NORTH LAKELAND / AUBURNDALE TRAFFIC ALERT

For those who are not aware, the funeral for slain Polk County Deputy Matt Williams will be held Tuesday afternoon at 1:00 PM. Law enforcement officers from throughout Florida will join family and friends in Victory Assembly of God Church on Griffin Road to remember the life of the 12 year veteran deputy and his K-9 partner, Diogi.

Following the service, what is expected to be a very lengthy motorcade will proceed from the church to Auburndale Memorial Cemetary, where the burial service will be held with full honours. Several major thoroughfares will be closed during the mid-afternoon for the procession, which means some traffic issues are to be expected.

The procession will leave the church, heading eastward on Griffin Road a half mile to U.S. Highway 98, where it will move south until reaching Memorial Boulevard (U.S. Highway 92). It will then head east on Memorial/92 until it reaches Recker Highway in Auburndale, when it will turn south and proceed to the cemetary at Recker and Thornhill Road.

While there will likely be a number of people who will line up along the route to pay respects to Deputy Williams and Diogi as the motorcade passes, those who do not have business in the area and wish to avoid the related traffic backups should avoid the route.