Interstate 4 East - Lakeland to Lake Alfred

Forthcoming Polk Parkway (SR 570) provides a direct route to SR 540 (Winter Lake Road) east from Lakeland to both Winter Haven and the Legoland theme park.

10/01/22

SR 570 constitutes a 24.38 mile long toll road that encircles the city of Lakeland and skirts western reaches of Auburndale. Connections with U.S. 98 lead travelers south to Bartow.

09/11/22

Entering the trumpet interchange (Exit 27) with SR 570 (Polk Parkway) east on I-4. Polk Parkway travels ten miles between the Medulla and Eaton Park communities to U.S. 98 and 15 miles to SR 540.

09/11/22

Interstate 4 curves northeast toward Exit 28 for Memorial Boulevard (SR 546), the first of six interchanges within the Lakeland city limits.

09/11/22

Part of U.S. 92 from Wabash Avenue to Carters Corner, Memorial Boulevard (SR 546) constitutes the main route across Lakeland.

05/27/20

Exit 28 to SR 546 (Memorial Boulevard) originally consisted of a wye interchange with access only from Interstate 4 eastbound. Widening of I-4 in Polk County included the expansion of the exchange into a full diamond.

09/11/22

Galloway Road (CR 542A) passes over I-4 as Exit 28 departs from eastbound. Unmarked from I-4, SR 546 lines Memorial Boulevard 5.85 miles east from Exit 28 to U.S. 92 at N Lake Parker Avenue.

09/11/22

Eastbound confirming marker for Interstate 4 posted between overpasses for Swindell Road and 10th Street.

09/11/22

SR 539 (Kathleen Road) spurs southeast 2.52 miles from the diamond interchange at Exit 31 to SR 563 (Sikes Boulevard) near the RP Funding (Lakeland) Center and Downtown Historic District.

10/01/22

Kathleen Road extends north from Interstate 4 as unsigned CR 35A to the community of Kathleen. Measuring 10.53 miles in length, the loop along CR 35A also passes through the Griffin, Galloway, and Mt. Tabor settlements.

05/25/22

Exit 31 departs Interstate 4 eastbound beyond the Bella Vista Street overpass.

05/25/22

SR 539 south ends as SR 563 overtakes Sikes Boulevard from Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. Sikes Boulevard constitutes a short expressway west of Downtown, passing underneath Main, Lemon, and Orange Streets. SR 563 continues southward along Sikes Boulevard to Polk Parkway and Medulla.

11/03/18

U.S. 98 (Providence Road) and I-4 meet at Exit 32 in north Lakeland. The longest US highway within the state of Florida, U.S. 98 travels between Palm Beach and the Alabama state line west of Pensacola. Locally the route comprises a commercial arterial by Lakeland Square Mall.

05/27/20

U.S. 98 follows Providence Road southward onto Florida Avenue through Downtown Lakeland. Points of interest reached by U.S. 98 include Florida Southern College, a campus designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

10/01/22

Removed after January 2019, this confirming marker for Interstate 4 preceded the County Road 582 (Griffin Road) overpass.

06/29/13

Eastbound I-4 at the single point urban interchange (SPUI) with U.S. 98. U.S. 98 joins Lakeland with the Polk County seat of Bartow to the south and Dade City to the northwest. Gibsonia and Providence lie within four miles of Exit 32 via U.S. 98 north as well.

09/11/22

Interstate 4 lines the north side of the Glenwood Park neighborhood of Lakeland on the ensuing stretch.

09/11/22

The first of two exchanges between I-4 and SR 33 in the Lakeland area is the folded diamond interchange at Exit 33 near Lake Gibson. Ramps tie Interstate 4 eastbound directly with the parallel state road while westbound ramps utilize adjacent CR 582 (Socrum Loop Road).

05/25/22

Following Massachusetts Avenue and Lakeland Hills Boulevard northward from U.S. 92 (Memorial Boulevard) to CR 582 at I-4, SR 33 begins in Downtown Lakeland. Beyond Exit 33, SR 33 loops northeast to SR 659 (Combee Road) and Exit 38.

05/25/22

Exit 33 for SR 33 leaves Interstate 4 eastbound. SR 33 south heads by Lake Parker to Publix Marchant Stadium, home of the Minor League Lakeland Flying Tigers.

05/25/22

Old Combee Road spans I-4 just north of Exit 33. The local road links SR 33 with CR 582 (Socrum Loop Road) north near the Sand Piper neighborhood.

05/25/22

Continuing through northeastern reaches of the Lakeland city limits, I-4 and SR 33 converge again at a diamond interchange (Exit 33) near Orangedale. Future work funded for construction in 2028 widens SR 33 into a four lane, divided arterial and converts Exit 33 into a dumbbell interchange.

05/25/22

SR 33 continues paralleling Interstate 4 between Exit 38 and the Polk City line before turning northward. Previously only referenced via SR 559, Polk City was added to guide signs along eastbound I-4 as of January 2022.

05/25/22

SR 33 extends north from Polk City to Eva and SR 50 at Groveland in Lake County.

