State Road 33 is detoured nightly at I-4 (Exit 38) through Friday, and southbound again Nov. 9-13. South San Gully Road is shut. Also: Kathleen Road ramp.

Last checked Nov. 5, 2026. This page is refreshed weekly. Sources: FDOT District One’s districtwide RoadWatch report for Nov. 1-7, its Polk County RoadWatch page and project pages, FDOT’s work zone schedule, FL511 and the City of Lakeland’s news notices. The city’s website could not be reached directly on Nov. 5, so city items are carried from its posted notices and could not be rechecked. FDOT’s next weekly report, for Nov. 8-14, had not been posted when we checked.

State highways in Lakeland, including I-4, U.S. 98, State Road 33 and Kathleen Road (State Road 539), are built and maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation, District One. City streets belong to the City of Lakeland Public Works Department. For live conditions on any road, use FL511 or call 511.

Who to call

  • City road information line: 863-834-ROAD (7623)
  • City Traffic Operations (signals, signs): 863-834-3490 weekdays 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; after hours 863-834-6966
  • FDOT District One communications: 863-519-4116, fdot-d1comm@dot.state.fl.us
  • I-4 at State Road 33 project team: 813-262-8549
  • Statewide traffic: FL511, or dial 511
  • Emergencies and crashes: 911

This week: State Road 33 detoured nightly at I-4 (Exit 38)

FDOT is closing and detouring northbound and southbound State Road 33 at the I-4 interchange in north Lakeland every night from 9:30 p.m., through Friday, Nov. 6, while crews extract old piles. Drivers follow the posted detours.

  • Closing time: FDOT’s Nov. 1-7 report gives the nightly window as “9:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.”, which cannot be right for an overnight closure. The same report says interchange detours run 9:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. Call the project team at 813-262-8549 before you rely on the road.
  • Next week: FDOT’s work zone schedule lists a southbound State Road 33 detour for bridge work from Monday, Nov. 9, to Friday, Nov. 13, and nightly stop-and-go flagging on State Road 33 the same nights. FDOT had not yet published its report for that week.
  • Detours: on bridge-work nights, northbound State Road 33 traffic is sent via eastbound I-4 and State Road 559; southbound traffic via Tomkow Road.
  • Ramps this week: the work zone schedule lists detours through Friday on the eastbound I-4 exit ramp to State Road 33 (for barrier wall work) and on the on-ramp to eastbound I-4. The eastbound and westbound exits at Exit 38 (State Road 33/Commonwealth Avenue) can close Sunday through Thursday nights from 9:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. through the project. When they do, drivers continue to Exit 33 and follow the signs.
  • On I-4: expect one lane closed overnight from 8:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. and two lanes closed from 10:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. through the project, plus lane shifts on I-4 and State Road 33.
  • North Combee Road (State Road 659): FDOT closed and detoured it on Monday, Aug. 10, for about 60 days. Its Nov. 1-7 report still lists the detour and gives no reopening date, so we could not confirm whether it has reopened. Call the project team at 813-262-8549.

Why the interchange is being rebuilt

The I-4 at State Road 33 project runs 4.3 miles from Old Combee Road to north of Tomkow Road. The old I-4 bridges leave 14 feet 9 inches of clearance, below the 16 feet 6 inches FDOT requires, and there is no room under them for a four-lane State Road 33. The project also adds wildlife crossings over I-4 and under State Road 33 and noise walls along State Road 33. FDOT’s project page says early 2029 for the finish; its weekly report says summer 2029.

