FOR A SMOOTHER RIDE ALONG INTERSTATE 4

Anyone who has driven along I-4 in Polk County over the past 2 1/2 years has had to deal with construction issues as the major Central Florida route connecting Tampa with Orlando and Daytona Beach was being expanded.

Word is now that the project should be complete by the end of the year, with some sections of what will be a six lane freeway opening this week. The first stretch --- 26 miles from U.S. 98 in Lakeland to the Osceola County Line --- should be opened Friday. Then early next week, westbound drivers from County Road 557 to U.S. 98 will have a third lane. The remaining westbound section from ChampionsGate to CR557 should be ready in approximately three weeks.

The final portion to be readied will be the section from U.S. 98 to Memorial Boulevard in Lakeland.

The advantages will be added guard rails and extra shoulder space to pull over, and the speed limit will return to 65MPH from the current construction limit of 55.

There will still be some work being done in the meantime, as improvements are being made to several interchanges along the route.

But don't think that this marks the end of it. The long term goal is to eventually make I-4 a ten lane highway, which means it won't be long before FDOT gets ready to do it all again.