CSX Railroad Upgrades to Slow NW Lakeland and Kathleen Area Traffic
Bartow, Fla. (January 30, 2019) — Starting on Monday, CSX Transportation will close 13 of their railroad crossings for upgrades along five-miles of tracks running from West 10th Street in Lakeland to 1st Street NW in Kathleen. Depending on weather or unforeseen conditions, work is planned to last two days to five days at each location. Some crossings will be closed at the same time, while others will close in a progressive order as a rolling operation. All crossings are along the west-side of Kathleen Road. Access limitations and travel delays are anticipated as through traffic will be detoured to bypass work zones. Lakeland area crossing locations scheduled to close Monday, include:
- West 10th Street
- Fairbanks Street
- Knights Station Road/Griffin Road
- Sleepy Hill Road
Kathleen area closures scheduled to start Tuesday:
- Galloway Road
- Strickland Road
- Youngs Ridge Road
- Deeson Road
- and three private roads
Other Kathleen area closures scheduled to start Wednesday:
- Oak Avenue NW
- 1st Street NW
The Polk County Board of County Commissioners and County Manager’s Office regret the expected travel delays and disruption to residents resulting from another round of overlapping closures fast-tracked by CSX with limited notice and without county input. However, due to longstanding CSX statutory entitlements, there are no options for the County to reschedule this work. CSX has precedence and considerable authority to close road crossings along their railway lines. Motorists are encouraged to remain patient, be cautious and to add time to their trips through these areas. Polk County recognizes these repairs are necessary and will make for better and safer driving conditions when completed.
Anyone wanting to report a public road rail crossing issue or complaint should call CSX at 1-800-232-0144 or email them at [email protected].
