State Road 570 (Florida)
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The Polk Parkway, also known as State Road 570, is a 25-mile, limited-access toll road which runs through Polk County, Florida. It is operated as part of the Florida's Turnpike Enterprise system of limited-access expressways. While the road does provide easier access to Interstate 4 from Polk County cities such as Winter Haven, Bartow, and Auburndale, the Polk Parkway mainly serves as a beltway around Lakeland forming a semi circle, which along with I-4 circumscribes most of the city limits of Lakeland. The road is signed east-west, although the section from SR 540 to the eastern terminus near Interstate 4 runs nearly south to north.
The $490 million Polk Parkway was conceived more than 20 years ago as a circumferential route around Lakeland and named the Imperial Parkway by the County Commission in 1986. In the spring of 1990, the Florida Legislature, incorporating the Polk Parkway into the Turnpike Expansion Program, passed Senate Bill 1316.
• Groundbreaking for the Parkway was 25 January, 1996.
• The Western end, a 7.5 stretch of the Parkway, opened to traffic on 9 August, 1998.
• The second (central) section, approximately 10 miles in length, opened to traffic on 2 August, 1999.
• The final section opened to traffic on 12 December, 1999, and is approximately 7.5 miles long.
Traffic has increased steadily in growing Polk County, and the Parkway is now seen as an important addition to the county's transportation network. The Polk Parkway is a typical freeway, which is a four lane divided highway, with access controlled by way of exits, although a "final stretch" near the eastern end is two lanes (one in each direction - a "Super 2" freeway). The roadway will be expanded to four lanes in a design-build project beginning in 2007. At that time, an interchange will be constructed near Milepost 22 (Pace Road) to accommodate traffic accessing a future satellite campus of the University of South Florida (USF).
As part of the Florida's Turnpike network, the coin system of toll collection is employed. SunPass, E-Pass, and O-Pass electronic toll collection are recognized.
The 1998 Florida Legislature designated the western seven miles of the Polk Parkway (between Interstate 4 and South Florida Avenue (SR 37)) as the James Henry Mills Medal of Honor Parkway in recognition of his heroic actions in World War II in Cisterna Italy. He was the only native of Polk County to receive a medal of honor for his heroic actions in World War II.
Exit List
From the western I-4 terminus to the eastern Interstate 4 terminus:- Western Terminus near County Line Road at Interstate 4
- Exit 1- County Road 542 Old Tampa Highway
- Exit 3- Airport Road
- Exit 4- Waring Road
- Exit 5- Harden Boulevard (SR 563)
- Exit 7- South Florida Avenue (SR 37)
- Toll Plaza at milepost 8- $1
- Exit 9- Lakeland Highlands Road (SR 37B)
- Exit 10- U.S. Route 98 (SR 700) (Bartow Road)
- Toll Plaza at milepost 12.8- $1
- Exit 14- SR 540 Winter Lake Road
- Exit 17- US 92 (SR 600) Auburndale Highway
- Exit 18- County Road 546 Old Dixie Highway
- Exit 22- Pace Road (future interchange)
- Toll Plaza at milepost 21- $1
- Eastern Terminus near Mount Olive Road at Interstate 4
External links
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