FDOT has prioritized the US 27 corridor for improvements to support the emerging growth of the Heartland region, emergency evacuation for the state and the movement of freight and goods. North of the study corridor (Polk County), US 27 is proposed to be widened from four to six lanes extending from the Highlands/Polk County Line north to CR 630A (FPID 419243-2). North of that, the Central Polk Parkway (CPP) East and the Poinciana Parkway Extension will provide a direct connection from Highlands County to I-4 southwest of Orlando. On January 30, 2023, the Poinciana Parkway Extension was announced as one of the twenty priority infrastructure investments under the Governor's Moving Florida Forward initiative. Improvements to SR 70 are planned along with improvements along US 98 north of SR 70.
The FDOT Five-Year Work Program, FDOT Strategic Intermodal Systems (SIS) funding plans and the Heartland Regional Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO) Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) and fiscally constrained Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) were reviewed to identify planned and programmed projects on the US 27 corridor. No vehicular capacity improvements are programmed within the study limits; however, the corridor is partially funded to undergo a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) study for future widening south of Skipper Road to the Highlands/Glades County Line.
FDOT studies including the Northeast Polk US 27 Mobility Study Existing Conditions Report, US 27 Mobility Study, the District One Freight Mobility and Trade Plan and The District One Arterial Rural Highways Study indicate the changing context of the US 27 corridor and the need to add transportation options to support population growth and an increase in transportation demand. The need to accommodate safety, mobility and growing freight activity is also an FDOT priority for US 27 in Highlands County.
The HRTPO planning documents were reviewed to understand the regional community vision for the US 27 corridor. HRTPO studies emphasize a more context sensitive vision in the urban communities with a focus on complete streets, walkability and access to pedestrian and transit infrastructure. The TPO's Bicycle Pedestrian Safety Plan prioritized US 27 for safety improvements, as sections of the corridor have the higher average bicycle and pedestrian crashes compared to other state roadways within the county. The Study recommends improvements to the sidewalk network and filling sidewalk gaps within the urbanized areas of Avon Park and Sebring. Heartland's Transit Development Plan, adopted in 2017 by the HRTPO, provides a vision for the planning, development, and implementation of transit services on US 27 between Avon Park and Sebring.
The following municipal comprehensive plans and regional planning initiatives were reviewed to ensure consistency with local government plans. No physical or policy constraints were found that inhibit multimodal transportation improvements to the US 27 corridor or adjacent routes.
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