Construction begins on Drane Field Road roundabout in front of Lakeland Linder airport

LAKELAND — Construction has started on what's to become Lakeland's third and largest roundabout to date.

Drivers will discover a new single-lane roundabout is being built at Drane Field Road and Don Emerson Drive, which is the entrance to Lakeland Linder International Airport. The existing lanes of Drane Field Road will remain open throughout construction.

"The area around the airport continues to grow and we have been discussing this roundabout for some time. The City of Lakeland and our partners at the Florida Department of Transportation are eager to see the construction of this project move forward to meet the increasing demands of the roadway," Ryan Lazenby, the city's civil engineer manager, said in a statement. "The roundabout will improve traffic operations, roadway safety, and will act as a gateway to the Lakeland Linder International Airport/Publix Super Markets corporate campus.”

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The project was approved by city commissioners in September 2019. Lazenby told The Ledger the finished roundabout will be larger than the one near Lake Hollingsworth. As Drane Field Road is part of the state's highway system, the circular junction is required to handle semitrucks up to 53 feet in length.

The roundabout's design will shift Drane Field Road slightly to the north to allow adequate space for the roundabout. The individual lanes will curve slightly as they approach the junction to serve as a cue to drivers.

FDOT is contributing $2.2 million toward construction of the roundabout through a Joint Participating Agreement with the City of Lakeland. The city has funded $750,000 for design and the construction engineering and inspection phases of the project.

The anticipated completion of construction is February 2023. The date may be adjusted to account for weather-related delays.

Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow at Twitter @SaraWalshFl.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Cones go up on Drane Field Road as roundabout construction starts