, the Polk BoCC reviewed an infrastructure agreement for proposed traffic improvements, recommending facilitating the construction of a proposed Circle K gas station at the northwest corner of the intersection of Buckeye Loop Road and Dundee Road, as previously reported by the Daily Ridge.
The Bates Road Intersection Improvement Project, meanwhile, will provide several transportation improvements to the intersection of Bates Road and US Hwy 27. The Bates corridor has already undergone incremental safety enhancements, including a turn lane at Bates and US 17/US 92, stop signs, and streetlights at the 10th Street and Bates intersection.
Both projects are part of an overall effort by Polk County to improve infrastructure. The county is in the middle of one of the most aggressive road capacity, safety, and multimodal improvement pushes in Florida, driven by rapid population growth and development pressures.
The county has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in active and upcoming road projects, including a rolling five-year plan with more than $1.9 billion in projected capital spending, as detailed on the Polk Government website.