05/25/22

Traffic lights were installed as an interim safety measure at the exchange joining I-4 with SR 33 by Spring 2022.

05/25/22

A rural stretch of Interstate 4 ahead of SR 570 gives way to development including the campus of Florida Polytechnic University opened in 2014.

06/03/23

Polk Parkway returns to Interstate 4 north through western reaches of Auburndale from SR 540 (Winter Lake Road) to Exit 41 near Polk City. Carbon copied by September 2022, the design of this distance sign predates the completion of Polk Parkway as it references SR 559 as the next eastbound exit. SR 570 opened completely on December 12, 1999.

06/03/23

Three mainline toll plazas collect fares along Polk Parkway, with higher rates charged for toll-by-plate transactions over SunPass prepaid tolls.

06/03/23

Polk Parkway westbound connects with Auburndale at Exit 18 for Dixie Highway and Exit 17 for U.S. 92. Downtown Auburndale lies three miles east of the toll road.

06/03/23

Exit 41 departs Interstate 4 east for SR 570 (Polk Parkway). Polk Parkway turns westward at SR 540 / Exit 14 to Eaton Park and Lakeland. SR 540 stems east from U.S. 98 to Eagle Lake and Winter Haven.

08/18/23

Mount Olive Road passes over Interstate 4 east ahead of this shield assembly.

09/11/22

SR 559 provides a second route to Auburndale from Interstate 4 eastbound at Exit 44. A realignment made in 2020 shifted the route west along Fred Jones Boulevard (CR 559A) and south along Berkley Road (CR 655) to U.S. 92 into the city.

09/11/22

The lone rest area along Interstate 4 lies three miles ahead at the Green Swamp. The rest area in Seminole County was converted to a truck parking area in 2020.

06/03/23

A diamond interchange joins Interstate 4 and SR 559 at Exit 44. Prior to 2020, SR 559 followed Ariana Boulevard around Lake Ariana to Main Street and Downtown Auburndale, seven miles south of the freeway.

06/03/23

Improvements completed in 2017 at Exit 44 included a new span for SR 559 and a slight realignment of the eastbound lanes for I-4.² Emergency stopping sites were added at the exchange in Summer 2022.

09/11/22

SR 559 replaced the truck route dog legging west along Fred C. Jones Boulevard and Berkley Road south. A large distribution center was constructed between I-4 and Fred C. Jones Boulevard in 2019/20. A second broke ground adjacent to Exit 44 in 2022.

05/22/20

SR 559 heads 0.7 miles north to CR 557A and 2.5 miles to SR 33 (Commonwealth Avenue) in Polk City. Fantasy of Flight Museum lies alongside SR 559 (Broadway Boulevard) nearby within northern reaches of the Auburndale city limits.

05/22/20

Interstate 4 travels north of Lake Mattie through rural areas of the Green Swamp that offer the last reprieve of development before the greater Orlando area.

09/11/22

Polk County Road 557 meets Interstate 4 at the succeeding exit eastbound. The freeway traverses areas of the Green Swamp and Hilochee Wildlife Management Area over the next 11 miles.

09/11/22

Rest areas line both sides of Interstate 4 beyond the Polk County Road 557A over crossing.

09/11/22

Despite the installation of this sign in 2022, there are no additional rest areas along Interstate 4 eastbound.

09/11/22

Eastbound at the Polk County Rest Area. The facility lies around 150 feet above sea level, however most of the surrounding area consists of wetlands associated with Green Swamp.

05/27/20

Dense fog and smoke during the morning of January 9, 2008 resulted in a 70 car pile-up, resulting in the closure of I-4 between Polk Parkway and Exit 55 / U.S. 27. Fires caused by the accident damaged a 650 foot long section of roadway just west of Exit 48, requiring resurfacing of the roadway.¹

09/11/22

County Road 557 stems south from forthcoming Exit 48 to Lake Alfred and Winter Haven. $70.46 million in construction underway from October 2020 to Mid 2023 reconfigures Exit 48 into a dogbone interchange.

10/01/22

Previously Exit 48 consisted of a parclo B2 interchange linking I-4 and CR 557. CR 557 connects with CR 17 (Polk City Road) southeast to Haines City and U.S. 27. Old Grade Road extends northward from the 0.54 mile long stretch of SR 557 at I-4 to Deen Still Road.

10/01/22

CR 557 travels southward into Lake Alfred where it meets U.S. 17/92 (Lake Shore Drive). U.S. 17 continues south from there into Winter Haven while U.S. 92 turns westward to Auburndale. Since removed, a sign replacement at Exit 48 made in July 2014 added yellow flashers alerting drivers of the sharp loop ramp.

09/11/22

The I-4 at SR 557 Interchange Improvements project includes the addition of a wildlife under crossing east of Exit 48.

09/11/22

Interstate 4 next meets U.S. 27 at Exit 55 in six miles. Downtown Orlando is a half our away during free flowing traffic.

10/01/22

Interstate 4 plies northeast across additional acreage of Hilochee Wildlife Management Area.

09/11/22