State projects in and near Lakeland

Project What is happening Cost Finish (FDOT estimate)
I-4 at State Road 33 interchange, Old Combee Road to north of Tomkow Road Interchange and I-4 bridges rebuilt, State Road 33 widened, two wildlife crossings Not posted Early to summer 2029
SR 33 (Lakeland Hills Boulevard), Parkview Place to north of Granada Street Rebuild with 8-foot sidewalks, storm sewers, lighting and two new midblock crosswalks $27.6 million Early 2027
CSX bridge over I-4 Replacing the railroad bridge west of Kathleen Road (Exit 31) $32.8 million Mid-2027
U.S. 98, Griffin Road to Sharon Drive Resurfacing, crosswalks and safety work at I-4; punch-list work now $12.5 million Punch list continuing
U.S. 98, north of SR 60 to north of CR 540A Resurfacing between Bartow and Lakeland, and a new signal at Lyle Parkway $10.2 million Early 2027
I-4, Galloway Road to U.S. 98 Resurfacing, slab repair, guardrail; overnight lane closures for punch-list work Not posted Punch list continuing
U.S. 98, West Socrum Loop Road to County Road 54 Widening to four lanes, roundabouts at Big Cypress Boulevard and State Road 471, shared-use paths Not posted Not posted

Lakeland Hills Boulevard (State Road 33)

The biggest job inside the city. FDOT’s 1.13-mile project replaces 5-foot sidewalks with 8-foot ones, rebuilds the storm sewer, adds street lighting on both sides between Parkview Place and Granada Street, and adds a flashing-beacon crossing south of Channing Road and a pedestrian signal north of Swannanoa Street.

  • FDOT’s October update says both directions now run on the new lanes on the east side of the road, and crews are connecting the new water and sewer lines and removing the old ones on the west side.
  • This week crews are demolishing the old southbound lanes between Parkview Place and East Bella Vista Street, installing drainage on the west side and putting in signal and lighting foundations.
  • FL511 shows a lane blocked on State Road 33 in each direction approaching Parkview Place. The Parkview Place detour via East Crawford Street and Merrell Drive was scheduled through Oct. 31 and is no longer in FDOT’s weekly report.
  • One lane each way stays open for most of the project. The speed limit is 35 mph.

The I-4 railroad bridge at Kathleen Road

FDOT and CSX are tearing out the 250-foot railroad bridge over I-4, about 1,200 feet west of the Kathleen Road interchange, and building two parallel 400-foot bridges. The longer spans allow a second track and a future I-4 widening without rebuilding the bridges again.

FDOT’s Oct. 30 update schedules the westbound I-4 on-ramp at Kathleen Road to close 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., Monday through Friday. FDOT’s detour: continue north on Kathleen Road, turn east on Griffin Road, go north on U.S. 98 and take the westbound I-4 ramp at Exit 32.

U.S. 98 north toward Kathleen and Socrum Loop

FDOT’s Nov. 1-7 report for the U.S. 98 widening from West Socrum Loop Road to County Road 54, north of the city:

  • Lane shifts or flaggers on U.S. 98 from West Socrum Loop Road to north of Rock Ridge Road, and flaggers on Rock Ridge Road at U.S. 98, 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. through tonight, Thursday.
  • Daytime flaggers at points between West Socrum Loop Road and County Road 54, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday.
  • The speed limit stays at 45 mph or lower through the work zone.

U.S. 98 north of I-4 and south toward Bartow

On the north side, resurfacing from south of Griffin Road to Sharon Drive is in punch-list work, with periodic overnight closures both ways. To the south, the U.S. 98 resurfacing from Bartow to Lakeland continues. At Lyle Parkway in Bartow, about 14 miles south, the U.S. 98 median opening is closed while a new traffic signal goes in; drivers make a U-turn at the next one.

Memorial Boulevard, Berkley Road and Recker Highway

  • Striping: FDOT maintenance crews are refreshing striping on U.S. 92 (Memorial Boulevard) from Wabash Avenue to Gary Road, on State Road 559 (Berkley Road) from Granada Road to C. Fred Jones Boulevard and on Recker Highway, with overnight lane closures on alternating nights from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. through Sunday, Nov. 15. Flaggers direct traffic.
  • Median trimming: City of Lakeland crews are trimming vegetation in the Memorial Boulevard medians, with overnight lane closures from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. through tonight, Thursday.

Florida Avenue (State Road 37)

From Windsor Street to Allamanda Drive, Lakeland Electric crews are replacing wire and poles and adding new poles through early December. Expect a northbound lane closed overnight from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., FDOT says.

