Some around Polk County, including us, may have been guilty of an eye roll when former state Rep. John Wood said at the end of 2015 that the proposed Central Polk Parkway was “just delayed” after a projected $1 billion shortfall in funding prompted state transportation officials to scuttle the project.
After all, it was easy to believe the Florida Department of Transportation had killed the project outright, even after spending $38 million since it first materialized in 2008. In December 2015 the FDOT didn’t have $1 billion just lying around, and no expectation it would have such cash in the near future. Moreover, the state had no way to generate the vehicle traffic necessary to make the highway, a proposed six-lane toll road, profitable, or at least close to that.
But it appears Wood has proven prescient.
The Polk County Transportation Planning Organization voted unanimously this month to jump-start the project. As The Ledger’s John Chambliss reported, FDOT is back on board, as is the Florida Turnpike Enterprise, the agency that manages the state's 500-mile turnpike network, including the Polk Parkway.
The whole expressway is intended to link the southeast corner of the Polk Parkway to Interstate 4 by running south of Winter Haven and then turning north to follow a route that goes east of Dundee, Lake Hamilton, Haines City and Davenport.
The TPO’s idea is to start with an initial phase of about eight miles — from the Polk Parkway at Winter Lake Road to State Road 60 east of Bartow.
As we have noted in the past, the entire road is sound in theory.
County Commissioner John Hall noted the other day that 200 tractor-trailers flow from CSX’s intermodal terminal in Winter Haven each day. Giving those rigs an alternative highway and not running them along congested roads like SR 60 around Bartow would be a plus.
The road would also offer a quicker, less congested path from western Polk to the east side.
Additionally, in the long-range view, it would help — as was originally planned — to ease traffic on U.S. 27 through eastern Polk. Winter Haven, for instance, would benefit by having a major highway offering entry points from the south or east.
But questions remain. Foremost among them concerns the money. Where will it come from? And will the whole cost run north of the already-steep $1.5 billion price tag?
Just that leg backed by the TPO is expected to cost at least $200 million. The county has banked $10 million toward that. Yet toll revenues, despite a healthy projection, would not be hefty enough to cover the entire cost.
So, it’s unclear if, when, or how the project would be financed.
Then, environmental concerns exist. Proponents of the project can expect staunch opposition from east Polk residents and environmentalists about the potential harm to the Lake Wales Ridge, one of the most sensitive areas in Florida, both from construction and the invitation to laden that area with massive residential and commercial growth.
Still, we should not dismiss this idea just yet.
Rome, of course, wasn’t built in a day. And neither will the Central Polk Parkway. The TPO’s plan is limited in scope and purpose for the moment. So while we might not be completely sold on the entire venture, we would like to hear more about this early segment. If the TPO and its state partners see a path forward, they must share more information soon so the public can judge whether this major piece of infrastructure is worth the investment.