LAKELAND, FL — A $2.1 million agreement to widen and extend Kathleen Road in Lakeland has been approved by the Polk County Board of County Commissioners as officials work to address increasing traffic demands and future development in the area.
According to Polk County government documents, commissioners approved the $2,148,563.40 engineering agreement with Patel, Greene & Associates, LLC during their October 20 meeting. The project will focus on Kathleen Road from Duff Road toward U.S. Highway 98.
County documents identify the widening and extension as a priority due to projected population and employment growth in the surrounding region. Officials noted that increasing traffic demands and planned developments along the corridor have created a need for roadway improvements.
The project will be completed in two phases. The first phase includes an alignment study for widening Kathleen Road from Duff Road to West Socrum Loop Road, along with evaluating a new roadway alignment from West Socrum Loop Road to Rockridge Road.
According to the agreement, the initial study is expected to take approximately 540 calendar days, or nearly 18 months, to complete.
Once the study is finished, the county will select a preferred alignment and negotiate the second phase, which will include engineering designs, construction plans, permits, cost estimates and bidding documents. That phase will require additional approval from county commissioners.
Nine engineering firms submitted proposals for the project. Patel, Greene & Associates was selected as the highest-ranked proposer, with commissioners authorizing negotiations on April 7, 2026.
The project is primarily funded through a $2 million federally funded Local Agency Program agreement administered by the Florida Department of Transportation. FDOT reviewed and approved the engineering agreement on September 11, 2026.
The remaining funding is budgeted through Polk County’s Roads and Drainage Five-Year Capital Improvement Program.
The approved $2.1 million covers the initial engineering study, not roadway construction. A construction start date and total construction cost have not yet been announced.
SOUCE: POLK COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION
