County Approves $36.97 Million for Thompson Nursery Road Construction, Engineering, and Design
by James Coulter
As part of an ongoing effort to widen and extend Thompson Nursery Road in Winter Haven, county commissioners have approved $36.97 million for construction, engineering, and design services associated with the project.
At their regular meeting on Tues. June 16, 2026, the Polk County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) voted unanimously to approve two agenda items related to the roadway widening project for Thompson Nursery Road.
The first item was a construction contract with Jr. Davis Construction Company, Inc. for $33.5 million. The second was an amended agreement with Kimley-Horn and Associates for $3.45 million in engineering and design services. Both measures passed unanimously.
The contract authorizes Davis Construction Company to perform roadway construction, drainage upgrades, pedestrian improvements, signage and pavement marking installation, traffic signal installation, and traffic maintenance services, according to Tabatha Shirah, Senior Procurement Analyst.
Of the seven contractors that submitted bids for the project, Davis Construction Company received recommendation for contract award. The contract provides 1,033 days for completion, including a 60-day allowance period.
The project will receive funding from the Special Revenue Grant Fund and the Impact Fee Zone A Fund, as outlined in the City’s five-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The project also receives partial funding through the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) Local Agency Program (LAP).
The amended agreement with Kimley-Horn authorizes the firm to provide additional professional engineering services, including project design, permitting, right-of-way acquisition support, and bid-phase assistance. Funding will be provided through the Roads and Drainage Five-Year Capital Improvement Program (CIP).
On June 7, 2022, the County approved an approximately $5.09 million agreement with Kimley-Horn and Associates to provide professional engineering services for the project. Since then, several amendments were authorized to expand the scope of work and include additional design, engineering, and permitting services.
Thompson Nursery Road is currently being renovated to accommodate a four-lane urban collector roadway. The project includes extending the roadway approximately 1.9 miles southeast from the intersection of State Road 540 and U.S. Highway 17 to an area south of Rifle Range Road (CR 655) and Eloise Loop Road.
The project intends to “enhance multimodal mobility along the new roadway,” Shirah wrote. These enhancements include:
· accommodations for pedestrians and cyclists;
· redesigned intersections intended to improve safety and traffic flow;
· curbs, gutters, and a stormwater collection system to improve drainage; and
· bridges spanning the Wahneta Farms Drainage Canal.
The project is expected to be completed by February 2028.
