LAKELAND, FL – Residents in North Lakeland will notice a new traffic pattern along US 98 as the Florida Department of Transportation has opened the new roundabout at Big Cypress Boulevard in a partial configuration.
The roundabout is part of FDOT’s $123.5 million project to widen US 98 from a two-lane roadway to a four-lane divided highway between West Socrum Loop Road/Hall Road and the Pasco County line. Construction on the project began in January 2024.
Traffic on US 98 has now been shifted to a median-divided alignment from West Socrum Loop Road to just north of Rock Ridge Road. However, motorists will continue traveling through a single lane in each direction, including through the roundabout, until future phases of construction are completed.
The project also includes a second roundabout at State Road 471, shared-use paths, drainage improvements, wildlife crossings, and new pedestrian crosswalks.
FDOT reminds drivers that vehicles already in the roundabout have the right-of-way. Motorists should yield before entering, travel counterclockwise, and avoid stopping within the roundabout. The speed limit is 25 mph through the roundabout and 45 mph throughout the construction zone.
SOURCE: FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
