Polk County has taken the next big step toward easing one of the region's most notorious traffic bottlenecks, approving a roughly $90 million construction contract with Jr. Davis Construction Company Inc. to widen County Road 557 in Lake Alfred. The deal, approved by the Polk County Board of County Commissioners on October 5, clears the way for work on a 5.7-mile stretch of roadway that has been years in the making.
According to Polk County Government Florida, the project will widen County Road 557 from West Alfred Street north to Interstate 4 East, with construction expected to wrap by spring 2030. The county says the work aims to boost capacity along the existing roadway and improve intersection safety and operations, while also adding accommodations for pedestrians and bicyclists along the corridor.
More specifics on the contract itself come from citizenportal.ai, which reported that the apparent low responsive bid came in at $89,662,272.91, while commissioners authorized a not-to-exceed total of $90,062,272.91 once contingency and allowance items were factored in. The outlet also detailed that the scope covers roadway widening, pedestrian and bicycle accommodations, drainage improvements, signage and signalization work, and that the project is partially funded through FDOT County Incentive Grant funds along with local impact fee funds.
A Years-Long Push to Fix a Growing Bottleneck
The widening push traces back years, driven by a simple problem: too many cars funneling through a road never built for this kind of traffic. In 2020, commissioners first advanced what was then described as an $88 million widening of the road from two lanes to four, as reported by theledger.com. A separate report from midfloridanewspapers.com around the same time characterized the effort as an $80 million project, though the source of that cost difference was not addressed in available reporting.
The congestion problem has only intensified as drivers increasingly treat County Road 557 as a shortcut. The Ledger has separately reported that more drivers are using CR 557 as an alternative to reach U.S. 27 from I-4, funneling additional traffic straight through Lake Alfred. Fox 13 News has similarly noted that drivers are now diverting through Lake Alfred on 557, a pattern that has reshaped daily life for residents along the corridor and underscored the pressure to finally get shovels in the ground.
Two Phases, One Long Timeline
The widening work is planned in phases, with a 4.2-mile first phase beginning at Old Lake Alfred Road as part of the 5.7-mile project.
The county has set spring 2030 as the target completion date.
With the contract now awarded to Jr. Davis Construction, the widening project takes another step toward construction. For now, Lake Alfred residents and commuters alike have a target on the calendar: spring 2030, when the county says the wider, safer version of County Road 557 should finally be complete.