Kathleen Road north of I-4

FDOT’s milling and resurfacing project on State Road 539 (Kathleen Road) north of I-4 has no planned lane closures this week; crews are working off the road.

City projects

From the city’s project list and its news notices. We could not reach either page on Nov. 5; the items below are as the city last posted them. The city also posts advisories in the Waze app.

Where Work Dates
South San Gully Road Closed to through traffic for the Water Utilities Department’s Western Trunkline sewer project; signed detour posted. The city’s Oct. 21 notice does not say which blocks close or name the detour route Began Monday, Oct. 26; about two months
Rose Street, Ingraham Avenue to South Lake Avenue New storm sewer; westbound lane closed, detour posted Began Oct. 12; about three months

Curb ramp work at East Lime Street and South Ingraham Avenue, and on Kennedy Boulevard between Sleepy Hill Road and Williamstown Boulevard, began Oct. 12 with a two-week estimate. We could not confirm on Nov. 5 whether it is finished.

The city maintains about 838 lane miles of paved streets and 40 lane miles of brick streets, its Construction & Maintenance Division says. Railroad crossings are not the city’s: for a blocked crossing or a CSX problem, call CSX at 800-232-0144.

What this means for you

  • Driving State Road 33 between north Lakeland and Florida Polytechnic University at night? It is detoured at I-4 from 9:30 p.m. through Friday, and southbound again from Monday, Nov. 9, to Friday, Nov. 13. Follow the detour signs or use another route.
  • Using South San Gully Road? It is closed to through traffic for about two months from Oct. 26; follow the signed detour.
  • Driving Lakeland Hills Boulevard near Parkview Place? Expect one lane each way and a 35 mph limit.
  • Heading west on I-4 from Kathleen Road on a weekday? Use Exit 32 at U.S. 98 instead.
  • On Memorial Boulevard, Berkley Road or Recker Highway at night? Expect striping crews and flaggers on alternating nights through Nov. 15.
  • Downtown, expect a closed westbound lane on Rose Street while the storm sewer goes in.
  • Report a broken city traffic signal or a downed sign to 863-834-3490, or 863-834-6966 after hours.

Related: getting around Lakeland and who to call at City Hall.

Frequently asked questions

Is State Road 33 closed at I-4 in Lakeland?

At night, yes. FDOT is closing and detouring northbound and southbound State Road 33 at the I-4 interchange (Exit 38) each night from 9:30 p.m., through Friday, Nov. 6, while crews pull out old piles. Its work zone schedule lists another southbound State Road 33 detour for bridge work Monday, Nov. 9, to Friday, Nov. 13, with nightly flagging the same week. On bridge-work nights FDOT detours northbound traffic via eastbound I-4 and State Road 559, and southbound traffic via Tomkow Road.

What is the construction on Lakeland Hills Boulevard?

FDOT is rebuilding State Road 33 (Lakeland Hills Boulevard) from Parkview Place to north of Granada Street, a $27.6 million project with wider sidewalks, new lighting, crossings and storm sewers. Traffic now runs on the new lanes on the east side while crews tear out the old southbound lanes. FDOT estimates it will finish in early 2027. The speed limit is 35 mph in the work zone.

Why is the I-4 on-ramp at Kathleen Road closed?

Crews are replacing the CSX railroad bridge over I-4 just west of Kathleen Road (Exit 31). FDOT schedules westbound ramp closures 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. on weekdays; the detour uses Griffin Road and U.S. 98 to Exit 32. FDOT estimates the $32.8 million bridge replacement will finish in mid-2027.

Is South San Gully Road closed?

The City of Lakeland Water Utilities Department closed South San Gully Road to through traffic from Monday, Oct. 26, for about two months for its Western Trunkline sewer project, with a signed detour. The city has posted no reopening date.

Who do I call about a city road closure in Lakeland?

The city’s road information line is 863-834-ROAD (7623). Traffic signal and sign problems go to Traffic Operations at 863-834-3490, or 863-834-6966 after hours.